Page 56 - Iconic Restaurateurs - The Entrepreneur Mag Ed. 3

Newsroom Round Up

When did you first realize you had a passion for our loyal guests are used to, so when I look at the guest reviews
culinary arts? and realize how happy they are with it, it gives my great pleasure.
During my school days, I was quite an active child. I wasn’t one for I would like to add that all those in this industry have a passion to
studies as I had a keen interest in rugby. As I grew older, I realized perfect things, while understanding what the customer really wants.
Ashan realized that this is an enjoyable profession and I soon developed What challenges do you face working in the kitchen
If you do not understand your customer, you will not succeed.
that I did not want to have a desk job. Later on, I was presented
with the opportunity to go to hotel school. During my time there I
environment?
an interest for it. I was also lucky to have some great leaders who
Sourcing quality ingredients is always a challenge. One day we
passed on their skills and values; I learned a lot from them, and I
might receive the most perfect batch of tomatoes, but the next batch
remain grateful.
will be of inferior quality. Clearly, there is a lack of consistency and
Liyanage why? cost. The other challenge is keeping your staff happy. If someone
What are some of your signature ingredients and
because of this we to look at imported items which reflect on our
isn’t content, it is ultimately reflected in the final product.
I prefer to extract the natural flavors of ingredients. When you look
at our menus, you’ll realize that they are quite simple. When you
What sets chefs of Sri Lankan origin apart from the
taste our dishes, you would never second guess what is on your
rest?
plate for we highlight the main flavors. We don’t use artificial flavors
Sri Lankan have had to work their way up. Unlike in the west, there
here at The Kingsbury, everything is natural. Even our garnishes are
is hardly any encouragement and motivation to succeed in this field.
also very simple; we do not use anything that does not add value to
Still for all, we have the passion and we are proud to be Sri Lankan
this dish. Everything must complement each element.
Chefs. We’ve come up the hard way and we know what it feels like
Tell us about the most pleasurable aspect of your job to down, so we really do appreciate the feeling of success. Overall,
Executive Chef, The Kingsbury I have the opportunity to see our team succeed. Over the last six Sri Lanka is a proud nation of many great chefs who have made
their mark, both locally and internationally
months, The Kingsbury underwent a refreshment in terms of its
dining establishments. As a team, we were able to carry out this
change on time. These refreshments are much different to what

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