Saturday, 22 March 2014 00:00
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By David Ebert
For workers the world over, Mondays are akin to that first day back at the gym doing cardio after a long layoff doing fun stuff that you really shouldn’t have. You huff and you puff and force yourself to get through that first day pain barrier, knowing well that the days to follow, by all means, have to become easier as you slide yourself back into your groove again. And many of us would unilaterally agree that nothing beats the Monday blues like an after work sheltering at your nearest watering hole for a bit of comfort food and a nice refreshing spirit of your choice.
From W. Somerset Maugham to James Bond, the Martini has always been the preferred drink of those with a bit of class. Curve at Park Street Mews has come up with just the thing to indulge in on a Monday evening, promising a selection of scrumptious Tapas from their very impressive menu and a choice of seven delectable vodka martinis coupled with some sweet combo deals to boot. ‘Martini Mondays’ starting from this week sounds like just the thing if you need a little bit of pepping up at the start of your gruelling work week.
Harpo’s Group’s new Corporate Beverage Manager Daniel Alexander, a 20-year bar veteran with a flair for exotic alcoholic concoctions, is the man behind the new additions to the restaurant’s beverage menu. His reason, he says, is to introduce a little bit of flavour and colour to an otherwise dreary day of the week and that’s exactly what I got on a slightly muggy Monday evening at Curve, being introduced to his new arsenal of alcoholic mixes and a Tapas platter cooked up by resident Chef Rohan Perera.
Daniel is just back in Sri Lanka where in his previous stint in the country, he was instrumental in launching 7 Degrees on the Lake at Cinnamon Lakeside, followed by a two-year gig managing a chain of four high end restaurants and bars in Jakarta. He’s back now and armed with a host of new ideas for Harpo’s establishments.
Chocolate Martini
A drink, I believe that could only have been invented by an obsessive chocoholic as a tribute to fellow chocoholics the world over. It’s a concoction that, as Daniel explained, is the ideal after dinner dessert cocktail. This one is dangerously thick, chocolaty and is pure indulgence. The chocolate sauce dripping down the glass is tempting enough to make you to want to lick it all off the first chance you get.
Espresso Martini
Daniel calls this one his version of an alcoholic energy drink, the ideal drink to start off your evening that’ll shake off the cobwebs and have you perked up before you could say “shaken, not stirred”. If you love your coffee, this one will not disappoint. With a single shot of hot, steaming espresso added to the mix and shaken till it no longer is, you will definitely stand up straight-backed and ready to take on the night after this little boost of energy.
Cake Batter Martini
Yes, you read the heading right. The Cake Batter Martini is absolute decadence in a Martini glass; thick creamy, sweet and colourful, with multicoloured sprinkles along the rim to boot. The almond aftertaste from the Amaretto adds a nice little surprise after the sweetness, giving you the promised cake batter effect. A definitely foreseeable ladies’ favourite!
Bubblegum Martini
Bubblegum has never been one of my all-time favourite flavours, but this red, candy-like Martini managed to change my mind to an extent. With peach vodka, cranberry and Daniel’s secretive little touches, this one will tickle the sweet buds of anyone and give you a little bit of a kick as an aftertaste.
Lychee Martini
Lychee Martinis are probably one of my favourites and this one surprised me with how refreshing it was. How was it different? Unlike all the others I’ve had so far, this one comes with Lychees muddled into the vodka instead of them just floating in it, and it does make a world of a difference in terms of taste. A definite must have!
Sapphire Martini
If you like vibrant, exotic looking cocktails, this one should be right down your alley. Electric blue and not as sweet compared with the others; this one has the right ingredients to make it a regular must-try.
Curve Martini
Curve’s signature martini is the same shade of purple that dominates the interior of the bar (or as close to it as Daniel can make it). As for how he managed to get it that colour, he says that it all comes down to a little bit of behind-the-bar-sorcery and it may be true. The range of martinis, including the Curve Martini, have exceeded my expectations immensely and provided a very satisfying evening all in all.
Tapas
Now, a trip to Curve would be incomplete without digging into its menu of light and fresh tasting tapas. Speaking to Chef Rohan, I asked him to help me make my choice, and from his repertoire he served me up the following.
I started off with the crab croquettes – a delicious mix of crab and white sauce filling, served up with curry mayonnaise that had the right mix of the lightly flavoured crab and the intense curry mayo as a counter balance of sorts.
Next was the one I was waiting for – the smoked salmon on toasted homemade white bread. You can’t go wrong with this one at all. The bread was lightly toasted and most importantly freshly made on the same day by Chef Rohan, who confessed that it is his pride and joy.
The mushroom and garlic tapas was one of Chef Rohan’s suggestions and although I was hesitant at first, it tasted quite amazingly light in flavour, with just a subtle hint of garlic and the creamy richness of the mushrooms.
The sesame coated chicken with guacamole was the centrepiece of the platter, and Chef Rohan waited eagerly to see my reaction to it. It was a unanimous yes! Golden brown pieces of chicken coated generously with sesame that sits on pieces of the now famous white bread.
Once again, as is the norm at Curve I think, the flavouring was just spot on. Light, not overwhelmingly herbed, and not too heavy at all. These things to me are very important factors for a typical evening out in Colombo with both food and drinks on the cards. By the way, this one isn’t on the main menu, so make a point to ask for it specifically.
Now after all that crab, salmon, mushroom, garlic and chicken, there’s nothing better and refreshing than the tomato and basil bruschetta. The floral basil flavouring combined with the zesty tomato make the ideal finisher to a light but flavourful meal with more cocktails on the horizon.
Verdict
All in all, it was quite an interesting evening discovering a whole new world of Martinis plus some Tapas as the ideal accompaniment to go with them. Daniel’s got some sweet deals up his sleeve for Martini Mondays with individual and combo deals to boot.
The Martinis are all priced at Rs. 720++ each, and during the Martini Mondays promotion between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m., you could get the ‘Buy two, get one free’ deal, the ‘Buy four, get two free’ deal or my personal recommendation – the fabulous ‘Full Range’ which consists of all the seven Martini flavours mentioned above priced at Rs. 4000++. In my view, a deal worth spending a Monday evening on.
Daniel also plans on coming up with accompanying tapas combos as well soon, so keep an eye on the Curve Facebook page for updates.
