Foods

Mongolian Street - New Year, New Beginnings

When I first visited Mongolian Street down Chitra Lane in 2021, Shevon told me how he hoped to move to a bigger and better location in a couple of years. Forget ’’a couple of years’’, in less than just one year, amidst a pandemic that brought many restaurants across the country to its knees, Shevon Perera and his Fiance Ronali Goonetileke the co-owners of Mongolian Street have expanded to a central and a much more prominent location.

Street Burger

From their humble beginnings as a street food truck to a popular burger joint with 3 locations, Street Burger has accumulated a cult following of fans who love their burgers, and for good reason. We were recently invited to try their burgers at their 3rd outlet in Mount Lavinia. Here’s what we thought.

Sweet Sensations

For sisters, Aysha Farook and Haleema Farook, their journey as home bakers started in 2014 at the tender ages of 12 and 16. Since then, they’ve seen their business flourish over the years and despite the many challenges of the pandemic, Sweet Sensations thrived during each lockdown. “We didn’t start off thinking that we would go this far, we were so passionate about baking, yet so young. We didn’t expect to flourish”.

Miris By Islandmom

Islandmom, Shivani A. Tyronne, started her home-based venture completely by chance when she experimented with a handful of naimiris at home. After her creation got popular among friends and orders started coming in, Miris by Islandmom was born. “Miris by Islandmom is to show that this is a brand that is done by a mom who loves her island and its bold flavours’’.

DISH IT OUT - WARNA HETTIARACHCHI

How do our food experts cook and eat? This week, nuclear physicist turned self-taught chef, Warna of @nukechef and the owner and executive chef of Dream Café & Bistro in Canada takes our Q&A!

QUARANTINE HOME BAKERS

In this series, we talk to people who turned their passion for food and baking into a business idea amidst lockdown and COVID-19 fears. Some have been in the market for years and others saw the new opportunity and took it! These home businesses are changing the game and have overcome the odds of running a business during quarantine.

Ladybirdbakes

Kumarini Seneviratne (nee Samarasekera) is an HR practitioner with a legal background who loves to bake during her free time. “Ladybirdbakes stands for exquisite bakes and desserts delicately prepared by a part-time home baker using the best ingredients locally available in Sri Lanka…Ladybirdbakes creations are known for their mouth-watering taste and distinct presentation at the same time”.

Grillz by Royal: A Culinary Journey to Pakistan

Located down Rajasinghe Road Wellawatte, Grillz is a one of a kind Pakistani Fusion Restaurant that offers an array of mouthwatering food, great drinks and a dazzling view of the Indian Ocean. Located right opposite the Wellawatte beach, it is the ideal place to grab some good food with your family or friends before going for a late-night stroll on the beach. You can also dine in or even opt for outdoor seating.

Christmas Goodies By The Hyve Dessert Bar

Christmas is all about indulgence and the Hyve Dessert Bar is stocked with the most decadently festive seasonal goodies just for you! One of the first exclusive dessert bars to open in Sri Lanka, Hyve is considered to be among the crème de la crème of Colombo’s dessert scene. Located at Thimbirigasyaya, Colombo, this charming dessert bar carries some of the best sweets in town.

Caked By Shimza

Shimza Ferosz has always had a keen eye for cake making and decorating from a young age. She enrolled in several beginner’s cake classes and courses right out of school and completed her PME professional diploma course in cake decorating and master’s certificate modules in sugar paste, royal icing, and sugar flowers awarded by KPME-UK. She has taken part in several competitions and has won awards for her sugarcraft and cake decorations.

The Fox Den

Making the transition from our living room couch to dining out as smooth and as effortless as possible is The Fox Den Colombo, a new addition to the city dining and pub scene that’s ticking off all the right boxes from the get-go.

Dream Cake and Butter Drop

Growing up watching her mom bake at home, Chamika Dias Abayasinghe was inspired to start a business of her own. ’’I’ve done several baking courses and I wanted to try my hand at running a home-based baking business. Within a very short period of time, my products were popular and the positive feedback from my clients really motivated me. I aim to make specialty products that will exceed clients’ expectations’’.

The Purfect Baker

“To me, food can always be creative and flavourful,” opined Pathum Weerasinghe, the face behind The Purfect Baker. Having experimented with ingredients and standard recipes, the first lockdown period gave her enough time to try out new recipes and a menu of her own. Eventually, her hobby was transformed into a business, and today, the delicacies experimented by her, ranging from Keto to Vegan and Decadent options, are in demand.

SL Cake O’Clock

For home baker Shazra Zacky, the passion for baking started back in 2016 when she decided to try her hand at baking a cake for her son’s first birthday. “From there, it really encouraged me to try something different and out of the box and I loved the concept of cakes in a jar!”.

30/37 Countdown with Yeheli’s

Homebased food venture, Yeheli’s which began operations back in May 2020 during Sri Lanka’s lockdown due to the pandemic, has successfully grown bigger over the course of a year and has become popular for its food that is ‘home-cooked, like mum would’! Run by husband-and-wife duo, Nisha and Mooneil, Yeheli’s is inspired and named after their daughter Yeheli and is a venture that finds its roots in a family of foodies.

Kulfi Corner

Starting her business in 2020, Nafla Nazad has found a niche spot in the dessert market, Kulfi. Kulfi is an Indian dessert that is made out of fresh milk and sugars. Kulfi is still a new concept to many Sri Lankans here and it is mostly served at Indian restaurants. However, Nafla’s initiative to make it conveniently available for everyone has been successful as Kulfi Corner continues to gather new followers every day.

Crispy House: Fried Chicken at its Best!

When it comes to selecting a good restaurant to go and eat, the options are limitless. Whether it’s burgers, sushi, pasta or pizza there are so many options available. But have you ever got a craving for fried chicken? Where would you usually go? I have no doubt that your answer would be a multinational food chain.

SO Snacks

Uncommon in Sri Lankan cuisine, gluten-free snacks are often overlooked by the majority. Yet, with its health benefits and an introduction to a new lifestyle Onella Claire De Silva and Sachi Gamage have made a successful attempt in popularising gluten-free snacks with their brand ‘SO Snacks’.

High Tea & Us

Experimenting and whipping up baked goodies during the lockdown, Fathima Wahid was thrilled by the positive feedback from her friends and family and was encouraged to start her own home venture.

Posha Crunch: Homemade Snacks for your Toddler and Child

It’s universally agreed that one of the most important survival hacks for any parent with growing babies is having snacks on hand. Not only is it the easiest way to pacify your hangry (hungry + angry) little one in between mealtimes, healthy snacking is a big part of your child’s growth as a nutritious diet plays a huge role in their brain development.