Located at: 216 Rev. Muruththettuwe Ananda Nahimi Mawatha, Thimbirigasyaya, Colombo 05, Sri Lanka

Visited on: 03 Oct, 2018

The unassuming appearance of Café Noir Blanc’s exterior is a contrast to the opulence of its interior. Tastefully decorated within a spacious set-up, the place exudes an almost luxurious yet cosy feel. The little al fresco area at the back must be quite wonderful on a cool evening (we visited during lunch). I took an instant liking to the place, and was hoping that the food would match up to the visual delight that it was.

For our beverages, we went with one hot and two cold choices. The hot one was a Crème Brulée Latte (LKR 640). Not too sweet, just as promised, but had a nice, fuzzy feel to it. I can’t exactly put a finger on it and say this is what made it special from a latte (perhaps due to the fact that I was rather distracted by another beverage – read on!), but there definitely was something to it that was different – in a good way.

The second beverage was a Chocolate Shake (LKR 540). Definitely a go-to for lovers of chocolate. It’s not obvious when you look at it, but a sip in and you realise how rich it is with what feels like layers of chocolate, packed into a glass.

And then there was the beast. The towering, (almost sinfully) indulgent Dark Fudge Shake (LKR 660). Chocolate milk richly thickened with crumbled fudgy brownie, topped with a massive swirl of whipped cream with a brownie bar precariously perched atop. It felt like a meal by itself. Something that needs to be slowly sipped and savoured over an hour or two to do it justice. It was absolutely de-licious! If ever you find yourself in the mood to indulge at liberty – here’s the one to go for.

The Fish N Chips with Garlic Dip and Green Chilli (LKR 895) came recommended by one of the senior staff, so we decided to give it a shot. Both the battered fish and the chips were nice and lightly crisp, not too oily – which was good, and had been well seasoned, with the chips salted to perfection. The accompanying dip was interestingly unconventional – a mix of a green chutney that seemed to be prepared with chilli, coconut and curry leaves, and a creamier white dip. Neither very savoury, nor sweet, but it worked well for the dish.

The sauce in which the Thai Basil Chicken (LKR 1,020) had been cooked was truly wonderful. A hint of sweetness incorporated into an already delicious sauce with a generous serving of chicken along with mushroom, baby corn, onion and some chillies. It was lovely. And the accompanying rice was equally tasty with a distinct herby flavour to it. Definitely an enjoyable dish.

The final dish we tried was the Chicken Lasagne (LKR 1,090). Another dish of substantial proportions, and another dish that was great on the palate. The multiple layers of pasta were not too thick, which made the portion somewhat manageable. The liberal serving of tomato purée balanced the savoury taste of the minced chicken well, and gave the dish a softer, smoother texture that made it easier to enjoy. I quite liked their use of our local rampe and karapincha (pandan and curry leaves) to garnish the dishes. I think it adds a nice and apt local twist to these international dishes, and of course the healthy curry leaves can be enjoyed with the dish as well. The only thing I would change is to have some more garlic flavour on the crisp garlic bread that accompanied the lasagne.

Overall, we all left in agreement that this was an excellent find – and definitely one that should be returned to some time soon again. Keep it up, Café Noir Blanc!

Yummy Rating: 4.0 / 5.0