Fathers Day month might be over, that does not mean you still can’t treat your amazing dad. We travel across town to find 3 places for you treat your dad to a great meal.

We tried Arabian Nights for the meat loving dads, Bowl’d for the dads trying to be fit and healthy and Thalis for the vegetarian dads.

Arabian Nights

Arabian Nights, located at no.377 Galle Road, Kollupitiya is a fabulous Middle Eastern restaurant with their menu ranging from Falafel, Fattoush, Hummus, Shawarma & Umm Ali all made from fresh carefully sourced ingredients, top quality spices and imported Middle Eastern herbs. The place had a very beautiful Arabian themed setting inclusive of candles on every table and window for you to witness as your food is prepared.

This is a great place if your dad is one who loves his fair share of grilled meats. Here we tried their Mixed Grill – Arabic which was a combination of 3 different grilled meats served with fries, saj bread, dip and a garden salad. Prices at Rs.960/- the plate was quite satisfactory in terms of the portion size and the variety that was offered. With the Grill we were able to try the Sheesh Tawouk, Chicken Kebab and Orfali Kebab.

The Sheesh Tawouk is a squiwer of succulent chicken cubes marinated to almost taste like a Thanduri. The meat itself was cooked beautifully where it was still nice and juicy on the inside and hint of smokey from the grill.

The Chicken Kebab is a minced chicken meat kebab rather than cubes like the prior and packed with a variety of heard and spices and grilled to perfection. This paired well with the saj bread and dip.

The Orfali Kebab was similar to the Chicken Kebab however was made of minced beef and had a milder flavour than the chicken but packed with more heat and char which gave the meat a nice earthy flavour your dad is sure to love.

We also tried the Spicy Syrian Shawarma which you can choose between chicken and beef. The shawarma was roti perfectly seal all that delicious flavour with a lovely crunch on the exterior of it. The meat inside was well seasons and gave a nice hint of spice that you and your dad is sure to enjoy

Bowl’d

If your dads not in the mood for Arabian and wants to take the healthier route, we have the perfect cozy little post that is sure to satisfy you with their ambiance and food. Bowl’d at No. 30 Sea View Ave, Kollupitiya is a nice spot serving up fresh and healthy meal bowls for you to enjoy.

We tried the Spicy Salmon Poké bowl with a sushi rice base. It was packed with sashimi salmon, spicy soy sauce, edamame, cucumber, tomatoes, onions, avocado, tobiko, wakame, crispy wontons and wasabi mayo. Every bit was a variation of combination that took your taste buds on a journey like no other. The passion fruit “nice cream” was a banana based ice cream flavoured with tangi passion fruit topped with coconut crips, granola and raisins. The meal was cleansed with a refreshing glass of strawberry and watermelon lemonade that was just what was needed to finish the meal.

If your dad is looking to stay and eat healthy, Bowl’d is definitely a place you should treat him to.

Thalis

Like most Indian restaurants, the first thing that puts you in a good mood is the hospitality. A greeting as you enter, a thank you when you leave and checking up on you during the meal would be sure to put anyone who visits in a good mood. However if that doesn’t help, the food is sure to do the trick. If your dads looking for a great vegetarian meal, Thalis is the place to be. At 155 Park Rd, Colombo 5, we tried their Ghee Dosa, Butter Naan and Paneer Butter Masala.

The dosa was nice and crispy and was made into a tower so that it stays crispy and don’t get soggy. The ghee flavour really came through in the dosa which was accompanied by sambar and two variations of a coconut sambol, one with rd chillies and one a milder tasting sambol. The sambar was packed with flavours you’d expect from an indian meal and the two coconut sambols gave a nice balance between spice and flavour.

The butter naan was nice and buttery and at only Rs.190/- a naan it was quite reasonable since one naan is so big its cut into 3 pieces. The paneer butter masala was sublime and just what you’d expect in a good butter masala. The curry was nice and rich where even just spooning the curry along would have been satisfactory and the paneer was cooked to a nice soft consistency. The buttry naan was a great tool to scoop up all that great butter masala curry and it’s sure to make your dad wanting to visit Thalis food for more delicious vegetarian dishes.