Anyone who has lived in the Mount Lavinia area, or Colombo for that matter, has known the almost palatial monument known as the Mount Lavinia Hotel to be a place of grandeur. It has also over the years made quite a name for its food - local delicacies with their own little twist.
It goes without saying that rice is the staple food in Sri Lanka. But did you know that countless other countries across the world have their own take on rice? I didn’t know this, and seeing the colourful presentation of 8 different rice-based dishes as I sat at Graze Kitchen at the Hilton, blew my mind!
As someone who generally prefers savoury over sweet, there are a select few desserts I truly enjoy and crave. To possibly no one’s surprise, the sensuously decadent cheesecake ranks among the top contenders. But despite my love for it, I typically give it a hard pass because somehow, in the process of being made, most cheesecakes end up lost in translation.
Ashendri Amaratunge’s home baking business kicked off in early 2021 with a little inspiration from her family and friends. “When my sister came back to Sri Lanka from the US, she kept asking me to make her a key lime pie as she wanted me to recreate the one, she had at the Farmer’s Market back in San Francisco. It ended up being an absolute hit with her, which then pushed me to perfect my recipe and share it with my family and friends...’’
Filling a much-needed void for authentic Indonesian cuisine in Colombo’s culinary landscape, Chef Farida Gultom and Alec Van Cuylemberg have launched Bali Bali CMB.
It has indeed been a while since any of us have had a chance to step inside any of the fine dining spots in Colombo. Since working from home became a staple in the Lankan corporate lifestyle, it has become increasingly easy to find some time to indulge in a few fine foods with very few ways of doing so, given the ongoing situation.
Sashini Azmeera Perera was always interested in baking as a child. After completing her A-Levels, she studied a course on the fundamentals of baking and continued further by studying industrial baking. “I owned many recipe books for various baked goods and I used every charity bake sale held at school as an opportunity to bake something myself’’.
Tania Tahang started her home baking business ‘Cravings Cakery’ 5 years ago. “I always used to crave sweets thanks to my sweet tooth so naturally, Cravings Cakery seemed like the natural choice!”.
Avid cupcake fanatic, Hafsa Shafraz, never thought she’d enjoy making the cupcakes she has always loved to eat. But with a lockdown and nothing but time, she found a talent for baking and wasted no time starting her own home business.
How do our food experts cook and eat? Home baker and amateur food photographer Amal of @thunapahadiaries takes our Q&A!
As their apt moniker implies, the Stranded Chefs, husband and wife duo, Buddhika Marasinghe and Padmini Nagalingam who combine their skills as a baker /chef were all set to return to Australia when the third wave of the pandemic wreaked havoc on their plans.
Chamindri de Fonseka, fondly known as ‘Chums’ with friends and family, was working as a graphic designer doing branding and packaging through her boutique design firm. Trying her hand at baking during the first lockdown and happy with the success of her goodies, she decided to start her own home baking business.
Cake Vault by Shehani Perera was a lockdown project that kicked off in June 2020. Having been fond of cooking and baking since she was small, she has perfected her craft following baking courses done by Mrs Tiffany Shereen of SweetFixbyTiffany. “Once I completed the baking course, I wasn’t planning on starting a home baking business. But once the first lockdown was imposed, I was left with a lot of free time in my hands...’’
Today I was tagged on an interesting page run by twins and I must say they are cute and the food tastes amazing. These two boys speak the language of love and only positivity and humbleness you see in them. I was so happy I was able to spend my afternoon with them, not only trying their amazing food, but also coming to know how their challenging life has inspired them to achieve their dreams. Meet Sudesh and Thilina.
At a very young age, Pawani Attanayake learnt to love the art of cakes. “I’ve always loved eating cake! And very often it was homemade. To date, I cherish my childhood memories of helping my mom bake and decorate cakes for almost every family occasion.”
Pawani Neligama has been a baker since she was 10 – starting off a fledgeling side business as a sous chef to her mother (whisking eggs and licking off batter) before experimenting on her own with recipes from Nigella Lawson and Matt Preston in a grand make-believe cooking show.
A small tea kiosk down Marine Drive has been the talk of the town as of late. Serving spice-infused tea, better known as Chai, Chaiwala Colombo is the latest example to be added to the list of entrepreneurial ventures in the face of the pandemic.
Trying any type of new food is a challenge I accept with glee. Therefore when I was tasked with reviewing Bacon Jam by Anjo’s I took to the task like a duck to water. I mean, who does not love bacon!
Lubna Imtizam has always had a passion for baking and whipping up quick desserts. “Two of my favourite hobbies include baking and decorating, so my aim was to create a curated dessert box that combines the two. I’m very particular about creating something unorthodox and aesthetically pleasing. Beauty lies in all of the little details and I would like to showcase that through my dessert box!”.
Chinese cuisine is easily one of Sri Lanka’s favourite international cuisines to hit the gastronomy scene and making a distinct mark among the many Chinese restaurants in the market is Mong Kok Chinese at Level 5, One Galle Face Mall. Mong Kok Chinese began operations in November 2019 as one of first Chinese restaurants to open at Sri Lanka’s largest shopping mall.
The 3 Brothers Italian Bistro is located in the heart of Park Road, one of the busiest streets in Colombo. They serve authentic Italian dishes unlike any other restaurant in Colombo. You can hang out with a friend sipping on some wine enjoying one of their cheese platters or go all out on pasta, pizza, bruschetta and many other truly Italian dishes they offer.
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.
The Kingsbury Colombo, known as one of the city’s most indulgent dining destinations, unveiled its newest culinary venture, the ‘Tenku’ Japanese restaurant, at the Hotel’s rooftop. With internationally experienced Japanese Master Chef Toshiyuki Okabe at the helm, the restaurant promises a wide range of authentic dishes and beverages not currently available in Colombo, including the largest collection of Sakes in the city.
Lalanee Perera is an incredible multitasker. She is the Chairperson of Qwest Destinations (Pvt) Ltd, one of Sri Lanka’s leading destination travel and tour companies, and is more impressively, a successful home-baker of 35 years with an unwavering clientele and good word-of-mouth.
The wood-fired pizzas at Pizza Factory, the newest pizza dining experience in Colombo are edible works of art. Finished to perfection with thin and crusty textures and a hint of smokiness, the team of culinary experts working behind the scenes at Pizza Factory are dedicated to providing customers with a one-of-a-kind authentic Italian wood-fired pizza experience.
It is that time of the year to savour some oily kavum and crispy kokis. But have you ever thought traditional Sri Lankan sweets would also be an attractive gifting option? This is why Athi Rasa was founded so that customers would have the option of selecting an assortment of premium, traditional Sri Lankan sweets for any occasion. Made with authentic ingredients and a lot of love, the traditional sweets also come in attractive gift boxes.
Cutting through the noise of the increasing gastronomy affair in Colombo, beyond the fusion cafes and the fine dining restaurants – Puff by Joe offers a warm homecooked meal that’s a much-needed addition to the food scene in the city. Puff by Joe is a partnership by long-time friends Oshi Jayatilake and Joe Amirthalingam.
Banker by profession, baker by passion – BakerBanker101 is the creation of banker Tammy Fernando and her husband Shehan Fernando. “I am a baker by heart and a full-time banker by profession and 101 stands for the basic rules of baking or the basic rule of thumb in baking a.k.a 101! The brand represents not just one but two completely different career paths that I have chosen to take on”.
What started out as a home experiment of making homemade peanut butter inspired Kavindi Emmanuel to start her own business along the same lines. “I’m a huge fan of peanut butter but store-bought ones are pretty expensive in Sri Lanka and they contain preservatives. During the 1st Covid lockdown period while I was working from home, I wanted to do something related to cooking because I enjoy cooking’’.
Brew 1867 by Dilmah is one of my favourite cafes ever! They already have three outlets at Nawam Mawatha, Flower Road and WTC. They just opened up their fourth outlet in Fort, inside the Hatch Building. I’m an almost daily customer at Brew WTC and have been longing for an opportunity to do a review.
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