Floribben to State dinners to culinary classics to wine and cheeses from Down Under amidst a chocoholic spread awaits in the first quarter in 2010 at Mount Lavinia Hotel

Starting out as an imposing and majestic weekend abode, Mount Lavinia Hotel, consisting of 226 rooms inclusive of suites, retains the old world charm and imperial elegance of yesteryear combined with the most up to date facilities of a modern resort that any discerning traveler might ask for. Furthermore, the innovative events and unique menus that are churned up at the hotel are indeed the talk of the town and are a focal point for all guests. The hotel’s first quarter of events are bound to be your first choice.

Indian cuisine will be the hottest fare that will be added to the Mount Lavinia Hotel’s food selection in the new year. When asked Mr Anura Dewapura, GM at the Mount Lavinia Hotel as to the reason for Indian fare, he stated, “Since of late, there has been a welcome increase in the Indian population to our country, and our hotel in particular, has benefited in the form of hotel occupancy and patronage in the food and beverage outlets.” Chef Chinnapillai Sarvanan, is the specialist on Indian cuisine, who will begin the year with breakfast and lunch specialties.

Then the hot hot Spanish Tapas will light up the Terrace with favourites like Gambas Prawns sauteed in salsa negra (peppercorn sauce), al ajillo (with garlic), or pil-pil (with chopped chili peppers). Calamares or rabas – Rings of battered squid, Boquerones White anchovies served in vinegar (boquerones en vinagre) or deep fried or even Patatas bravas Fried potato dices (sometimes part-boiled and then fried, or simply boiled) served with salsa brava, a spicy tomato sauce. Alioli is often served with it too. Tortilla de patatas, also known as Tortilla española – A type of omelet containing fried chunks of potatoes and sometimes onion are some of the tapas that will be on offer.

Slow Food begins the year with “Floribbean Cuisine South Beach style” on the 16^th of January 2010. “The marriage between citrus and fish American style is the essence of this type of cuisine,” states President of Slow Food Chapter,

Chef Leo. It combines Miami and Caribbean flavours and excites all senses just like a visit to the southern beach in Miami USA.

Then love will definitely be in the air as the month of February will combine chocolate. Chocolate being a very big part of anyone’s life and indeed has the power to captivate like no other food. The month of February will be a longlasting Affair with Chocolate. But its roots run much deeper. It begins to melt, giving your mind and body a wonderful sensation. So why Chocolate for the month of February? Mr Anura Dewapura believes that something like chocolate that creates such emotional bonds – and also actually can be good for you – is just another reason to enjoy chocolate for the month of February. Chocolate cravers need not fear, the month of February at Mount Lavinia Hotel will be the month definitely dedicated to chocoholics. The chocolate menu for the month will include: Pairing wines and chocolates sessions, Tea and Chocolate pairing moments, Classic Chocolate Fondue Menu and Chocolate Martinis at a unique venue synonymous to Mount Lavinia Hotel like a secret tunnel, then indeed the 14th of Feb will be an evening extraordinaire with the Symphony Orchestra igniting the love lost.

March brings the culinary classics with history and originality embedded in the recipes when the hotel surfaces the Swedish Food Festival. It is thus all the more exciting that Guest Chef Mats Peltersson who has scored major successes with his tasty creations from Grand Hotel Sweden, which are innovative in both color and design particularly with Lingonberries, cloudberries, root vegetables, Baltic herring, wild game and indeed Västerbotten cheese, will be inspired by the richness of centuries-old Swedish culinary traditions and will surface master creations at the Swedish Food Festival which will be a treat for the new year.

April showers bring in faves from Down Under a – Australian Wine and Cheese Festival will be on the cards. “Every great wine needs some good and fabulous cheese,”states Mr Anura Dewapura, General Manager of Mount Lavinia Hotel. Australian produced artisan cheeses with appropriate wines will be part of the menu.

There will be a cheese board with a range of cheeses to choose from along with matching the best cheese with the appropriate wine.

Also in the cards is Walter Scheib also known as the White House Chef, who had served at the White House for eleven years and indeed was the food preparer for the first family particularly the Bush and Clinton families, will now tantalize Sri Lankan taste buds with a traditionally very conservative and skewed toward classic French gastronomy – to reflect contemporary American cuisine.  To endorse the evening Rohan De Silva who will add some spice to the state dinner. Rohan De Silva globally acclaimed pianist who had appeared at the White House East Room during Queen Elizabeth’s visit to Washington DC in 2007, was given a standing ovation by the New York audience when he performed at New York’s Avery Fisher Hall and now will woo Sri Lankan audiences aswell. This fabulous initiative with a creative twist will be the focal point for the month of May 2010.

“For me, Slow Food is all about sustainable eating. It brings the best in local foods back into the lime light,” states a guest at the 6^th Slow Food night at the Mount Lavinia Hotel. 10^th Dec 2009 at the hotel surfaced a celebration of global cuisine particularly 16 different countries specialties prepared by four exquisite Chefs namely – Chef Ira specializing in Italian delicacies, Chef Publis – authentic Sri Lankan dishes, Chef Leo and Chef Herman from the Phillipines that surfaced Asian styled food. Instead of just stuffing down a meal in a noisy place, the evening reminded of the importance of experiencing all the senses while eating with your family. And the evening at Mount Lavinia hotel was certainly worth a celebration. The Horizon Rooftop was the ideal location for a Christmas meal with a family styled theme, a venue overlooking the Indian Ocean, a picture nothing less than perfect. The soft sounds of Jerome Speldewinde added some spice to the evening. Santa visiting the evening with gifts for the little ones and not so little too!! And knowing that the meal satisfied all senses did make it a fulfilled evening.

December 10 marks the 20th anniversary of Slow Food. The celebration happened in 150 countries with Slow Food’s 100,000 members, organized in 1,300 convivia (local chapters) and the Terra Madre network: more than 2,000 food communities, according to the press release, celebrated this wonderful evening.

The day, celebrated in Mount Lavinia Hotel achieved in showing the importance of food diversity, farm to table methods, and a cultural shift in the way we view food. Chef Publis started the evening by stating the importance of natural and organic produce to mind, body and indeed soul. Then Chef Herman took to the stage introducing his dishes, followed by Chef Ira and his dishes finally the President of Slow Food in Sri Lanka, Chef Leo introducing his expertise. The menu consisted of:

Sri Lankan Fresh Herbal Soup

Negombo Creamy  Lagoon Crab

By Chef Publis

*

Mexican Salad

Whole Roast Turkey

Roast Suckling Pig

Poultry en Mole

Mashed Potato

Gravy

Pate

By Chef Leo

*

Poached Duck

Grilled Salmon

Snapper Ceviche

Scallops Black Bean sauce

By Chef Herman

*

Bread Dumplings with dry plum

Forest Mushroom Ragout with fresh herbs

By Chef Udo

*

By Chef Ira [Italian]

Lasagne

Cappone Ripieno

Zabaglione

*

X-Mas Pudding with Brandy

Apple Pie with Cinnamon Ice Cream

In the future Slow Food nights at the Mount Lavinia Hotel will vary from convivia to convivia like done previously but soon will include communal celebratory/festive meals, cooking demonstrations by guest chefs, local producer excursions, film viewings, and other local food related events that are in the pipeline.

A satisfied guest at the 6^th Slow Food night states, “Cheers to an organization that changed the way we view food.”

The hype of the Little Hut has finally made waves in the music circle and now the doors have opened to two celebrity DJs who will perform on 16^th Dec 2009 at the Little Hut for all music lovers that want to get their toes tapping………..

The space’s versatility makes it perfect for live electronic shows. As promised by the hotel in the months to come, to expect a wide variety of amazing events, thematic nights, world-class music. Well 16^th Dec 2009 the Little Hut on partnership with the German Cultural Institute will get up close and personal with you with two world class DJs that will get your festive hearts a beating

Ada (Real Name: Michaela Dippel) is a German melodic techno electro pop artist and producer. She started her musical career as a singer in a rock-band. As the band slowly incorporated synthesizers and samplers into their repertoire, Ada too started exploring electronic music. She is now a producer of sumptuous mini-symphonies of synth pop, techno, and house.  The covers of Everything but the Girl and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs that appeared on the album helped her gain recognition outside of the expected dance circles.

“You can dance to her music which she makes live on stage with an analogue sampling machine. So her performance is not a DJ set but an electronic live show,” avers Mr Anura Dewapura, General Manager of the Mount Lavinia Hotel.

Tobias Thomas, born April 1970 in the south of Germany, is a member of the inner circle of the Cologne based electronic label Kompakt since the early nineties. He has been working as a professional DJ since 1990, was involved in many co-operations and projects like Forever Sweet, Thomas/Mayer and did a number of remixes alongside Dettinger, Superpitcher, Jörg Burger, Geiger, Michael Mayer, Ada and Reinhard Voigt. As a former editor for the German music magazine SPEX he has done interviews with Sven Väth, the Pet Shop Boys, Westbam, Depeche Mode, Wolfgang Tillmans, Erlend Øye, Justin

Timberlake and many others. After he stopped working as a music journalist, Tobias became part of the Cologne music festival where he worked as an editor and program assistant. Since 1998 he has been hosting the “Total Confusion”-Clubnight in Cologne. Other resident nights include the Panorambar in Berlin, the Robert Johnson in Offenbach and the Low Club in Madrid. DJ Tobias has played in more than 30 countries and on 4 continents. He released three Mix-CDs, »Für Dich« (1999), »Smallville« (2003) and »Please Please Please« on Kompakt and – with Forever Sweet – the album »Geben & Nehmen« on Ladomat (1998).

The quintessentially retro club combines Souled out and In House with a retro perspective lounge bar.

The new venue’s opening day could not be any hotter with Most Wanted Saturdays presenting, Souled Out.

To date Little Hut’s mix of glamour, super-star DJ’s, and internationally acclaimed bands and personalities have helped make the Little Hut the most talked about. Media members and guests at Little Hut’s opening granted up close and personal interaction with Little Hut. Guests that revelled at the Little Hut in yester year, and new revellers had a fabulous night that lasted till the wee hours of the morning. When asked the GM why it took so long to re-open, “We needed the right time and right people to open the bar with a total new concept that Sri Lanka yearns for.”

The buzz surrounding Little Hut began in late 70’s when internationally acclaimed local sensation Hussain Jiffry was in the band named Galaxy with superstar Noeline Honter. Other names that have performed at the little Hut, Sohan Weerasinghe, Dalreen Suby, Alston Koch, are just a few.