Gastronomy in Galle with Owl and the Pussycat Hotel & Restaurant

Owl and the Pussycat Hotel & Restaurant is a short drive along the coast from Galle (map). When you enter the property you are immediately taken aback by the perfect mix of colour and style, set against the back-drop of a beautiful Indian Ocean view. 

I must confess that I absolutely love exploring fresh food markets in cities I visit around the world - I find it a fascinating insight into the culture of a place. I can spend hours watching fresh fish get delivered or wander a market and sample local fruits that you don't find back home. So the opportunity to spend a morning with a chef at a local food market was something I was already excited about.

We met with head chef Anthony D'Costa (instagram: @anthony_dc9211) at the hotel and jumped into the mini van for the short drive to our first stop, the fish markets. There are several fish markets dotted along the coast close to Galle and Anthony took us to his favourite. The stalls are literally casting distance from where the boats moor. A very simple arrangement of stalls, but buzzing with activity as locals inspect the catch and salesmen spruik their product. There is a range of local species including snapper, garfish, mahi mahi and whitebait, but the premium item on the list is freshly caught tuna. Anthony explained how different fish suited different cooking styles and ingredients - from curries with white flesh fish, frying the smaller white bait whole, through to allowing the natural flavour of the tuna be the hero by only slightly searing the fish. For now, the purchases went in the cool box and we were off to our next stop - the vegetable market!

The vegetable market was expectedly full of colour, however it was the people around the stalls that brought the most vibrance! The sellers and customers were keen to stop and chat, have a photo or talk about the different vegetables that filled the stands. Many even tempted us to try the small chillies - fortunately, Anthony explained that only one or two of these in a whole dish would be plenty! There were many familiar vegetables, but also some locally grown produce which I didn't have much experience with. One purchase was the "banana blossom" - the edible flower of the banana plant which is a common ingredient in southern Sri Lanka.

Adjacent to the vegetable market are a number a stalls selling a range of spices. Just walking into the small shop, the aroma fills your nostrils. We went through some of the different flavours that go into making authentic southern Sri Lankan dishes. Of particular note was cinnamon, a spice not only used in local food, but also playing a significant role in the history of Galle and Sri Lanka. For centuries, Cinnamon was a relatively rare and expensive commodity that was keenly sought after in Europe. Portuguese, Dutch and then British settlements controlled the Cinnamon trade in Sri Lanka from early 1500's for around 300 years, shipping the valuable spice back to Europe. Sri Lanka remains the largest exporter of the Ceylon variety of cinnamon and it is readily available in every spice stall.

First, it was that fresh tuna. Anthony rolled the fillet in sesame seeds and it was ever so lightly seared. The garnishing of ginger, wasabi and light soy sauce were just enough to not over-power the real hero - that undeniably fresh tuna. You can't compare tuna that has literally been caught that morning to that brought from stores after days of transport - it quite literally melts in your mouth

One of the things I really loved, was the way all the different ingredients we had seen at the market only and hour or so earlier, were being incorporated. The unfamiliar banana blossom, which I had seen but never really knew what it was or how it was used, was now the key ingredient in a dish that I couldn't wait to try.

Slowly all the elements were coming together each in a different dish that would highlight the texture, flavour or colour of the ingredients. We went back outside to take up a spot at the table beneath the palm trees, sipping on fresh king coconuts and listening to the waves crash onto the beach behind us........patiently waiting as Anthony put the finishing touches on the dishes.

The final result was a banquet that truly represented the tour through the markets that morning - a rich tapestry of ingredients that had come together perfectly. It was impossible not to try at least a little bit of everything. It is rare that you can have such a spread of dishes and love every single bit. I was faced with a significant problem when it came time to "go back for seconds", I genuinely wasn't sure I could eat another round of everything, but couldn't choose anything to leave behind! Times like this, it pays to be a big eater........so I had a little bit more of everything! No judgements!

It was far too easy to get caught up in the spread of local flavours before us and thetrave_tthbetausert we still had that local delicacy of the buffalo curd to try for dessert. The clay pot was borough to the table, opened and the thin layer of paper carefully peeled from the top. The set curd had a consistency somewhat like creme caramel and was easily spooned into a bowl. It had a unique tangy taste, a bit like a natural yogurt and was enjoyed with a drizzle of kithu treacle.

The market tour and cooking experience at Owl and the Pussycat was truly one of the highlights of our Sri Lanka trip! I am a self confessed foodie, so I do love these sorts of things, especially the opportunity to tour local markets with a chef! Owl and the Pussycat is a wonderful property very close to Galle and located right on the beach. The rooms are delightfully set out and are more apartments than hotel rooms - most having their own kitchenette. The decor is so charming, each room has its own theme and even its own name, derived from a line in the poem from which the property takes its name! There is a gym, wellness centre and a reading room that even if the weather was bad, would make for the perfect place to sit and lose yourself in a good book. But when we visited, the weather was typically beautiful, so the best place to be was sitting between the pool and the ocean with a fresh king coconut!