A rural feast on weekends at Cinnamon Grand

Saturday, 16 July 2011 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Care to enjoy an authentic village feast, replete with the sights and sounds of a typical rural village? Then the rural hamlet, Nuga Gama, at Cinnamon Grand is sure worth a visit.

Set under the canopy of a 200-year-old Banyan tree, Nuga Gama, is the ``Village in the City’ that takes you back to the roots of Sri Lankan rural life and cuisine.

Weekends especially, provides visitors a chance to observe the culinary fare being prepared from scratch by the village Ammes, since the ethos at Nuga Gama is to make dining an authentic experience.

Everything from the picking of the organic herbs, vegetables, green leaves to the grounding of spices that form the flavourful paste for the exotic Sri Lankan rice and curry dishes, is a ritual at Nuga Gama. This goes for the careful selection of fresh produce too- meat, fish, seafood which is then prepared in different ways by the Ammes to bring out the distinctive flavours of regional cooking methods.

The lunch menu on weekends features 18 different island dishes and earthenware-cooked meats and seafood. What make this fare unique are the seven types of vegetables and four types of leaf mallum, some of which, although unknown to most city folks, are popular salad options for villagers, given their nutritional content.

There are also plenty of juices, turned out of seasonal fruits, including local favourites like Ambarale, which is highly beneficial for combating diabetes. For the braver hearted- the toddy flows, so do the good times! The sweet array of desserts, made using local traditional recipes, and a selection of fresh fruits, curd with treacle, watalappan, and cream caramel completes this unique feast. Visitors also have the chance of indulging in a freshly brewed cup of herbal tea, or plain tea with jaggery, after the meal. So treat your family or visiting friends, craving for that authentic rice and curry fare, to `the Nuga Gama experience.’ They are sure to be enticed by the many charms of this rustic setting. Kids especially will not only love the exotic tastes and the fascinating ways of food preparation, but also the sense of space and environs teeming with flora and fauna.

Nuga Gama is situated at the ground level of the Cinnamon Grand hotel. Lunch is served only during weekends from 12.00 p.m to 2.30 p.m.

Nuga Gama is open for dinner seven days of the week from 7.00 p.m to 10.30 p.m. The buffet is priced at Rs1300 plus taxes. Mondays feature a special cultural show at 8.00 p.m. Call 2497361/62 for more information or reservations.