COLOMBO : Taste of Ceylon opened its doors at Beira Kitchen, Courtyard by Marriott Colombo, on the 3rd of September; a festival of Southern, Central, Uva and Northern regional food, brought together on one table. And judging by opening night, this is shaping up to be a festival worth returning for. With the festival running through the 6th of September, there’s still time to experience it.
Four Regions, One Unforgettable Table
Each night, guests moved between four distinct culinary worlds. From the South came the deep, coconut-rich flavours of malu abulthiyal and Negombo pork curry with pineapple, alongside a lively fish polla roti action station. The Central province brought Kandalama lake fish, black octopus curry and carrot kalupol; dishes rooted in the region’s lakes and forests. Uva’s table leaned rustic and warming, with village chicken stew, prawn curry with murunga, and a coconut pittu drawing steady queues. And from the North came bold, unmistakable flavours of Jaffna crab curry, Jaffna mutton curry, and a dosai action station that quickly became one of the evening’s most talked-about corners.
Layered around the four regional stations was a spread that told its own story of Sri Lankan hospitality, from belimal herbal welcome drinks and a bread corner stretching from curry leaves rolls to kurakkan viyana rolls, to a dessert corner where watalappan, wood-apple coconut wandu and king coconut jelly sat alongside a full spread of traditional Sri Lankan sweets like kokis, athirasa and aluwa.
What Guests Were Saying
The feedback on opening night carried a common thread: guests were struck by just how different each region’s food tasted, side by side, on the same table. What could easily have blurred into “just Sri Lankan food” instead came through as four distinct culinary identities; the fire of the North, the coastal warmth of the South, the earthiness of the Central hills, and the rustic comfort of Uva, each unmistakably its own.
A Word from the Team
Reflecting on the festival, the team at Courtyard by Marriott Colombo shared that Taste of Ceylon was designed from the start to be more than a menu. It was meant to be an experience guests could travel through, one region at a time, without leaving Beira Kitchen. Judging by the response over the four nights, that’s exactly how it landed.
Three Nights Left
Opening night has set the tone, but the journey isn’t over. Taste of Ceylon continues nightly at Beira Kitchen through the 6th of September, 7:00pm to 11:00pm, with all four regions on the table every evening. Priced at LKR 7,500 nett per person, and a special group discount of 15% for bookings of 4 or more guests. For reservations, call 011 7734451 or WhatsApp 074 202 0002, and follow @courtyardcolombo for a closer look at the festival.
