Getting my Mojo back..

Having started my 'clubbing career' at the then My-kind-of-place and having seen it in its Nuovo phase - its petty safe to say, that while the location has remained the same, the personality of the club went through some serious changes. When i heard it was being re-launched i was a little skeptical about how successful it would be and wondered if it would ever live up to its MKOP reputation or live down its Nuovo reputation.

The first night i went to Mojo i was completely blown away by how drastically the appearance of the club had changed; although the basic layout was the same, the new structures as you walk through the doors and the enhanced *ahem* 'facilities' went a long way toward changing my opinion on the club i had known for so long.

One of the best features is that the music is now fabulous, with a solid mix of genres and a pretty much constant flow of 'dancable' music keeping part-goers on their feet all night long and elevated tables and booth areas for crowds to party comfortably in. The management has also done a great job of attracting Colombos clubbing elite and - to a great extent - keeping out the fight-causing riff-raff that ruin the experience for everyone else.

Having gone through many a night pinching my nose in line for the loo, i have to add that the new ladies room and the overall maintenance of the club has definitely put its history to shame. :)

Overall, a great party experience and a spot that has definitely found itself a permanent position on my 'must hit' list - Mojo scores a very high 9/10 on my club-o-meter and definitely does help get your Mojo back!

LUSH Colombo

One of Colombo’s hottest nightspots and boasting some of the best deals in town, Lush Colombo has really taken the average weekend partying scene to a whole other level.

Boasting some of the best offers in town and lots of free drinks to keep the natives happy, the service at Lush is above par. Although slightly smaller than a few other clubs, Lush has done a lot with its deco to keep its clientele happy. After the recent renovation, the larger dance floors and bigger VIP booth as well as the changed overall look have made Lush a major attraction for the younger generation of club-hoppers as well as more seasoned experts.

Personally speaking, the music at Lush is what sets it apart from many of the other Colombo clubs. The DJ’s play everything from remakes of ‘you are my sunshine’ and other 80s hits to tiesto and thumping tribal. Somehow the meld of genres just works- the crowd loves it. There isn’t a second where people are just standing around, everyone’s moving, even if its just staid swaying to the beat.

There is however a darker side to this little world- Lush is one of the most notorious locations for fights. To be fair, while every club has its occasional fight; Lush has a slightly higher percentage of them on a more regular basis. The bouncers are more than capable of keeping these situations under control and the fights are quickly moved outside and the fighters packed off, while the DJ distracts the crowd and keeps the atmosphere going.

While your dancing the night away, the burger station right outside provides a great energizing snack to keep you on your feet while a two minute walk at the end of the night takes you right to Pillawoos for a really late dinner or a really early breakfast.

All in all a well deserved 6.5 out of 10 on the club-o-metre. Lush Colombo is definitely going places.

"Machang" @ Nawala - that's where I have been

Ok, initially it was the Peninsula which served authentic Indian cuisine a total family restaurant, now turned into a country style pub, sponsored by Lion Breweries in Sri Lanka gives you that early Molly's and Clancy's ambiance and feeling. With a mix band playing every Friday "Machang" needs to understand the importance of Customer Service, a basic training on customer Service and hospitality is a must. The food of course is good, but can improve. I find it interesting because it’s a cool place to chill in the evening after work, play a game of pool and chill with a beer watching the latest in sports on the big screen, be it the Rugby 6 Nations or the present IPL. Indeed it’s going to be my favorite targets for the ICC T20 World Cup. One way the owners can promote the “pub” is to associate the pub with sports and giving out special “Happy Hour” deals for its customers. Located in the city entrance near Kirimandala Mawatha “Machang” has the potential to compete with the hotel pubs and bars, customer service and training is a must. On pub-o-scale of 10 I will rate 5 with hopes of improvement.

Zecchino is back

Hey guys, I was taking a break for awhile, the Sapphire Way team has grown steadily, stay tuned for the latest reviews.

Escapades at "Silk"

2nd January, Saturday 1.00am -

Hmmm, well it was not the usual - me and my gang was able to set foot into the ex-Sugar (one of my favourites because of the exclusivity and the music selection), and now Silk at the old Zetters setting. I got to tell you all this, the management does quite a fascinating job in maintaining the standards, hats off the Migara and Dinesh and the two gate keepers at Maitland Crescent :). Interestingly I observed the reception Tyronne (who has plans to open a restaurant chain at Crescat where the old Delifrance was) was in charge of the tickets. Priced at Rs. 1000 for guys - which was a new concept for the Sugar experienced. The minute I set foot to the room filled with night ambiance - I knew the night would be a memorable experience. The crowd was medium initially, which soon became packed. The dance floor was enthralled by a mixed crowed together with the sounds of retro,  pop, house, but the most busiest area was the bar!.

The crowd was a mixed of celebrities, in the caliber of Sri Lanka ex-Cricket skipper Mahela and his wife Christina Jayawardena, Ashanthi and Randhir the music duo, and Sri Lanka's tallest model Nadeeka Perera to business leaders in the marketing and communication arena. The crowd I saw was having a great time totally , the service and head count might have been more than 70. On the whole I would rate 8 on the scale of 10. Of course Silk is one of my favourite hideouts ;) at around 3.30am I left to the night...

until next time...

Z`