The High Que: Steak house par excellence

Saturday, 7 March 2015 00:05 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

By Sarah Hannan A place for coffee, steak and room to breathe can sometimes be impossible to find. Walk down Guildford Crescent and you will be able to find this cosy steak house which has been in operation since the latter part of 2014. Last week the two of us went to meet the people behind this operation, Kanishka and Samadhi.

It was quite an overcast day so my choice was the lounging area right at the edge of the main dining section. The skylight provided enough light so that we could see each other without the help of a lamp. Proprietor Kanishka Thalpawila joined us to share his story on how the steak house came to be. “Steak happens to be my favourite dish and I wanted to dedicate the place to steak. But as I made my initial plans, my friends suggested that I should also serve coffee. I was not a huge coffee enthusiast and not much of a hot beverage person either,” Kanishka explained. The whole concept had been in the works for several years as Kanishka had embarked on quite a lot of groundwork to bring ‘The High Que’ to life: “I underwent Barista training to teach myself to brew the perfect cup of coffee and started to develop a liking towards coffee on a whole different level.”

Beverages A variety of hot and cold beverages are available on the menu. I chose the Italian Hot Chocolate while my partner picked the Café Mocha. The Italian hot chocolate was so thick and Kanishka noted that every time you stir the hot chocolate, the drink becomes thicker. Sure enough it turned thicker with every stir. Chocoholics make note: This is the best Hot Chocolate I have had in year! Mains By the time we had to tuck in to our main course I was quite full due to the Hot Chocolate, so I went for the Asparagus and Spinach Crepes, a vegetarian dish. Three crepes didn’t seem to make a meal but by the time I dug into a crepe and a half, I was battling to finish the rest. My partner ordered a steak – Beef Tenderloin in Red Wine Sauce, to be precise – which was accompanied by mashed potato and boiled asparagus, beans and carrot. The portion of meat weighs up to 200g, according to Kanishka. Desserts Despite being stuffed, Kanishka convinced us that we should at least share the Kiwi Yoghurt which happens to be the most in-dem

and dessert. The presentation itself is so intricate you wouldn’t want to dig in. But who can say no to such an exotic fruit dessert? The dessert is 300 ml of yoghurt, kiwi and chocolate sauce and is bound to give you that satisfaction you crave for after indulging in a hearty meal. The chefs who create these culinary delights have been in the industry for a considerable amount of time and the presentation of food itself can vouch for their experience and mastery. If you are a food, coffee and chocolate enthusiast, this is the place to be. The High Que is conveniently located next to the Lionel Wendt Art Gallery and Theatre and operates from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. For more details, see www.facebook.com/thehighque or call 011 2 699859.

Pix by Mirshad Buckman