The Shop
The Glo Shop features a glowing assortment of fresh produce, poultry, seafood, dairy, frozen meats, groceries and wellness products. While promoting a gourmet lifestyle, it also helps over 70 entrepreneurs and small businesses to showcase their products.
We spotted an impressive assemblage of bottled goodies, including homemade chutneys from Yummy Goodness, sauces from Homie Pickle, as well as cooked food and pickles like Ambul Thiyal and Polos Achcharu.
There was a shelf full of SOZO – the usual drinks and SOZO Spritz.
The coffee section had some familiar names, including Hansa and Lybs. They sell all sorts of heirloom rice here, and seem to have a rice brand of their own, called the Glo. Almost all the varieties are priced under Rs. 300. The flour section had a selection of good quality rice flour, some made from low GI rice. As for spices, they have every single spice that a Lankan could think of, from chilli powder to Jaffna curry powder.
The seafood is from Fresh Harvest, while the frozen meats are from Pepper Valley. There is a separate fridge dedicated to local Cheese – like Lili and Maia, as well as for the likes of jaggery and kithul treacle.
At the Wellness product aisle, you’ll find an interesting collection of shampoos, lotions and bath salts etc.
My favourite section was the Snacks. I located some fantastic murukku, honey-ed up nuts, thala bola, thattai vadai, which in fact, comes all the way from Point Pedro.
Food
The food menu includes sandwiches, burgers, pasta and Sri Lankan specialities. Out of what’s available, we opted for a Tuna Toasted Sandwich (Rs. 550) and a Pol Roti, Katta Sambol and Bullseye Egg Combo (Rs. 350).
The Toasted Tuna Sandwich was simple, yet delicious. There was a good mix of fresh veggies, a lot of tuna, and a lightly peppered up fried egg in between the well-toasted slices of brown bread. The only thing it misses is the spicy kick.
We really enjoyed everything on this plate. The pol rotis were done well, the free-range eggs were oozing out with beautiful yellow coloured runny yolk, and everything tasted heaps better with the dynamite katta sambol.
Drinks
Glo Cafe does some good coffee. This Cappuccino (Rs. 620) was topped off with a lovely microfoam layer, adorned with simple coffee art, and had just the right caffeine punch emerging through its velvety milk.
Unfortunately, we couldn’t find information about the coffee brand they use, but we noticed that they calibrate the blend at the cafe itself.
The Mango Milkshake was pure mango bliss harvested from the freshest mangoes. It was full of natural sweet and sour notes, had a very little amount of sugar, and the milk balanced everything out very nicely.
Ambience & Service
The cafe has a separate space for dine-in, which can easily accommodate small meetings and gatherings, but if you’re in for the quick grab and go, they have arranged a couple of tables and chairs inside the shop itself. With the super helpful staff, you’re guaranteed to have a good dining experience in either.
Conclusion
If you’re around Battaramulla, and looking for gourmet pantry essentials, this is definitely the place to drop by. And of course, you can also grab a good cup of coffee and a delicious snack while you’re at it.