Mevan Kottegoda

Click here to view an album of photos by Devananda Kuruppu & Nivanthi Ratnayake

And click here to view an album of photos by Nihal Yapa

The Sri Lankan Hoteliers and Caters Association's signature event the Epicure 2008 was held at Castle Grand on 29 th November 2008 along with the 10 th anniversary of the association. The hospitality professionals who had a quintessential interest for customer satisfaction and quality-entailed service once again portrayed the value for money concept with exceptional flair and ardour.

The venue, the cosy Castle Grand, arranged discerningly for the occasion, displayed an aura of opulence projecting the fusion of hospitality culture and deja-vous of five star phenomena. The cheerful guests gracefully walked in to the dimly lit foyer area with intense baronial elegance. Through the drapes of subtle lighting, the gents led their partners caringly into the hall with explicit allure, while their assuring eyes gleamed with ubiquitous enthusiasm.

The impeccably fashionable lavish dress code and the vibrancy of colours merged the venue and atmosphere with equalizing harmony. The fragrance of select perfumes worn by ladies enriched the air and lingered pleasantly throughout the night reminiscing the bouquet of fresh autumn breeze. The sparkle of glittering jewellery under subdued lighting reminded the streaks of distant lightening. A pleasant surprise awaited in the hall as a selection of cocktails was offered as a welcome drink to the guests by adept bar staff. Gents patronized this area religiously for quenching their thirst and communal chitchats while they were in and out of the dance floor.

With the prevalence of such perfect ambience, if the rainbow decided to descend upon earth this day, it would be for a sneak preview of the psychedelic vivacity of colours that adorned the ladies who gave extra character to the richness of the attendees. The smiling faces, shy chuckles, gleaming eyes, friendly looks and coy gestures enlivened the venue to its optimum in readiness of a memorable night.

As the most popular band in Sydney when Punchi & The Clan started with light and melodious music, couples gently paced towards the dance floor to warm up and savour the tempo before the joie de vivre ascended to elegant Waltz, Foxtrot, Jive, Samba, and amorous Latin American to draw out every expendable unit of energy from the participants. The band took the entire audience to the 70's and 80'era from Jives to Rock & roll and Bellafonte to Abba. The Latin American style dance act done by two charismatic young performers was highly applauded and well received by all guests.

Before joining the revellers on the floor, some men were religiously unpacking their cherished bottles of potent sustenance, which provided “Water Of Life” to boost their energy level after each session of the dance and regain youthful agility. When Punchi went in to a toe-tapping knee flapping Baila trance, the beat hypnotically moved the guests in the right direction while acting as a temporary suppressant for aching muscles and creaking joints. With invigorating tempo, imagination, skill and thrill, many new dance steps were created, but not memorized due to bouts of amnesia endowed by Bacchus who jeered at those who were confused with the body's centre of gravity.

The lavish phalanx of epicurean delights impeccably presented by Blue Elephant with all other trappings, displayed an uncompromised culinary extravaganza. Quality and presentation tried to exceed each other while a mesmerizing ice sculpture gracefully added lustre and character to the elegant buffet in a striking fashion. The perfect layout of the buffet was a gastronomic excursion in every respect. Halfway through the dance during the dinner break this beautiful plethora of food did justice to the guests by taming their yearning palates. The energy lost on the floor was recouped with a touch of sweetness while the guests were back after the dessert.

As the band relentlessly provided a mixture of music suited for all ages, the guests danced tirelessly. Simultaneously when the liquid spirit levels descended, the human spirit conquered new heights staggeringly, only to find out the level of reasoning was sliding down at a steady space. The undulating body moves of the dancing crowd rhythmically challenged any impressive contortionist or bodywork guru with food for thought.

While fun and merriment continued, the usual raffle and the ticket draw took place, showering winners with worthy gifts offered by our ever-supporting sponsors. Every hotelier who was involved in the creation of this event would acknowledge the tremendous support given to the association every year by the sponsors and advertisers, which was vital to the exceptional success of this venture.

As the night proceeded with a hive of activity, to those who felt enough is not enough, the hazy morning after yet to come would be a new drama, when dedicated spouses would be compelled to try their nursing skills, all known remedies and the faithful lemon rub to reclaim their loving partners. To their dismay, those who ventured upon their abstract artistic skills as a splash at home to create an amateurish display of gastronomic art depicting the picture of the dance menu, the day was not yet over with the irony of the housekeeper. Well in good fun, drinking in moderation could be forgotten by virtue of the spirit itself.

It is noteworthy and satisfying to see our loyal guests keep on patronizing this dance with exceptional support, which is a great encouragement and the driving force behind this exercise. Apart from the usual fun frolic togetherness which kept the place throbbing with excitement, the guests behaviour was exemplary and added extra finesse to the quality of guests whose participation was paramount in the creation of such a great night and the culmination of a great result.