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.
One of the long-standing restaurants in the Galle Face area, Navratna - Taj Samudra’s traditional Indian restaurant serves up traditional Mughal cuisine and is possibly one of the very few places which pride itself on the authenticity of it all.
As someone who loves meat, I have never actively sought vegan food. But glancing through the PowerCrunch Granola website tempted me into giving it a try. A venture that resulted from a bet with her husband, Sabira Deen started off with granola before gradually expanding her products as more and more requests came in.
Fresh out of school, Poojani Rathnayke knew nothing about cakes or baking but a work opportunity with a talented home baker only grew her passion for it. She learnt the basics and the techniques from scratch and began her business Sugar Blossoms in 2019. “My first work experience allowed me to have a growing passion for baking that is what started my journey as a home baker.’’
Galadari’s official bakery/pastry shop Cafe 64 needs no introduction. It’s already an immensely popular spot among food lovers in Colombo. The quality of the food, the service and better still the setting is one of the best you will find. Their latest promotion, however, is a tad different from what they usually offer and it came as quite a pleasant surprise.
A cure for every Friday night out that makes you just want to laze around the next morning, the folks down at Graze Kitchen - a name synonymous with the Hilton Colombo itself, have come up with a great way of spending your Saturday: All. Day. Breakfast. This weekly event aims to feed the hungry stomachs that go out for a very hectic Friday night and just want some wholesome food without having to wake up before 10 AM.
Located down Chitra Lane Colombo 05 “Mongolian Street” by Shevon is an innovative street food restaurant that allows you to experience the wonders of authentic Asian Fusion Cuisine. With a vast selection of Mongolian street food and a touch of magical Sri Lankan flavour, Mongolian Street is the ideal place to satisfy your fusion food cravings.
How do our food experts cook and eat? Dheeshana of Sri Lanka’s first meat-free boutique hotel Theva Residency takes our Q&A!
Dinushka Jayawickreme started Bola’s Bakeshop back in 2018 and successfully manoeuvred her home business during the turbulent times of lockdown last year. “Bola’s Bakeshop takes after my nickname – Bola. Most people don’t even know my actual name so it seemed like a good way to own it by naming my home business after it!”.
Run by mom and daughter duo, Ramani and Shavindri Attygalla, The Ceylon Baker is a brand created to highlight the synergy between the two.
Catering to our perennial love for chicken is Burning Bird, the newest entrant into Sri Lanka’s burgeoning food culture. A cloud kitchen - meaning that they only operate via deliveries and have no sit-down service - BB has wings, starters, sides, and even family platters for you to pick from!
Filling up the time baking during the lockdown, Senali Dioni Pathirane started her home business towards the very end of the quarantine period. “I have been incredibly passionate about baking since the start, I was always in the kitchen whipping something up, of course - there were many trial and error moments and unfortunately it was my family who got caught to taste all the cooking fails as well as the ones that were successful’’.
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