Masala dosai, Image via Wikipedia

Last evening I visited my son and his family who were staying at Tintagel – the elegant boutique hotel in the heart of Colombo. The rooms are large and elegantly furnished but the black-clad staff appeared rather bored and not quite quick off the mark. We had a drink in the courtyard dinning area but it was teeming with mosquitoes, forcing us to make a quick retreat! My son said the breakfasts did not live up to expectation.

Dinner at the no alcohol, no smoking South Indian vegetarian restaurant Mathura on Havelock Road was a sober affair. There is no designated parking and despite air-conditioning and ceiling fans, the little rooms were hot and stuffy. Service was friendly and quick. The wadai were served hot and crispy and were the best I have had for a long time. We could not resist ordering a second round! The paper dosai were delightful but the chilli masala dosai had far too much chilli and as far as I was concerned, inedible. The crispy chilli vegetable fry and fried cadju nut masala were soggy and over spiced. The bill for seven however was only Rs.5000.