The Sri Lankan Food Festival, running from 23 to 31 October at Neer, the poolside restaurant of Hilton Bengaluru Embassy Manyata Business Park, is the sort of invitation one accepts without a second glance at the sky.
Late October in Bangalore is usually mild and forgiving, warm enough by noon and cool at dusk, the air smelling faintly of dust and mallige. That evening had other ideas. The rain played hide and seek all afternoon, withdrawing just long enough to give one hope and then returning with some spite. It was my third Sri Lankan food festival of the year, so I knew roughly what to expect, and I went with an umbrella and a good appetite.
Neer’s coastal identity is well served by its setting: the poolside is tidy and properly laid, with nothing superfluous, and the rooftop terrace, fitted with an enclosure, serves as a second room. We began on the outdoor sit-out and had barely settled when the rain came down in earnest. We were shown under cover without fuss, and the evening resumed as if it had been planned that way. I was among the first in; the usual suspects, and a few new faces, trickled in after, shaking off the weather.
The festival belongs to the Hilton Chef Exchange Program, under which chefs travel between Hilton kitchens to cook in short pop-up residencies and explore regional ingredients. Chef Geeth and Chef Kumara have come from Hilton Colombo, bringing their traditions and a few closely held recipes.
Chef Kumara has given twenty-one years to the group, which tells you something about the man and a good deal about… Hilton. Both were warm and unhurried, and plainly glad to be cooking here.
Sri Lankan cooking has never pretended to be vegetarian by inclination, and the menu is frank about it. Fish, crab and meat crowd the table in generous variety, while the vegetables, though perfectly agreeable, are outnumbered. The chefs promised that the line-up will rotate through the week, with a fairer share for the green-minded. The Moringa Tofu and Cauliflower Nasi Goreng is the early evidence of good faith.
The Moringa Cappuccino opened the meal, light, green and clean on the palate, a sound answer to a damp evening. The Colombo Short Eats Experience followed, and it was a small triumph: crisp, savoury mouthfuls that left one asking for more. The panko-crumbed crab cake, with its coconut lime aioli, demanded a second helping, and I did not argue.
Then came the Jaffna Lagoon Crab Curry, which carries the north of the island in every spoonful, assertive and unmistakable, like a signature. Beside it sat coconut sticky rice and pol sambal, a close cousin to our own coconut relishes but with a strong Sri Lankan accent.
The drinks followed each leg of the meal sensibly, complementing the plates rather than competing with them. Dessert was the Mango and Passion Fruit Verrine, bright, a little sharp, and exactly the right size. The Coastal Sri Lankan Reef Seer and the Ceylon Tea and Cardamom Parfait are also on the list, and reason enough for a second visit.
We walked out into a rain that had finally exhausted itself, fed generously and in good spirits. The flavours were authentic and they kept faith with the appetite, which is all one asks of a festival.
Colombo is camped at Hilton Manyata until Saturday, 31 October. Those who rise early can find a special Sri Lankan breakfast counter at Neo Kitchen as well. With the first festive lights going up and tables being planned for family and friends, this is a pleasant rehearsal for the season of company ahead.
