King of The Mambo at Galle Face Hotel

Sea Breeze and a Cuban Feast!

The ever-innovative Galle Face Hotel has once again blessed our city with an incomparable dining experience – something unlike Colombo has ever seen before. From the Cuban-Mediterranean cuisine to the breath-taking sunsets to the superior service, one look at King of the Mambo and it stole our hearts.


Drinks
Shaken, not stirred, the cocktails at Mambo have a unique Cuban twist to them and boast flavour profiles that we hadn’t thought would work well together. Unfortunately, the full-bodied frothiness of the drinks disappears after a while so to relish the whole drink, you better drink up fast.

Black Mambo – LKR 1850
A blend of tequila, raspberry liqueur, fresh pineapple juice and blue curacao, this drink is the actual embodiment of the Mambo. Garnished with slices of dehydrated pineapple and a cool “King of The Mambo” necklace that you can take home as a memento, the taste of tequila and pineapple were predominant here, contributing towards a great merger of refreshing flavours.

El Republicano Bananero – LKR 1600
Banana liqueur in a cocktail? Yes please! A combination of gin, cream de banana, pineapple, and clove syrup may sound odd, but trust us when we say that this is as lovable as odd things can be loved. Like a drink and a dessert all in one, or an alcoholic banana milkshake if you may, this cocktail was lip-smacking!

Appetizers

Calamarcitos Calientes – LKR 950

Fried calamari is definitely a favourite amongst Sri Lankan palettes and this Mediterranean twist on a favourite Lankan dish doesn’t fail to impress. Served with chilli flakes and lime, the calamari is lightly batter fried and topped off with fried curry leaves. It’s served with two dipping sauces, a spicy red sauce, and a ranch-like white sauce, and though the calamari itself is seasoned only with salt, keeping in line with the Mediterranean nature of the dish, the dipping sauces bring all the flavour that is needed.

Tacos Dominicanos – LKR 1,250
The beef rib tacos with sour cream and avocado guacamole was our absolute favourite dish of the night! Perfectly seasoned pulled beef on a crispy taco shell is all you never knew you wanted – trust us! The meat was juicy and tender, the taco shell added texture and the red bell peppers, avocado, and sour cream topping brought all the elements together to create an explosion of flavours – absolutely yum! The tacos were served with a coleslaw, cabbage, and red cabbage sides and would suffice as a main if you aren’t too hungry.

Mains

Paella Valenciana – LKR 3,350 for 2
Seafood Paella is definitely a hard dish to master but the attempt made by Mambo is commendable. The dish can be ordered for 2 or for 4 (LKR 5,900) and comes loaded with clams, mussels, king prawns, calamari and fish. The rice came slightly al dente, giving it a nice bite, but the seafood was just a tad bit overcooked. It was unfortunate to see the clam shells without any meat in them but the mussels and prawns had tons of flavour soaked up from the delicious broth and white wine glaze. Overall a good attempt at paella but it wouldn’t necessarily be our first pick when we return.

Dessert

Ron Del Mambo – LKR 850
The Ron Del Mambo came with a three-word-description: “Mambo rum baba”. To an unaware Sri Lankan mind, this may sound like the menu is trying to flirt with you, but once ordered, this dessert is more delicious than love itself. A small cake saturated in rum-tasting syrup, and filled with whipped cream, stewed peaches, strawberries and candied orange peel, a rum baba is a great end to a tasteful meal at Mambo.

Volcán de Chocolate (LKR 850)
Now here’s a chocolate volcano cake to write home about. The flavours in this dessert are just mind blowing. It’s not regular chocolate lava cake you find at Lankan fast food restaurants – this one was moist, oozing with flavour and decadent as ever. Trust us, you’ll want to try this one out.

Have you been to King of the Mambo yet? Let us know in the comments.

Tip – Definitely try the beef rib tacos and don’t be afraid to experiment with the new flavours that Mambo has brought us!