Sahal
Independence Square, Colombo 07
Closed right now
Sahal is the newest high-end Sri Lankan restaurant in town.
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Reviewed by Vishvi
A fine dining restaurant by Sen-Saal, Sahal is a welcome addition to Colombo's throng of fancy Sri Lankan restaurants. They've taken residence down Arcade Independence Square, where Kaema Sutra once stood.
Sahal's menu is vast and carefully curated to embed the Lankan vibe to it - kenda (soups), kata gasma (appetizers), athurupasa (desserts), you get the gist. It features an impressive collection of regional cuisines in Sri Lanka too, from Balapitiye Maalu Olu (Balapitiya fish head) Curry and Sabaragamuwe Hath Maaluwa (seven veggies curry from Sabaragamuwa Province) to Jaffna Odiyal Kool and Fried Cuttlefish & Drumstick Leaf Curry, coming all the way from Eastern seaboard. Aside from that, they've recently introduced a Chinese food menu as well.
As per the recommendation of our server, we kicked things off with a portion of Pathal (miner's) Roti (Rs. 750). Three rice flour rotis, each topped off with a dollop of curried mutton arrived in this one.
The roti itself was a bit tough for our liking, but the robust bits of deliciously prepped mutton made up for it. Chewy in texture and doused in curry, yet boasting with the fresh mutton-y flavours, it's a good one to awake your tastebuds without leaving you full before the mains.
As for our mains, we ordered four curries - Gam Kukul Mas (free-range chicken) Curry (Rs. 710), Balapitiye Maalu Olu Curry (Rs. 650), Uluhal (fenugreek) Curry (Rs. 350) and Karaththa (bullock cart) Curry (Rs. 780), along with a serving of Steamed White Rice (Rs. 150).
Incorporating the tangy burst of tomatoes, the bitter notes of fenugreek, the sweetness of caramelised onions, the milkiness of coconut milk and the magical aroma of karapincha (curry leaves), the Uluhal Curry is a testament to all the wonders we Sri Lankans do with the spices. Its gravy was thick, which paired up really nicely with the fluffy Samba rice.
I'm not sure about the whole history behind Karaththa Curry, but according to what we read on the menu, it's a recipe forged by ancient cart travellers. Made with karawala (dried fish) and a bunch of veggies like beans, tomatoes, potato and onions, cooked together in coconut milk, it was a treat.
There was a good balance between milky and spicy elements and a lot of curry taste. Scooping and mopping up this curry with some kadey paan is the dream!
Dunked in a slightly thick gravy enriched with spices lies a giant Thora (Seer) fish head - its whiff itself had us drooling. The fish head easily fell apart, was succulent and fleshy with lots of meat.
I'm a bit of a buff when it comes to spices in Lankan food. I would have enjoyed this even more if the gravy was a bit more creamy in texture, and had more spices infused. But hey, that's just me. My lunch partner made no complaints.
The Gam Kukul Mas Curry grabbed our attention since the very second we laid our eyes on its title. We were expecting a curried up curry chicken, but unfortunately what we received was the regular broiler chicken.
Nonetheless, it was good. Two massive hunks of chicken cooked through and soaked in a well-spiced up gravy, this is easily sharable between three people. The chicken tasted very curry-like, thanks to having soused up all that curry goodness in the gravy. Some goraka (Malabar tamarind) in the mix could have brought it to the next level.
Our dessert was a Kithul Thalapa (jaggery palm flour pudding), which was offered with the helpings of kithul treacle and coconut milk on the side. This stuff is not easy to come across, and Sahal's take on this pudding was so darn good. Not sweet, but rightly so, its texture was spot on. Make good use of kithul treacle and coconut milk for the extra flavour. Priced at Rs. 500.
As of now, this is my favourite dessert in town.
*Pictured above - Scofflaw (left) and Saima Cut Wela (right)
Much like their food menu, Sahal's collection of drinks is quite catchy. They have the regular booze, cocktails and a whole list of concoctions of their own which has a very Lankan twist to it. The names themselves had us cracking up - Siri Lanka Sudiya, Malle Pol, Karakila Amberella, Sumihiri Paane, and Kurundu Watta etc.
Out of the lot, we ordered two - a good ol' Scofflaw (Rs. 900) and Saima Cut Wela (Rs. 950).
The rust coloured drink on the left is the Scofflaw - made with bourbon, dry vermouth, lime juice, grenadine and orange bitters slipped in together. A citrusy refresher with a boozy punch - that's what it is.
Bits of pineapple, cucumber, pomegranate seeds, and ice jiggling in a tall glass full of vodka, tequila and triple sec, Saima Cut Wela had us from the initial sip. When you can't decide between a strong sipper or a fruity kick on your palate, this is a happy medium.
Ambience & Service
The ambience here is neat and classy. Furnished with black colour chairs and tables, it had beautiful chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. There were candle lamps sitting on top of every table, which they light up during the evening.
The serviettes and tablecloth with batik patterns on them, and classic Sinhala instrumental music that fills the room, all add up to the Lankan charm.
Our server was a very polite, friendly gentleman who was very helpful throughout the experience. He was happy to make recommendations whenever it appears like we need any and managed to bring out the food within around 15 minutes into ordering.
Sahal does a god job in whipping up some beloved Lankan favourites that we usually do not come across in every Sri Lankan restaurant. The focus they've given to regional cuisines is quite admirable too. In terms of pricing, it seems to be on par with the high-end restaurants of the same kind.
*Photographs courtesy of: @raveen.re
Dine-In
Chinese Sri Lankan
More than Rs.1500
Dish Types
Rice Meats Seafood Kottu Biriyani Lamprais Rice And Curry Fried Rice Beef Chicken Mutton Fish Crab Cuttlefish Cocktails Hoppers
Ambience Rating
See 1 Comment
Darth Stark
I have noticed that in Vishvi's writing, there's one element that bothers me. It's the rather inconsistent naming of dishes. Most of the dishes in her articles are called out by their Sinhala names, whereas the English equivalent is not provided. In some cases, its a mix of both languages and/or the odd mentioning of a Tamil name where applicable. Shouldn't there by a respectable level of consistency in the quality of writing by YAMU by this stage? I get the exotic sense brought on by naming dishes by their traditional / cultural names, but it must be remembered that those who read these articles are may not be familiar with these names or the language (Expats, Tourists, those from other ethnic groups etc), and hence why the articles are being referred to in the first place. These are English articles, and at the very least, should be comprehensible by a person who reads English, without any exposure to or knowledge of the cultural elements relevant to each name etc. A non-Sinhalese may not know what the heck a Hathmaaluwa is, while a non-Tamil could be scratching his/her head wondering what on earth an Odiyal Kool is. If a separate Google search is required to get a better understanding of this article, then the whole purpose of this website is lost. An Editor-in-Chief should know better. There seems to be a marked drop in writing quality in the past 1-2 years or so, as many of the old writers have quit. YAMU seems to be good only for finding out about a restaurant, same as Zomato, and can no longer be relied upon for accurate / useful descriptions of meals served.
Vishvi YAMU STAFF
Hi Darth Stark, thank you for the feedback. I usually write the title given on the menu, as it's what most readers would see whenever they find themselves in the restaurant. But yes, it can be confusing to some.
I've amended the above article accordingly and will make sure to keep that consistency intact.
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