Cafe Kumbuk (New Menu) – Reviewed

Soul food for the Millennials

Café Kumbuk is a hippie restaurant catering to everything a millennial’s social constructs are made of. They’ve been around for not too long and we heard that they were giving their menu a facelift. We decided to stop by for lunch and give you a heads up on what to expect. The last I came here was about 6 months ago and it’s clear that the place has grown extravagantly. The dining area, indoor and outdoor embrace a rustic nature that appeals to the hippie millennials. They specialize in a few, healthy meals that are well thought out and executed.

That being said, we didn’t particularly love the food. The place, atmosphere and setting are spot on, but the food and drinks, not so much. Here’s why…

Food and Drinks

Drinks: Kumbuk Colada – Rs. 500 and Raththaran – Rs.500

The Kumbuk Colada is a mix of pineapple, coconut milk, coconut ice cream, strawberry and banana. The drink had the texture of drinking yogurt. It was topped with a few coconut flakes and the taste of coconut was rich right down to the last sip. This smoothie felt like a trip down childhood lane because it kind of tasted like those chewy vitamin tablets you used to take as a kid.

The Raththaran (loved the Lankan title) was a concoction of orange, carrot, pineapple and ginger. I wish the drink were a bit thicker, but the super strong sense of ginger made it a great pick-me-up option. As time passed, the contents in the drink started segregating and layering up. Looked pretty unappealing after an hour or so.

Mains: Naked Burrito Bowl – Rs. 850 and Eggplant + Chicken club Sandwich – Rs. 750

We were stunned by how beautiful our burrito bowl looked when it was brought to the table. It had a generous portion of rice, a grilled chicken breast, guacamole, tomato salsa, jalapeños, curd, string cheese (or mozzarella, not so sure) and cherry tomatoes. We loved how all of the elements worked so well together. If eating healthy tasted this great all the time, I’d definitely do it. The rice bowl was slightly disappointing as time surpassed though, because the oomph of it all began to subside. As this happened, the flavor seemed to have run away with the heat of the dish. Although, I’ve got to say, the chicken here needs some spotlight. It was marinated beautifully in rich herbs and cooked just right. Paired with the tomato salsa, the chicken tasted pretty authentic and true to the South Border.

The eggplant and chicken club sandwich took a little longer to be served to the table. It was accompanied by some soggy potato slices that were encrusted in oil and herbs and tasted incessantly amazing. The sandwich had beautiful layers with fried egg, zucchini, eggplant, lettuce and pieces of chicken. We wished the servings of chicken were slightly more generous though. That being said, we’ve got to say, this was our only favorite option.

Service & Ambience

We loved the vibe here. We absolutely loved the quotes and the art painted on the walls, window frames and door frames. They’ve got some great chilled out music playing on an overhead speaker. You can lounge around on the bean bags or enjoy a good breezy meal on their veranda. The staff were nice to us. But the only thing lacking was cordiality. Also, they could really do with their speed; we wished the food was served a tad bit faster.

Have you tried Café Kumbuk yet? Let us know what you think of it in the comments below! Is there anything we’ve missed?

Tip: Try out the club sandwich – it was pretty good!