Park Street has registered itself on the map of Colombo as a street with many restaurants and cafes. We decided to check out Monsoon. With the intense heat in Colombo, a little bit of monsoon rain would be a relief! The venue sits at the end of the ‘food avenue’ and has access via a large car park, so no issues with parking. The ambience is perfect for dinner, mellow lighting with a lovely chandelier placed strategically. The interior has sustained the original red brick walls and displays iron racks, where potted palms and ferns give a mild tropical twist to the restaurant. The high roof creates a lot of appeal.
The concept of cuisine at Monsoon is street food, which is served in style. The menu displays five countries - Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam and Thailand.
The concept of street food is very different to what we are used to in Sri Lanka. It is on an elevated culinary realm.
Each dish shows a tiny flag from the corresponding nation, making it easy to choose. My choice of beverage was a Hibiscus basil crush - it was served in a large glass and the taste very refreshing. My friend had already surfed the restaurant’s website prior to our visit and was ready to place his order! The following dishes were ordered: Prawn sarong (served crispy with a sauce), Satay Marangg (Javanese chicken which was tender and spicy) Daging Jintan (Beef infused with oyster sauce which breaks down the enzymes giving you tender cubes of beef which are fast cooked, this dish was amazing and served on a lovely oval shaped dish), Balinese pork belly (another succulent hit on the menu, and the top seller) Golden fragrance prawns (exploding with Asian spices, redefining the taste of seafood). These meals can be eaten with an array of noodles and rice, but we just stuck to the meat. The large open kitchen allows you to connect to your meal, as the chefs and cooks clad in grey jackets are busy.
For a Thursday night the venue was almost full (they can accommodate 100 covers - with a private dining room for 8 on level one). The Head Chef Ambrim, pops out now and then to chat to guests. He is supported by Chef Marilyn from the Philippines.
All the meals at Monsoon are presented on plates of various sizes, chosen to supplement the colour and tone of the food - which is an excellent thing as visual appeal influences our perception of food.
After taking in these delightful 5 nation cuisine the dessert menu is given to us. The sweet spring roll, created by Chef Marilyn was my choice. My friend had the lychee mojito and the roasted coconut ice cream. The latter is served in a chilled stone ramekin and tastes very good. The spring roll deep fried and coated in honey is a lovely dessert with a deep tropical tone. Monsoon gives a unique dining experience and the menu is reasonably priced where it can be enjoyed by everyone. Monsoon is closed on Mondays, and have also launched a lunch menu Wednesday to Friday. We walk out and enjoy the music resonating along Park Street.