A1 - Restaurant for Gentlemen

Disclaimer note: 1. Any views or opinions presented in this post are solely those of the mine and do not necessarily represent those of the A1. 2.The looks of food items shown in the pictures may (slightly) differ from the ones that are being actually served.

It is quite mysterious, why this restaurant, in the Slave Island is named as "A1". Usually you tend to see names like ***Bawan or ***Vilas for the typical Vegetarian restaurants. But there are no concrete evidences for naming this restaurant in the mysterious way. It might look like another vegetarian restaurant found around the Colombo area. But I insist it is quite different. It has usual name board, which welcomes you. When you walk in, some of the best foods will be displayed in the front. That display will surely question your plan for the food. Even if you had planned to eat to Dosai, you may have to change your decision to eat String Hopper Koththu after seeing the nice display. There will be few tables with full of gentleman customers. Yes.. When you eat in the A1, you will be considered as a gentleman. Some of the best waiters in the country will cleanup a table, so that you can take a seat. Then they will talk to you depending on the impression you have created so far. You will feel comfortable, when you go as a group, otherwise waiter might bring a 3 days old Parotta with stinking Sambol and convince you that you are eating the best food in the world. I used to go with a guy, who mesmerises the waiters with his love. So they will bring the best food to our table.

I must tell you why this A1 is so special. One friend of mine told me, that they have born Artistic Cooks. He gave a long list of vegetables found within a single curry on bright sunny day noon. He was able to come up with 7 vegetable known vegetables and 2 unknown vegetables. He explained how much of an effort is put into that curry. Another friend of mine used to say that, he was able to follow the typical doctor's advice to the above forties'. Yes.. “Eat less rice and more vegetables” is that advice. A1 does not charge more for your additional curries. Waiters also might give you a special curry, when they are so sure that you will give a good amount as a tip. It is worth spending 20 rupees on a tip for getting a 30 rupees worth of special curry on a another day.

Some people like A1 while others keep on complaining about it. Last month one lady publicly told that "good family Women will not eat in such a dirty place". She made this strong statement when she was invited to have lunch in A1 by her friends. Later A1 lovers condemned her for making such a bad statement. They explained how it will affect the feelings of Women, who has already eaten in A1. Finally she had to make a apology immediately. One friend of mine says this all the time, "So many people have asked me how I maintain good attendence in my office, I explain them how closer the A1 is to my office and to my heart". He added that He is proud to be a A-'One'-tarian. It is something similar to the Vegetarians, Eggtarians... A-'One'-tarian is for the people, who insists on eating only in A1.


Usually every shop has a established year specificied in their name board. But A1 does not specify that. That is the million dollar question. To speak the truth, current owners of the A1 does not know when it was established. "Holy crap! Our restaurant must be one of the ancient restaurants in Sri Lanka" one of the managing director of A1 told us. Even there were rumours speculated in the area when a stone tablet was found by the archeologists within the Slave Island area last month. One of the A1 waiter told us that tablet had few lines about the ancient A1. He added that, it was named as "Sthree Vangum" and even Hanuman stopped by the A1 for his breakfast during tiresome journey from India to meet Sita. When British conquered Sri Lanka, the name was changed to a simple one to Attract British Soldiers.

I had a heavy discussion regarding this tablet story with my friend, who is happened to be a die heart fan of A1. He told that, "Stone tablet story will not do any good to for us. It is just going to attract the troublesome historians and end up increasing the price of the Rice lunch to 500 rupees from 120 rupees. So don't speak about that stupid story anymore". I too found it quite stupid to make rumours about a good place which provides food to the Gentlemen.