Cafe Ceylon
Located on Cook Street, a short (10 minute) walk from downtown, you will find Café Ceylon. Set in a tastefully simple dining room with purple sheers covering large windows, the restaurant looks out west over the street. Café Ceylon exudes a serene, comfortable and welcoming aura. Shortly after entering the dining room, the exotic aromas from the kitchen begin to wake your senses.
I was pleased with the courteous staff who greeted me immediately. Throughout the meal, the service is attentive and polite without being a bother. Although the restaurant is quite busy for lunch with waiters moving to and fro, the dining room is calm which is a refreshing change from the usual downtown lunchtime rush.
Anyone who knows me understands that I am, without doubt, a carnivore. Give me my steak, bloody please. I'm not sure if it's the "serenity now" of this place but completely out of character, I chose the Sri Lankan vegetarian coconut roti with dhal sauce and organic cucumber yogurt sauce $11.95 ($13.95 with chicken). I am happy to report that it was quite delicious, even by this carnivore’s standards. The curry flavours of the dahl were light yet distinct from the cucumber yogurt sauce. I found the roti a little heavy but this did not detract from my meal.
My lunch companion ordered the Bangkok Floating Market Seafood Pot. It's a perfect lunch portion of salmon, giant prawns, squid, vegetables and your choice of udon or rice noodles for $13.95. The colours of the fish, prawns and veg create a mouth-watering picture. The soup arrived piping hot and although my lunch companion stated halfway through the meal that she wouldn't be able to finish it, 15 minutes later the clay pot sat empty.
The menu is not long but there is enough variety to please everyone. It was a pleasant experience all around. Trust me, I'm the first person to find fault with any eating adventure. (Not that I strive to find fault, I'm just quick to point it out once it rears its ugly head). I left Café Ceylon feeling pleased with my meal and the service. Arrive by noon and you will probably be seated right away but for a dinner service, I have a feeling a reservation would be a wise move.
Cafe Ceylon
104 - 1175 Cook Street
250.388.4949
Submitted:" February 16, 2010
by: Kurt Marhue, originally from Toronto, has lived in Victoria for the last 20 years and is enjoying his new found calling as a renegade publisher/editor/writer.
