Sri Lanka with Sanath Jayasuriya & Harin Fernando!
It was last year that the Sri Lankan Minister for Tourism, Land and Sports Mr. Harin Fernando and cricketing legend Sanath Jayasuriya came to Kochi for an event.
We spoke about how Kerala Cuisine and Sri Lankan Cuisine have a lot in common. I told him that I worked at Hoppers, one of UK’s best Sri Lankan Restaurants, and about making Pol Sambol, Kiri Hodi and Kalupol Roasted Chicken for a good part of my early career.
As we were parting ways, he invited me to Sri Lanka and mentioned in passing that I should probably open a restaurant in Columbo. We left it that but stayed in touch with regular updates over Instagram.
About a week ago, the stars aligned and I was finally able to travel to Sri Lanka.
We managed to catch up, and they took me to dinner – and while I had thought their proposal of opening a restaurant in Sri Lanka to be a passing remark, I soon realised they were pretty serious about it.
The thing about Sri Lankan cuisine is that it’s very adjacent to Kerala Cuisine – maybe a bit more spicier and I had always wanted to experiment with it. By the time I came back, I had a project proposed in this beautiful country!
What struck me the most was how passionate they were about their roots. Mr. Harin in that regard, is an absolute visionary with his plans for Sri Lankan Tourism and the people of his country.
On my flight back, I realised how lucky I was to be where I am today. I mean, how else would I explain being in the same room, let alone spending days with a Sri Lankan Central Minister and a Cricketing Legend – if not for our shared passion for food!?
Once again – thank you so much @harinfernando and @sanath_jayasuriya for your warmth, and hospitality and for hosting me at your house – especially the cooking sessions. The SL jerseys will be cherished for a long time. Can’t wait to explore more of your country and cuisine, and to serve some good food to the wonderful people of Sri Lanka!
Keep spreading happiness!
– Chef Pillai.