The streets of Colombo, with its hustle and bustle, offer a familiarity to city-dwellers, and yet, many of us wouldn’t say no to the opportunity to enjoy the vibes of the street in a more comfortable and less crowded setting. This is what one will find at Headquarters by W15, the latest space to open its doors in Colombo.
Headquarters by W15, located down T.B. Jayah Mawatha or Darley Road, isn’t too far from Aluthkade, which has made a mark as a unique culinary experience in Colombo with a wide array of street food. Inspired by Aluthkade, W15 Collection Chairman Hardy Jamaldeen decided to celebrate Sri Lankan food at a space that caters to all as a rooftop restaurant, bar and lounge.
The Daily Morning Brunch had the opportunity to drop by the soon to be opened Headquarters by W15 a few days prior to its opening during a media preview, which gave us an idea of what the space has to offer. As soon as one walks through the doors, they are transported to the streets of Colombo, with interior design that hits the mark incredibly well.
The wall art is by Charith Wijesundara, who Jamaldeen described as a young star. “The idea was to showcase what was happening around Colombo and the lifestyle and culture of people. We wanted to create a story book so I went around Colombo for a couple of days and tried to showcase that ambience through my art,” the artist shared with us.
Speaking about Headquarters by W15, Jamaldeen shared that he wanted to bring the vibes of the Aluthkade food circuit to a space where diners can have a high quality meal or a good cocktail at a reasonable price. “This is our own building and we were inspired by our rooftop, where one can see the old fort and the skyline. We thought of bringing in the street through digital art to get the youth involved.”
Jamaldeen shared that the space also caters to the 15,000 executives in the area, who need an accessible and affordable place to dine. At Headquarters by W15, diners will find homemade recipes, home-grown ingredients and attractive prices.
“I always believe in three simple things: What you see must be right, what you smell must be right, and what you hear must be right. If you get those three aspects right, you can communicate any message,” Jamaldeen added.
Speaking to the team at Headquarters by W15, The Daily Morning Brunch learnt that everything in the restaurant is sourced locally, from the ingredients to the furniture and the artwork, as they wanted to support small businesses and ensure continuous growth in the local economy.
The restaurant addresses a gap in the market, where the Muslim community has limited options where they can find a fully-halal menu in a contemporary dining setting that is open till late. The menu at Headquarters by W15 is thus, fully halal, and also honours Jamaldeen’s mother, whose recipes make up the menu.
At the media preview, invitees were treated to starters like Isso Puchchala, a spicy and tangy prawn that was cooked to perfection. The cutlets come with different fillings, and the jackfruit cutlets we were served were piping hot, with a lovely filling encased in crispy, golden breadcrumbs.
Other items on the food menu included beef varuval, beef chops, mutton curry, grilled chicken winglets, chickpeas, and vadai. Pandan bibikkan, chocolate mocha tart, and passion fruit crème brûlée made up the dessert menu.
As for the beverages served that night, fiery passion, which was passion fruit based, had a lovely bite to it, while the rambusteen martini had a syrupiness that reminds one of the best of rambutan season. The hard day’s work, meanwhile, is aptly named as it is the kind of beverage one would want to sip as they unwind after a hard day’s work.
While the extent of the food and beverage menu and how well Headquarters by W15 caters to its customers’ demands is to be seen post-opening, the ambience created with the use of mismatched furniture, street lights, and art leaves no doubt about the inspiration behind it: the streets of Colombo.
