Ceylon Tea Factory by Halpe Tea

A short walk away from the Ella railway station, right next to Ella Super lies a more upscale respite from the backpacking B’n’Bs and laid back cafes. Ceylon Tea Factory by Halpe Tea is a restaurant, museum and boutique that offers a great atmosphere for a candle lit dinner date or a more expensive meal with friends and is definitely a must-visit when spending a few days roughing out and hiking in this beautiful hilly region.

They serve everything ranging from rice, to steaks to waffles at a slightly higher price range, as will be expected of the now-touristy city of Ella.

Drinks

Their drinks were largely tea-based, pushing the limits of their namesake Halpe brand, ranging from iced teas, to smoothies and even cocktails. The alcohols are on the pricier side with everything above Rs. 1000, but their mocktails and slushies are great enough to opt for a night of sobriety.

Passion Fruit Iced Tea – Rs. 590

This tall tangy glass of sunshine is perfect for a post-hike sip-down and definitely revitalizes your entire being. It’s a lovely, cold, passion-y drink with undertones of Grade A tea pulling through. It has fresh passion fruit seeds lurking at the bottom so don’t forget to give it a stir and is a great drink to wash down a hefty meal.

Fresh Mango Slush – Rs. 700

Their slushes are made from fresh fruit and one can definitely taste the difference between an ordinary syrupy slush and Halpe’s rich and flavorful alternative. This option is a pick-me-up drink and is a more wholesome alternative to its iced tea counterparts. It’s not slush in a typical sense but more of a rich mango smoothie with bits of crushed ice making a guest appearance.

Mains 

Since we were ravenous from a day of hiking, we dove straight into their myriad of Mains and boy, we were not disappointed.

Malaysian Fried Rice – Rs. 880

There weren’t very many too elements to make the Malaysian rice a dish to remember. The rice itself was slightly under seasoned but the generous pieces of prawn and cuttlefish brought some flare and flavor. The dish was topped with a fried egg but other than that there weren’t too many things going for it. It was slightly mediocre and easily forgettable.

Pasta with a Pesto Sauce – Rs. 1,100

This dish had the most boring presentation of the night – a large serving of el dente pasta topped off with barely-there grated parmesan. They were generous with their olive oil and the pesto was a little too mild for my liking but the flavors were fresh and the serving was quite large. If you go in not expecting much, this dish would suffice for a full tummy and slightly unsatisfied taste buds.

 
Exotic Mutton Curry – Rs. 1200

I can’t even begin to tell you how amazing this dish was. It was served on sizzling platter with a choice between toasted bread and steamed rice (we chose the bread), pol sambol and dhal. The meat itself was soft, tender and succulent with tender bits of fat and onions to give it a bit of a crunch. It was well-seasoned and a little bit on the spicy side but the portion was generous absolutely delicious. The accompaniments came in cute dishes that had an ample amount of curry and all in all, the dish was definitely worth the buck.

Sri Lankan Rice & Curry – Rs. 1,300

The Sri Lankan Rice and Curry is the clear winner of the mains. You get to choose between a fragrant yellow rice, classic white rice or a healthy red rice, which is served with a choice between beef, pork and chicken, alongside white bean curry, dhal curry, pol sambol, ash plantain, stir fried leeks and papadam.

The presentation is excellent, with all the accompaniments coming in little dishes that provide a surprisingly ample portion of curry. The beef came on a sizzling platter and the assortment of curries came in a large variety and definitely complimented each other. Each of the curries are prepared with attention to detail and the flavors balance out quite appropriately. All in all, this option creates a classic Lankan experience and is something we would definitely order again.

Dessert

Waffles with Peach – Rs. 560

The thing about Halpe is that they manage to fit in large portions of deliciousness into small dishes and it’s quite a wonder how they do this. The waffles with peaches may not look like much but boy, was it a winner. It came warm and served with cup of whipped cream and we couldn’t get enough of it. The peaches were warm, juicy and delicious and you could tell that they didn’t come out of a can. The waffles were crispy on the outside and warm and fluffy on the inside and the whipped cream was never-ending. Together, this dish was a dessert (or breakfast) worthy of a king and is definitely worth the price.

 
Strawberry Meringue – Rs. 820

This dessert option was the only choice of the night that tasted more on the artificial side, doused in many syrups and canned items and came elaborately plated. The meringue was a little tough and a little too crisp for my liking but it was filled to the brim with whipped cream and drizzled with what seemed like strawberry jam. The lack of real strawberries in the dish was a little disappointing but this was a so-so dish that’s great if you have a sweet tooth.

These guys are to open a museum shortly and already run a functional tea boutique with great options. We ended up buying a box of beautifully fragrant blueberry tea and it didn’t even leave a hole in our pockets. All in all, we had a great experience here. The staff were very friendly and accommodating and were well equipped to answer all our questions. The lighting was dim, creating a great atmosphere and they play some pretty great music too. The service was fast and the staff were very attentive. We all agree that we would definitely go back for more.

Tip: Their rice and curry is a real winner!