At the last stop of the Dilmah Tea Trail, we were treated to beautifully done bar snacks in the form of crispy fish bites and deep fried prawns and calamari, paired with an apple Mar-Tea-Ni cocktail.
The batter encasing the fried calamari and prawns was satisfactorily crisp and light on the oil, and the tasty tartar sauce on the side added to the flavorsome fried goodness. But those fish bites outright stole the limelight with how fantastic they were.
Crispy and light on the outside, the fish bites were packed full of moist, flaky and superbly savory fish that makes one think of ridiculously excellent fish & chips. Which it essentially is, when you think about it. The smoky, sensually savory dip on the side that's NOT thousand island just accentuates all the pleasant attributes of those fabulous fish bites, and adds even more terrific flavor into each and every bite.
While I didn't quite like the Apple Mar-Tea-Ni due to it being overwhelming on the sharp, tart notes of sour apple which drowned out any trace of the fragrant jasmine green tea, I did appreciate how well it cut through the greasiness and richness of these addictive bar bites and cleared out my palate for the next round to come.