Food
The food segment here presented a collection of some interesting seafood and meat-based dishes that have bits and bobs of Sri Lankan and European fare (among other things), along with a few breakfast and dessert items.
The Shack Platter (Rs. 850) was an assortment of hummus, feta, halloumi, smoked chicken, oven-dried tomatoes, a few slices of flatbread and some veggies.
Everything on this board was simply amazeballs. The hummus tasted very chickpea-like, had a smooth, slightly grainy texture alongside a splash of olive oil, while the flatbread was beautifully crispy from the outside, leaving the inside to be all airy and soft.
Wafting a strong smoky aroma, the chicken was delightfully firm with a tinge of saltiness. Paired with high-quality feta and halloumi, they've added an extra layer of flavours to a beloved Arabic delicacy. Superb!
This is the Jerk Chicken Burger (Rs. 1000), which was served with the sides of potato wedges, mayo and veggies.
Neatly stacked between a soft, sesame sprinkled bun, lied a giant chicken breast, grilled to absolute perfection after properly marinating it with hot sauce. The layer of coleslaw here is infused with mango chutney and atop the bun, there was an oven-roasted capsicum.
Paired with the fresh, leafy crunch of the lettuce, the overall flavour here came through as a juicy, spicy, meaty, and smoky treat. A burger that packs a heat is hard to come by, and this burger by Shack Beach Cafe delivers it quite well.
The Smoked Fish & Poached Eggs (Rs. 1000) was presented with two oven-roasted potato slices, topped off with a bed of spinach, two poached eggs, smoked fish, and a generous drizzle of hollandaise sauce.
Every element here was well executed. The eggs had sumptuously runny yolk pouring out, the potato slices had a lovely crisp, while the fish was soft, and had a good balance between salt and smoke.
Drinks
The drinks range at Shack Beach Cafe features smoothies, lassi, coffee as well as beer.
*Pictured above – Strawberry & Date Lassi (left) and Coco Cooler (right)
Both of them were as refreshing as hell.
- The Strawberry & Date Lassi (Rs. 500) seemed to have made with strawberry flavoured yoghurt (the stirred kind, we presume), as it didn't have that synthetic syrup flavour that we usually come across. The dates act as the sweetening agent, which balance out the tart flavour of the yoghurt quite well.
- The Coco Cooler is essentially a king coconut water with a shot of lime juice in it, which had replaced the sweetness of the king coconut to some extent with a subtle sour kick.
Ambience & Service
Perched on the beach, its ambience is pretty chilled out and has a nice hipster vibe to it. The chairs are made with metal barrels and the walls are decorated with paintings. If you're into surfing, they accommodate for that too, as they have a surf school running on the side.
The staff here was wonderful. It's more of a hub for tourists and surfers, but they treat them and locals alike. We were given menus right away, and they did let us take our sweet time to pick what we want, and assisted in the process too. The food and drinks landed on our tables within around 15 minutes.
Conclusion
It's a place to relax with sand between your toes, as the sea breeze caresses your hair. Their food and drinks are incredible and quite wallet-friendly and coupled with the welcoming and friendly staff, it's a definite recommendation from our side.