Arts
Turning his passion for the outdoors into cooking
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- Veggie Burger Pattie – flavoured with spices
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- Johann Pieris. Pix by Priyantha Wickramaarachchi
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- Aubergine Cake with bell pepper and garlic
He’s known as the first Sri Lankan man to summit Mount Everest and for his hairdressing prowess. Now Johann Pieris’s latest foray is into the culinary world. “I think by being outdoors and making our food, that is where my passion for food came about. Food has been something that has been a part of my life for a long time,” he said as he welcomed us into his new restaurant ‘BBQ Station’ located next to his salon ‘Cutting Station’.
Once you cross the threshold of the ‘BBQ Station’, it opens up to a rustic setting of wine bottles hanging down as light fixtures, wooden tables and brick walls creating that homely atmosphere.
To Johann cooking is not just looking at recipes but also creating and making his own. He always had the dream of opening his own restaurant and he wanted his restaurant to tie into his other passions which were his salons thus the name ‘BBQ Station’.
Johann carefully takes us through his carefully curated menu explaining the ingredients, techniques and thought process behind the individual dishes.
The food pays homage to authentic barbecue yet pushes boundaries as Johann experiments with different combinations of spices and flavours.
The tasting of the dishes offered by the restaurant began with a few of their accompaniments being served – a mixed salad, garlic bread and baked potato. The mixed salad was light and crunchy with vegetables such as bell peppers, tomatoes, olives, butter lettuce, cucumber in a light dressing topped by crumbles of feta cheese.
The garlic bread came in a simple steel bucket and it was not the usual fancy garlic bread that you would expect but the local ‘roast paan’ lathered in garlic and butter. The garlic was not too overpowering but just the right amount.
Topped off with sour cream and baked in their skins, the seasoned roast potatoes paired quite well with the meat and could stand on its own as well.
However the main focus of the dinner was definitely the mains. From chicken drumstick that retained the right amount of juiciness followed by a fish fillet that simply melted in your mouth, it seemed never-ending as we were served different types of meat showcasing the culinary expertise of the people involved.
The strips of beef steak were cooked to medium rare thus making it the perfect texture without being too chewy. The peppery sauce that accompanied the beef was spot on.
What is interesting about the BBQ Station is that they want to be inclusive and cater to non-meat eaters as well. Johann’s delicious cabbage and aubergine dishes which he shares is something his mother used to make for him, are a welcome sight on the menu.
Go for a complete meal, as the BBQ Station offers yummy thirst-quenchers and the most decadent desserts; from a sinful chocolate nemesis, a ‘kithul pani’ infused bread pudding and more.
The BBQ Station is at 65/4 Kirula Road, Colombo 5. For more details and reservations contact them at 011 – 2501092.