"An ayurvedic-style feast is good for what ails you . . ."

"Entrées here do not come with cookie cutter starches and vegetables; rather, each dish is a carefully constructed set of elements."

"Ayurvedic dining means a feast for eyes as well as the palate and harmony among six tastes; sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent and astringent. Accordingly, warming bowls of fragrant purple yam soup yielded hints of cinnamon, coconut milk and perhaps roasted cumin and were garnished with a sprinkling of fried onion, slivered scallion and black sesame seeds and served with wedges of tender naan bread."

"If Bailey's cooking can be summed up, I suggest that its hallmark is that each offering is a treasure hunt, with every bite a blast of flavours that intrigue and then immediately pacify the palate, thanks to careful construction and the use of organic ingredients whenever possible."

Pam Grant, Dining Out,Times Colonist  Ratings: Five Stars

"Finding Nirvana . . ."

"Inspiring is too small a word to use to describe Tamara Bailey, her Ayurvedic cooking techniques and the sublime taste of her creations."

"Through her classes and a series of head chef positions at various Victoria restaurants, Bailey attracted a large following of devotees with her artistic presentations and the unique tastes of her culinary creations. Her fans had to wait six long years to taste her food again, while Bailey worked as the head chef of the Victorian Retirement Residence, prior to opening Café Ceylon in March 2006.

"The serene 40-seat restaurant, decorated with Sri Lankan art and artifacts, is filled to capacity for lunch and dinner with happy diners partaking of the generous portions of extraordinary food that is offered daily."

"Café Ceylon is the culmination of Bailey's lifelong dream. "I am meant to do this," she says. "When I am in my restaurant I feel like I am in Nirvana.""

Sylvia Weinstock, Boulevard Magazine

"Café Ceylon brings a creative and exotic menu offering diners a sense of something special . . ."

"Sometimes it's easier to remember a feeling than a fact. My memory of my meal at Café Ceylon is of intensity and delicacy, of blending combined with precision. The velvety spinach soup is just one such example, a structured blend of spinach and potatoes seasoned delicately with ginger, garam masala, coconut milk, fresh lime, lemongrass and pandan leaves, a fragrant Southeast Asian leaf that is a member of the pine family. Floating in the soup like little gifts are toothsome squares of deep-fried paneer cheese, and topping the steaming soup are bits of crispy golden fried onion."

"Another irresistible dish is the Bangkok Floating Market Seafood Pot. A black clay pot provides a stunning backdrop for swirls of noodles curved around pink prawns and chunks of salmon. A lime flavour peeks out from the tamarind and coconut milk sauce, giving a feeling of brightness and lightness to this hotpot."

Elizabeth Smyth, www.eatmagazine.ca

"Culinary tour of Asia offered . . ."

"A signature dish is the House Special, curried chicken and basmati rice wrapped in lotus leaf, topped with coconut sambal and papadam and served with mango chutney, raita and spinach and red lentil dhal. Another favourite lunch item is the Singapore style poh pia, a type of spring roll filled with seasoned ground pork and vegetables. Each day a new soup from a different Asian country simmers in the kitchen."

"I think that's what people love about this restaurant. It's a surprise. I take people on a culinary journey of Asia," Tamara said, bubbling with enthusiasm for food."

Jeanine Soodeen, Victoria News

"Entering Café Ceylon is like walking into someone's well-appointed home . . ."

"Amid bamboo walls and a display of hand-painted Sri Lankan china, I experienced curry unlike any curry chicken that came before it. The eclectic collection of tapestry and art lend a casual, comfy-cosy feel to the restaurant."

"Tamara Bailey, petite and quick to laugh, prepares the dishes - a blend of Sri Lankan traditional and family recipes and influences from Burma, Malaysia and Indonesia - according to Ayurvedic principles. The six tastes of sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent and astringent must be present in all food and balanced according to the season in order to properly nourish the body."

Rosie Westwood, The Martlet

"22 hungry celiacs . . ."

"About 22 hungry celiacs were patrons at the Café Ceylon on September 27 and enjoyed a wonderful meal."

"Tamara devoted the whole restaurant to us and made sure that our dinner was gluten free and delicious."

"Thank you, Tamara, for the wonderful evening our members enjoyed at your restaurant. The food, ambiance and staff were magnificent!  Please try Café Ceylon some time; you won't be disappointed."

Ellen Bayens, Victoria Chapter, Canadian Celiac Association

"Noodle dish worth writing home about . . ."

"Café Ceylon has the most delicious noodle bowl called the Bangkok floating market seafood pot," e-mailed Mrs. Brad Kent, who lives in Nanaimo. With a choice of either udon or rice noodle, it is chockablock full of fresh and plump prawns, salmon and squid and is divine, with a broth of wonderful Asian spices and a hint of lemon grass. I think (this restaurant) is the best-kept culinary secret in Victoria, or on the Island for that matter."

Eric Akis, Times Colonist

"Sri Lankan dishes tempt taste buds at Café Ceylon . . ."

"Tamara Bailey plans on giving your culinary senses a workout with her Sri Lankan dishes and other pan-Asian cuisine."

"The diminutive Sri Lankan-born chef prepares her unique menu with traditional herbs and spices and with ayurvedic principles in mind. Ayurveda (pronounced "ah-yer-vey-duh") is a Sanskrit word for "The Science of Life." It is a belief in healthy living that enables a person to create harmony in daily life by applying self-knowledge and self-care."

"The essence of my approach to cooking is that food can, and should, be both nutritious and delicious and the secret to that is having a deep understanding of the six tastes and how they are combined for maximum flavour and benefit," says Bailey.

"Opening Café Ceylon is a new life chapter for Tamara Bailey, her husband and partner Ken, and their son, Nathan."

Darron Kloster, Times Colonist