Oct 22, 2007 (LBO) – A two tonne 'kottu roti' pancake mix prepared by Hilton Hotel in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo was devoured in just an hour by hundreds of guests at its anniversary party Sunday.
Colombo Hilton's 'Kottu Party' got more than double the expected crowd forcing chefs to go into emergency mode and churn out more than the planned 2,100 kilos of 'kottu' to celebrate the hotel's 21st anniversary.
"I think it is a tremendous success," Rohan Fernandopulle, Hilton's executive chef told LBO at the kottu party organized as a part of its birthday celebrations.
The Hilton pool side was over crowded with more than the expected number of guests turning up to take part in the celebrations within less than two hours of its opening.
Many guests, including journalists, missed the chance to bite into the giant 'kottu' billed as a record preparation.
The 2,100 kilo kottu included 525 kilos of 'Gothamba Roti', the main flour-based pancake mix ingredient in a kottu.
Some 400 kilos of chicken, 500 kilos of vegetables and 7,000 eggs also went in to the mix which was fried and cut into small pieces.
The event was aimed at enhancing the experience of Sri Lankan culture among tourists, Hilton said in a statement.
The proceeds from the celebration will be donated to the deaf and blind school of Sri Lanka.
"There are close upon 3,500 to 4,000 people in the location, we cannot accommodate more than that," Fernandopulle said.
The chefs served nearly 7,000 portions or the entire 2,100 kilos of kottu within one hour, the Hilton Hotel said.
Reservations were made to send a part of the giant kottu to orphanages before it was opened for public.
"People pre paid for some orphanages even before the event. We started preparing at five o clock and they had ordered nearly about 2,000 portions for orphanages," Fernandopulle says.
Resorting to contingency plans, Fernandopulle says the chefs commenced preparation of more food, to cater to the growing crowd in the premises while hundreds more lined up in the streets to get inside.
"Our chefs are already working in the kitchen. We don’t want to disappoint the crowd,"
Colombo Hilton's 'Kottu Party' got more than double the expected crowd forcing chefs to go into emergency mode and churn out more than the planned 2,100 kilos of 'kottu' to celebrate the hotel's 21st anniversary.
"I think it is a tremendous success," Rohan Fernandopulle, Hilton's executive chef told LBO at the kottu party organized as a part of its birthday celebrations.
The Hilton pool side was over crowded with more than the expected number of guests turning up to take part in the celebrations within less than two hours of its opening.
Many guests, including journalists, missed the chance to bite into the giant 'kottu' billed as a record preparation.
The 2,100 kilo kottu included 525 kilos of 'Gothamba Roti', the main flour-based pancake mix ingredient in a kottu.
Some 400 kilos of chicken, 500 kilos of vegetables and 7,000 eggs also went in to the mix which was fried and cut into small pieces.
The event was aimed at enhancing the experience of Sri Lankan culture among tourists, Hilton said in a statement.
The proceeds from the celebration will be donated to the deaf and blind school of Sri Lanka.
"There are close upon 3,500 to 4,000 people in the location, we cannot accommodate more than that," Fernandopulle said.
The chefs served nearly 7,000 portions or the entire 2,100 kilos of kottu within one hour, the Hilton Hotel said.
Reservations were made to send a part of the giant kottu to orphanages before it was opened for public.
"People pre paid for some orphanages even before the event. We started preparing at five o clock and they had ordered nearly about 2,000 portions for orphanages," Fernandopulle says.
Resorting to contingency plans, Fernandopulle says the chefs commenced preparation of more food, to cater to the growing crowd in the premises while hundreds more lined up in the streets to get inside.
"Our chefs are already working in the kitchen. We don’t want to disappoint the crowd,"
