Revolutionary souls

Contemporary and cozy, Café CHé adds depth to dining

By Nizla Naizer

For the first time in Colombo, I entered a restaurant that imbibed the word ‘soul’ so successfully to its ambience and cuisine that a meal became a revolutionary experience. Café CHé is dynamic restaurateur Harpo Gooneratne’s latest venture. On the premises of Gandhara at Stratford Avenue, the restaurant combines Gandhara founder Dian Gomes’ eclectic tastes with Harpo’s fabulous cuisine. The result? A magical dining experience filled with healthy doses of soul.

Revolutionary Road
The restaurant which commenced operations at the beginning of this month is a showcase of revolution. Starkly beautiful images of freedom fighter Che Guevera line the white walls, drawing your attention and keeping it. You can’t miss the Café as you pass Gandhara because Che’s visage smiling, intense or contemplative draws your attention from the Café’s roadside wall. There is something about Che’s face that calls out to you and the restaurateurs picked the right namesake. Che embodies charisma like no one else in history, and every corner of the chic, contemporary and minimalistic restaurant does the same. Touches of Cuba are everywhere, from the images of swirling Cuban dancers to reflections of a day in Havana.
But that’s not all. Reflecting Dian Gomes’ love for the sport of boxing, the restaurant is filled with authentic and inspiring images of boxing highlights in history, especially of the great Mohammed Ali in his prime. A poster on wall depicts his famous ‘Fight of the Century’ with Frazier in 1971 while another has Ali victorious in the ring over Sonny Liston. The walls upstairs also present memorable moments of Gomes during his visit to the Olympics and other international sporting events as the President of the Amateur Boxing Association.

Pizza Utopia
The comfortable chairs and rattan table accessories encourage conversation and a long drawn out meal and that is before Harpo’s Pizzas and Pastas come your way. The Pizza Marinara which combines delicious sea food over perfectly baked bread topped off with mozzarella and tomatoes, was definitely one of my favourites along with the Pizza Pollo which cunningly combines chicken and bell pepper. If nothing but the ultimate would do, try Harpo’s Pizza Utopia where marinated prawns are combined with delicious pesto, sun dried tomatoes, mozzarella, ricotta and oregano.
If pastas suit your palette more try the amazing Tagliatella with Chicken or the creamy Raviolis. The pastas are accompanied by a delicious bread basket with the traditional olive oil and balsamic vinegar to suit your tastes. The Chef at Café CHé, Rohan Perera was previously at Bayleaf and that is evident in the authentic Italian flavour he keeps bringing to the table each time.
Café CHé Operations Manager Rizwan Nazir explained that keeping in line with the Cuban flavour to the restaurant; several Cuban dishes are in the making and will be added to the menu. The restaurant also caters outside and can provide the entire top floor for private parties and occasions. “We are flexible with our menus, and can customize it according to their needs,” he assured.
If you’re in the mood for a snack as opposed to a meal, chill out at Café CHé with a steaming cappuccino or a fresh fruit juice as you relish a delicious burgher or try an avocado shrimp cocktail on the appetizer menu. For the ones with the sweet tooth try the Apple Crumble where stewed apples in a light pastry is topped with cranberry coulis.
Café CHé is a refreshing entry to Colombo’s restaurant scene. It combines great food with great ambience and more importantly, it rejuvenates and inspires. You feel alive as you enter the bright and minimalist restaurants because it reflects the lives of individuals who lived and made a difference in the past. A soul of an immortal revolutionary and the soul of an enigmatic fighter combine to make the dining experience at Café CHé an unforgettable experience.
Visit Café CHé at 60, Stratford Avenue, Colombo 5 or call 0112553430 for more information.