written for The Nation
It’s rare to come across a restaurant by the beach that’s the only restaurant on that beach. It’s even rarer that many people aren’t aware of it, except for privileged few, given the pristine atmosphere that cocoons it. Even more surprising would be if such a place served really good food, in generous quantities, and didn’t leave your wallet bullet ridden.
All of this and more is what you’ll find at The Station, on Wasala Road, Dehiwala.
Ambience (7.0)
Getting to The Station is a bit tricky. The place is situated right at the end, beyond the railway tracks, a bit obscured by foliage, and the lack of street lamps around that area makes you feel like you’re entering a dodgy area. For a first timer, it will be definitely be an adventure in the night. However, the seclusion, and the adventure of discovery adds a certain enchanting quality to The Station.
To state the obvious, The Station overlooks the Indian Ocean, and being the only restaurant along the stretch, makes it an ideal getaway. As you duck under the mangrove arch that serves as a doorway to enchanted cove, it really makes you feel disconnected from the troubles of the world.
Inside, there are two buildings: a minimalist juice bar with a colonial looking large verandah overlooking the sea, and the other, a two-storey dining cabin made from timber logs. The rest is sand all the way to the small wooden fence, and beyond is the pristine Indian Ocean.
One of the bones to pick with the ambience of the place is the glaring flood lights on the roof of both buildings. The glare of the floodlights would be better suited at an internment camp. The other is the chairs. Chairs with pointy legs tend to sink in the sand, and this leads to a rather constricting feeling if you decide to sit outside.
Service (6.5)
The service at The Station is very commendable, beginning with the ever helpful ‘security’ to the prompt service of the waiting staff. It is this ‘security’ with his flashlight in the dark that indicates the existence of the restaurant in the first place, almost like a lighthouse guiding in lost ships to the secret alcove.
The waiting staff is a decent bunch. They are timely, attentive, and courteous fellows. They seem to know their stuff and their suggestions are mostly reliable. The food will take around 10 – 20 minutes to arrive at the table. Time, however, seems hardly impressionable thanks to the ambience, and the 20 minutes wouldn’t even make itself felt.
Food (6.5)
It’s hard not to say that the whole atmosphere of the place will make you think the food is just great. Yet, the food does deserve commendation even on its own. They are also generous when quantity is concerned.
A portion of steamed Basmati rice will serve two. Unfortunately, the rice is a bit too dry. So make sure to order a curry that isn’t semidry. Or expect to choke on the dry rice.
For vegetarians there are plenty of options, but we tried out the Mixed Mushroom Chinese style dish. The dish contains oyster, and some button mushrooms, as well as baby corn all prepared in soy sauce syrup. The tender mushroom and the soft crunchy baby corn will be like crunchy cotton candy in your mouth sans the sweetness.
The Chilli Fish dish is another dish that should be tried out. Filled with more fish chunks than onion slices, the dish will serve to delight. The cashew that is spruced here and there, adds a great flavor to the dish. The soft, yet rubbery fish will be a pleasure trip for your mouth as the faintest hint of goraka (gambooge) juice mixes with your saliva, when you keep munching.
Then there is the Crispy Beef Schezuan style dish. Crispy doesn’t begin to describe the beef in it. Onions, capsicum, spring onions, carrot, and shredded beef come together to bring a ‘crispy’ experience. The crunchy spring onions and the beef will create an euphony of tastes in your mouth.
All three dishes are superb, and are very generous in quantity which is very surprising considering the price of each.
Verdict:
I’m so glad I stumbled into this place. The perfect spot to spend an evening sipping a fruit juice and gaze at the setting sun. Meeting friends over dinner? Don’t look anywhere else. This is somewhere I’ll definitely be visiting regularly. And no annoying beach tourists to distract you from the beauty of the entire scene.
Name: The Station
Cuisine: Chinese
Price Range: Rs. 700 – 1200
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