Located at: 38 Ward Place, Colombo 07, Sri Lanka

Visited on: 15 Mar, 2018

The quirky name of this place was the first thing to catch my eye. And a look-up online revealed an equally quirky-looking menu. We dropped in at lunch time on a relentlessly hot day, and although I do regard that the extensive windows must make it seem quite open and nice in the evenings, they didn’t help in keeping the heat down at this time of the day. First things first – I love their salt and pepper shakers. White and light teal coloured figurines hugging each other. They look so cute, I would’ve taken them home to join my brood of pets had it not been the equivalent of thieving. So, moving on swiftly onto more serious ground – the food and drink.

I’m usually not one to order very sweet and heavy beverages, mostly due to my small appetite and also because my throat screams a bit when dealt with an excessive dose of sugar. In any case, I decided to try out their ‘The Girl Next Door’ – a coffee and caramel sensation crowned with honeycomb (I think it must’ve been the honeycomb that got me). Unfortunately (or otherwise), it wasn’t available on the day and I replaced my order with The Breakup – scandalous amounts of crumbled Oreos (LKR 650 each for all the drinks in their ‘The Cool Stuff’ range). Part of me wondered if I would regret it, but I went ahead with it anyway. And my, was I glad I did. Yes, it was packed with Oreos and yes, it came in a big mug. But it was delicious! They’d somehow managed to balance the sweetness of the crumbled Oreos with the milk in what was essentially an Oreo milkshake. I enjoyed it AND finished it. Bravo for a wonderful concoction! Clearly this outshone the other drink at the table by far – a Passion Fruit ‘Juicy Lucy’ (LKR 360). This was fresh and tasted alright too, with the tell-tale tang of the fruit. But my taste buds barely noticed it in the presence of The Breakup – sorry!

For lunch we ordered a portion each of This DJ Rocks – Dijon mustard flavoured chicken pot pie with a side of fresh salad (LKR 860) and Ragin’ Cajun – Cajun spiced chicken leg roasted and served on a bed of mash with a side of fresh salad (LKR 860). Personally, I would have liked the Cajun chicken to be cooked a little more. The meat had a slight pink hue under the crisp roasted top layer. Perhaps a little more heat would have tenderised the chicken better. The gravy did well though. And the herby mash was quite flavoursome – good with and without the gravy. The salad ingredients were fresh and added a little crunch to the meal. Overall, the presentation was definitely appealing and appetising, and it was good in terms of taste too.

The chicken pot pie, when placed on the table, appeared to be somewhat small in portion. However, as you dug into it, it was apparent that there was a substantial amount of chicken and mushroom under the puff pastry. Of course, the gravy was Dijon mustard-heavy, but not overwhelmingly so. The light pastry was baked to near-flaky perfection and had a beautiful golden colour to it.

Clearly you would’ve noticed by now that Caramel Pumpkin has got some very unique names on its menu. Unique names that make a lasting impression. As a diner – and reviewer – I was hoping that the actual dishes, too, might have the same effect. I can’t say they didn’t. Well, the drink sure did! And the food was pretty decent too. Their menu is not a very extensive one, but it adds a pinch of originality to mealtime. Apart from the set dishes, they also allow you to make your own pastas and sandwiches/wraps with several options for ingredients. Perhaps I shall put my creativity to the test with one of these on my next visit.

Yummy Rating: 4.0 / 5.0

Read Part 02 of The Eat Log’s review on Caramel Pumpkin @ https://theeatlog.com/2018/09/12/caramel-pumpkin-part-02/