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One of my favorite legacies from our colonial overlords is strawberries and cream. The tartness of the strawberries countered by the sweetness of the cream with a little white sugar crunch is, without a doubt, one of the best bits of oppression I have ever undergone.
But eating strawberries and cream in Colombo is no good. You have to eat it in the hill country where either the climate and environment or nostalgia for my childhood years on a Nuwara Eliya estate adds an extra dimension of taste.
In Nuwara Eliya, though, getting actual, fresh cream with strawberries is nigh on impossible. St Clair's - the castle like monstrosity you see on if you go on the Avissawella route - has strawberries but served with ice cream - it's like replacing Angelina with some lesser starlet and expecting Brad to be just as happy. (You can localise the analogy with Kudu Lal and Mervyn if you like...)
No, for the genuine stuff, you have to go past Nuwara Eliya to Genuine Humbugs in Hakgala - a little bit past the Hakgala Botanical Gardens. It's a tiny little roadside place which seems to have been in operation for ever - I remember stopping here when I was little - and hopefully always will be.
You get things like strawberry pancakes and even rice and curry but it's obvious that strawberries and cream is where their passion lies. The strawberries are great and they make the cream right then and there - you can almost hear mooing. And there's a beautiful back garden where you can sit and wait for your strawberries to come - it takes time but it's worth it - and then eat your strawberries and cream overlooking the mountains.
Hanuman apparently visited Hakgala - which means (Hanuman's) Jaw Rock - long years ago and soon after burned Lanka to the ground. If he had come more recently, he'd've eaten strawberries and cream, admired the view and gone back to India having decided that Sita would be better off here.
Restaurant Name: Genuine Humbugs
Tip: If you want to stay, there's rooms and a bungalow as well.
Address: Nuwara Eliya - Badulla Rd, Hakgala (if you're coming from Nuwara Eliya, it's just past the Hakgala Botanical Gardens on the left side of the road)
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love it. its a must on every NE trip. but in recent times their cream has seen a significant drop in quality. but the strawberried and the ambience remain.
ReplyDeletei've actually stayed in the bungalow below the outlet. decent rooms but their electricity used to be sourced from a hydropower plant located closeby and at night there is a drop which results in either no power at night or just faint red glow in the bulbs.
service was good and its one of those places where they actually light up a fire for you in the living room fireplace.
watch out for the dogs though. i think the owner has two rottweilers who suddenly appear in deserted hallways where you have no way to run :)
Would have also liked to see a review of the accommodation in the rooms and the bungalow. Maybe at a later date?
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I looked at their rooms and wasn't super impressed. I went down to their bungalow once but it was closed.
ReplyDeleteTripAdvisor - http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g608524-d628023-Reviews-Genuine_Humbugs-Nuwara_Eliya.html - seems to have pretty positive things to say about it, though. Even the guy who tried to take a double room and fit 8 people into it seems to have liked it.
oooh love this place :D
ReplyDeletei remember this place from a while ago. they had (i hope they still have it) a fabulous strawberry jam that was dripping in seeds. it worked really well over ice cream or waffles.
ReplyDeleteHi could you suggest a few places to stay in Nuwara eliya?
ReplyDeletehad a most homely stay at the bunglow below humbugs... the beds were really comfy and the breakfast dhal curry was one of the best i've ever eaten...the staff too were really friendly and complaisant :)the electricity problem is solved now i think. cos there was no issue with the lighting :)
ReplyDeletei'm always trying to remember the name of this place when i eat strawberries! so many memories from so long ago!
ReplyDeleteDo you have their email or phone #? I would like to try to book a room. Thanks!
ReplyDelete0773646516,0522222709, hakgalahumbugs@hotmail.com
Deletehttp://www.lankaholidays.com/holiday-homes/accommodation_details-14715.html has contact details.
ReplyDeleteContact (+94) 52 2222709, (+94) 773646516 email: humbugshakgala@hotmail.com
I don't know how accurate they are, though. I just go :)
email & phone numbers are correct
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