Desserts have always been at the apex of gifting due to their wide appeal, and small businesses are now upping the ante, creating desserts that are visually stunning. Cocobox.lk is one such venture, with a wide array of strawberries, cakes and dessert enveloped in chocolate.
The Brown Girl Bakes began their operations in 2019, with Leann Eleena Jayawardena taking the reins of the home-based baking business. The 19-year-old home-baker is known for her DIY cookie kit collections inspired by a variety of themes, from the hit-game ‘Among Us’ to astronomy to ocean life.
A baker for many years, Shynaz Thajudeen has been in the baking business since 2015, having started her craft at the young age of 18. “It all started with a few leftover cuppies at home. The moment I had a bite, I wanted to try baking them myself and the business just grew from there!”.
Wedding photographers by profession, husband and wife duo Dinesh Wanigarathna and Ruwanthi Perera love their food as much as they love a good photo! While exploring different cuisines and foods is a passion they both share, desserts, in particular, has a special place in their hearts – reflected by their newly launched dessert venture ‘Artisan Diletto’.
t-Lounge by Dilmah has brought back their famous mochis – but this time, in the form of an eye-catching andcolourful assortment of six ice cream mochi flavours.
Contentious origins aside - Mexicans, Nicaraguans, and many others all claim it - Tres Leches is a beloved dessert with a wide appeal. Unlike your typical cake, it is perforated and soaked in three milks - evaporated, condensed, and whole - and topped with whipped cream, resulting in a decadent delight that is light, airy, and utterly delicious.
Mama Rana is on a mission – she wants you to eat well and she’s not shy about commanding you to! Her ‘Thank You’ note with every order has a gentle but stern maternal reminder on the side to ‘eat more greens’ and ‘wash your hands!’ in a tone not too far from what our own mamas would say. “I can’t wait to cook for you again” the card signs off, “Love, Mama Rana.”
Adding their own twist to the traditional roast paan meal, Ayana Sea started Roast Paan LK where they serve roast paan in various renditions, ranging from a typical Sri Lankan meal consisting of roast paan and curries to roast paan sandwiches.
Shahana Fazal’s journey to starting her own home business is a rather fascinating story. She was motivated by a social influencer who was impressed by her chocolate biscuit pudding and red velvet jars and her words of encouragement that Shahana can be both a homemaker and a businesswoman. “So I started Not Just JARS because I was empowered to create my own identity while doing something I love!”.
Created by the three Sahill siblings, Shimraz, Amaan and Shamara, Pot Colombo is a relatively new hotspot that began this year where they serve impeccable homemade gelato in a pot.
Sensing a niche in the market for Sri Lankan toffee suppliers and curated gift boxes, Jazmiya Jhan started Boxed Gesture. “We kept receiving the same butter cookie tins from visitors and that prompted me to think of alternative gift ideas as it’s a Sri Lankan tradition to take something along when you visit relatives and friends. I started Boxed Gesture to introduce Toffee Boxes with a simple tagline ‘Gift Boxed Gesture.
Café Kai, the premium gourmet baked delights division of Hilton Colombo, announced the launch of its Swiss Rolls in seven flavours; Strawberry, chocolate, banana and caramel, pineapple and coconut, red velvet, coffee and liqueurs. The month-long promotion kicks off on the 15th of September.
Located along the sandy beach right in front of De Alwis Place, Dehiwala, Pink Salt is one of the hottest new restaurants in Colombo. It is the dream venture of young entrepreneur Diarra Wickremasinghe, who is also the owner of the Home Bakery “Brown Sugar”.
This flavour and the authenticity of traditionally cooked meals was the inspiration behind ‘The Dara Lipa’, founded by Lahiru Karalliyadde and Gigen Suresh. Having attended Colombo International School, Kandy together since 2003 the two friends went their separate ways for higher education in the US.
The ugly duckling among swans, the Burnt Basque Cheesecake is a far cry from its delicate and visually appealing counterpart. A beautiful mess with no aesthetic appeal, this cheesecake is characterised by its iconic charred and irregular edges with a soft, creamy core devoid of the bottom layer crust.
We all love our side of fries. They go with everything. Most fast food restaurants serve them as sides but honestly, what if they weren’t just a side? What if we just put a big spotlight on why we order from all these takeout spots in the first place? Loaded Fries CMB - a new take out spot in Colombo is doing just that: Baked Potato Fries. Insane toppings.
Priya Theverapperuma – Perera’s love affair with food began at a very early age, influenced by her grandparents. While professionally following a career in hotel management abroad, she realized her real passion was in cooking and moving back to Sri Lanka she opted to start her own business in food.
Dumplings & Parathas is the newest food spot in Colombo focusing on introducing Chinese street food. A sister brand of the famous David’s Dangerously Delicious Char Siu, Dumplings & Parathas (D&P) is bringing yet another opportunity to indulge in delicious Chinese delicacy. Auntie Lily is the face behind D&P. Growing up in Mainland China, Auntie Lily’s fondest memories are of making dumplings from scratch on every special occasion.
A passionate food enthusiast, Tharanga Udawatte is always up for a challenge, constantly experimenting with ingredients and trying out new stuff. “I already started a Granola and healthy food page called Summer by T back in 2019 and when I wanted to start Donuts, I didn’t want to confuse my already existing clientele with sugar-based desserts so I started a deviated brand called Sweet Summer!”.
How do our food experts cook and eat? Food blogger, Kishagowry of My Sri Lankan Recipes takes our Q&A!
Nafla Niyas started her cake business with a passion for home baking. She started her business just a year ago, amidst the pandemic and she is currently managing her passion project alongside her studies. “I was always passionate about baking cakes and sharing with relatives and friends and for the longest time, I didn’t have any idea on how to run the business but with everyone’s positive response towards my baking and their encouragement, I sta
Sushi is probably the most well known Japanese food of all. The moment you mention Japanese cuisine, the first thing that pops into your head is undoubtedly Sushi. It’s such a loved, widely eaten, extremely delicious food, that there’s a lot of pressure on “Itamae” or Sushi Chefs to satisfy these high expectations!
Originating back to the late 1970s in Dallas, Texas “Chilli’s” features good ol’ American food! Offering a variety of Burgers, Fresh Mex, Chicken Crispers and Margaritas (as very prominently highlighted on their website) they do present a wide variety of American, Texan and Mexican food. Having officially launched in Sri Lanka on the 16th of August 2021 we decided to check out what one of America’s most famous Food Chains had to offer.
How do our food experts cook and eat? This week, the host of everyone’s go-to cooking YouTube Channel ‘Anoma’s Kitchen’, Anoma Wijetunga takes our Q&A!
The last time we visited Mongolian Street it was just offering takeaway. Dine-in facilities were barely sorted out. In just a few short months “Mongolian Street ‘’ has fully furnished their restaurant, made it into a cosy little cove that’s perfect for a quiet night out with friends or family and revamped their whole Mongolian experience.
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.
Takeout Lanka, a not so new addition to the game, has been working quietly on making a name for themselves - purely using word-of-mouth. Originally a fast-food franchise from Bangladesh, Takeout started off in Sri Lanka somewhere around 2019 and has since been perfecting their work to bring to the table what could possibly be deemed one of the best burgers in Sri Lanka.
Thanuja Kariyawasam worked in the corporate sector for almost 17 years before she decided to retire after her third born. Because she was always passionate about cooking and dreamed of one day opening her own cafe, Thanuja decided that she would start her own food business.
Magic Batter is the union of two things Nihara De Alwis loves the most: good food and creativity. A brand that has been making a name for itself since 2016, Nihara took the pandemic period to restructure her part-time business into a full-time commitment.
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