A Fresh Take on Sri Lankan Ingredients

Local, seasonal and seriously special is how you would describe Tri in Sri Lanka’s contemporary, creative dishes. Executive Chef Neil Wager put a lot into creating the eating and drinking at this unique Sri Lankan design hotel – from experiencing the close surroundings, the culture and the intense, magical feelings that come from visiting somewhere for the first time. Neil’s earliest thoughts and memories go back to meeting Rob on that first day and exploring the eco-minded boutique hotel when was still being built – first impressions last and his palpable recollections of the surroundings and smells, sights and tastes led to one of the most significant dishes on the menu, the beetroot curry (pictured)…

My first real Sri Lankan food experience is still a vivid memory, and this is what lead to our beetroot curry at Tri – from the plate we serve it on, to the dish itself. I had arrived the day before in Sri Lanka tired but excited. Collected from Colombo airport, a driver took me on the 2.5-hour journey to Rob’s house. It was the first time in the country for me and I was taking everything in. It was hot and humid, but I was so thrilled to be there.

As we left Rob and Lara’s villa on my first morning, as we drove to Tri for the first time I was taking in all around me, looking at the vendors at the side of the road and the food that I could see… Fresh fish laid out on wooden stalls, fresh papayas, rambutans, mangoes all stacked high, the beautiful gold king coconuts. We headed inland, and my senses were awoken more and more as we passed the colourful roadside scenes.

Following the back road to Tri, we talked about the many types of rice we could see being harvested and dried by the side of the road. This was different to any other rice I’d seen in its raw form in South-East Asia. I was set to discover a lot more from an older man I met later at Tri who explained that he had re-introduced old varietals of rice to the area. This gentleman who also recycles the waste at Tri organically grows 12 different types of heritage rice which are what we now incorporate into our menus.

Although Tri was a building site when I first visited, I could see lemongrass and cinnamon trees growing wild. I was free to walk around as Rob attended his daily site meeting. I strolled alongside the lakeside and encountered a huge monitor lizard – it made me appreciate the rawness of where I was. Talking to the builders on site they pointed out to me in broken English the plants they knew – hathawariya, polpala, gotukola, mukunuwenna and fresh curry leaves. Not knowing much about what these ingredients were yet, I took it all in and tasted everything I could, only to discover these make up the national soup dish kola kenda which I would then have made for me the following day for breakfast by the ladies who look after Rob’s house.

Sitting by the lakeside I was presented with a newspaper-wrapped lunch pack. Eating with my fingers I tried the real taste of a Sri Lankan curry for the first time – hot, slightly sweet beetroot curry, with mukunuwenna, smoky green bean sambal, earthy red rice, and a dhal so intense with flavour that this was in a sense a whole new cuisine to me. I sat on the edge of what is now the pool, my legs dangling over the top of an empty space, crumbled newspaper on my lap, watching the locals eat using their fingers to claw together the dhal as a binding ingredient to eat pieces of curry and rice in their hands – I copied them. As I sat there using my fingers, I had an incredible moment to myself, looking down tasting mukunuwenna, devouring the earthy, deep flavour, I could taste the healthy green elements going together. This gave me the vision of my first dish.

Later we met with a crockery designer, Ajit. Between us we designed a plate (see image featured) that reimagines that first plate of beetroot curry, it resembles crumbled folded out paper with unique markings, and the colours which are from the surrounding areas. Baking the beetroot first in cardamom salt, using fresh cardamom pods with our own sea salt sourced from the coast which is only 10 minutes away. Then there is a dhal puree, mukunwenna mallum, mukunuwenna a herb used in Ayurveda that grows along the road to the entrance to Tri – its simple, earthy flavours mixed with grated coconut is a natural delight. We turn this into a puree, blanching the natural herb then mixing it with a touch of agar we turn this into a liquid gel. This is a modern creation of cooking that gives a fluid sauce which is completely pure in taste. Many of the local ingredients we have manipulated the same way, deconstructing and reusing their simple flavours to give a modern contemporary tang and to create a unique cuisine for Tri. For texture I have made mukunuwenna jalebi – the jalebi is an Indian sort-of doughnut that that I use to create texture and a little bite to the dish.

All of the dishes we have created so far we take influences and touches of local ingredients, dishes and cooking techniques. We have even adapted sushi and sashimi to have Sri Lankan flavours. Ambu thiyal, black tuna curry with kiribath rice, we have adapted to nigiri sushi, the tuna belly is marinated in the black curry spice and seared, we lay this over the coconut red rice usually eaten with the dish, and you have a reinterpreted ambu thiyal, but the sushi we will go through in another blog post. Each day, as we learn more about the flavours and influences, we bring them into our cuisine, too. Every day at Tri is enlightening and inspiring.

Consultant Chef, Neil Wager, has almost three decades of experience working across nearly every continent from the Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach at an early age to London, Cornwall, and St Lucia. Time at the Dorchester Hotel and the iconic Quaglino’s was followed by spells in Thailand and Australia then high-end sporting occasions around the world (including 163 International Formula 1 Grand Prix and International PGA events). Career highlights have included co-writing Everyday Novelli, developing recipes with Michelin-starred chef Jean-Christophe Novelli, and working with David Beckham and the Duchess of York (on her WeightWatchers’ range). The Executive Chef has made waves in North Island Seychelles and he launched Song Saa Island Resort in Cambodia, also winning accolades for his time at Nihiwatu Luxury Resort in Sumba Indonesia, Segera Retreat in Kenya and South Kensington Club in London.

 

 

Sustainable Intelligent Architecture

Shanghai-based A00’s architect Raefer Wallis is a trailblazer in sustainable design, and as his achievements with Tri demonstrate, he has an unrivalled appreciation for contemporary architecture, renewability, and sustainability.  Born in Quebec, Canada with New Zealander heritage, Wallis obtained a Masters in Architecture from Montreal’s McGill University – then head to Asia where he was behind China’s first carbon-neutral hotel, URBN Shanghai.

 “My mantra is: Big picture first, details after. Landscape first, people after.” —Raefer Willis, architect.

A00 wanted to create architecture that is as striking as it is ‘invisible’ because of the way the buildings fall away from view to allow the beauty of the site, and surrounding landscape, to be the focus. The land’s natural spiral shape conjures the mathematical Fibonacci sequence and this was the inspiration that guided the hotel’s layout. It seemed only fitting that the sacred nuga tree that sits atop the hill would be the focal point of a golden ratio spiral – this helped them position all the independent structures around the hill.

Since Rob Drummond was always a fan of the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright, he was also interested in having modular buildings and collaborated with A00 to create a unique property for Sri Lanka. Architect John Lautner, too, was also an inspiration – he is the architect behind the ultimate villas fit for a Bond villain, including Sheats Goldstein Residence, the futuristic-looking house that features in The Big Lebowski.

Using the landscape was a critical aspect of the design, this allowed eight suites to be ‘hidden’ along the hillside without any interruption to the views, while also allowing each suite to feel utterly private, with its own look out over Koggalla Lake. Green roofs and solar panelling are just some of the features that betray Tri’s sustainability and with the contemporary glass and pale-wood constructions, the characterful cladding is cinnamon wood – a byproduct of the local spice trade which exports the bark. The green sloped roof hides the solar water heaters while the interiors include white polished terrazzo, local granite, and earth rendered walls.

The water tower, which houses has two guest bedrooms, is covered with a cinnamon-stick-screen skin, and sits within a reflection pond that also mirrors the golden ratio silhouette. Creeping vines that were planted along the base of the walls are already flourishing. Hidden next to this tower is the open-air, yoga shala, which hides its three stories housing the library and spa, from a sudden drop in terrain.

The main pavillion structure serves as the main social hub – its 10m cantilevered roof represents some of the most striking architecture of Tri. It acts as the dining space, poolside lounge and the reception area, while allowing guests to a swim in an infinity pool with the best possible Koggalla Lake views. 

 

BIRD Travel PR | Press Release 2015

Opening late 2015, Tri is a whorl of geometric ingenuity and awe-inspiring beauty – Sri Lanka’s first truly contemporary, sustainable luxury design hotel. Mirroring nature’s ubiquitous Golden Ratio, Tri spirals 10 unique suites around an island hill flanking Sri Lanka’s serene Lake Koggala. Living walls, green roofs, solar arrays, recycled wood and entirely local materials will unify accommodations and landscape. Sequential spaces emanate from a central water tower that captures spectacular 360-degree views. Creative experiences will stimulate body, mind and soul, proudly showcasing Sri Lanka’s finest ingredients, materials, services and facilities. Guided by nature, evolved by aesthete individuals and fortified by an all-encompassing sustainable philosophy, Tri will be a masterpiece of forward-thinking flair, where mathematical marries artistic and intelligence embraces emotion.

Tri: At a Glance

  • 10-suite sustainable luxury design hotel opening in the Summer of 2015
  • A hillside haven on Sri Lanka’s Lake Koggala 25-mins from Galle Fort
  • Evolved by photographer, entrepreneur and aesthete, Rob Drummond, and award-winning architect, Raefer Wallis of A00 Architects
  • Ingenious design inspired by the spirals of the ‘Fibonacci sequence’
  • Eight suites, three with private pools, nestled in the landscape and a further two elevated on the top deck of the central water tower
  • Spectacular 21m cantilevered pool with multiple decks and terraces
  • Combine peaceful lakeside living with day trips to the beach nearby
  • Treetop yoga shala; treatment rooms and steam cavern
  • Library, study and entertainment room
  • Dining room with private and communal seating
  • Dramatic 360-degree summit viewing deck
  • A contemporary, organic approach to Sri Lanka’s finest elements: food, materials, services, facilities and experiences
  • Cultural, active and intellectual immersions, from lake kayaking, beach trips and natural exercise stations to talks, temple visits and whale watching
  • Creative and cutting-edge; serene and energising; intellectually stimulating; ethically, culturally and authentically minded; stylish and responsible; fun!

Tri: The Experience

  • Arrive by boat across Sri Lanka’s largest lake.  Unwind as you ascend the spiral hillside setting with accommodation suites, sequential spaces and central water tower. Discover a living, energising design hotel, evolved by aesthete individuals and peppered with creative, contemporary experiences for body, mind and soul. Experience the transformation of time – the magic of the here and now – immersed in nature’s infinite perfection.”

Getting There:

  • Via Land: 1.5 hours from Colombo International Airport. 25 minutes from Galle
  • Via Air: sea-plane service lands directly on Lake Koggala
  • Via Lake: 10-minute boat transfer from the coastal highway

Tri: Sustainable living, ingeniously crafted

Opening 2015

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