Banana Leaf Restaurant - Sri Lankan Fusion

Owner & Founder

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Born in 1971, I grew up in Colombo, Sri Lanka. I moved to London, U.K at the age of 16 years.

After my father died, my mom sends me to London for studies and I worked in restaurants to pay my college fees.

I worked for an Indian Restaurant named “Rickshaws” in the heart of London.

I first started as a Waiter, then a Bartender and then as a trainee cook before becoming a chef in restaurants. Every Night after the restaurant was closed at 2.00 AM, I go to the kitchen and learn how to cook by the Main Chef.

It was then that I realized I needed to expand my passion and desire for cooking.

I studied Automobile Engineering in U.K. Then came to the United States in 1994 and studied Business & Marketing.

1999 I went to Alberta, Canada to study Computer Networking. Never thought I will get back to cooking.

I am an ambitious, confident, enthusiastic, friendly, honest and organized person. My strengths are always saying ‘yes’ and going out of my way to help, leading a systematic life, a good planner, building family cohesiveness and infinite patience. My weaknesses are unfortunately my inability to say ‘no’, wanting everything to be absolutely perfect and getting carried away by people.

I think cooking was a hidden talent in me. Most of the time friends appreciating my cooking made me ponder over the possibility of taking it up as my profession

To me, food is life. I will cook and serve through life as long as the Almighty gives me strength. Creativity in cooking for me is presentation of food in its simplest form and garnishing it. If people applaud it, then I think the purpose is achieved. Cleanliness in cooking is also creative work.

Cooking with love is my passion. It helps me keep busy and connects me to the best of people. Through cooking, one also gets opportunities to learn by venturing into new territories, which motivates me further.

Passion: A great chef has to be passionate about food and cooking. They have to genuinely enjoy the whole process of procuring, preparing, cooking and serving food and have to be able to design menus too. Stamina: An essential quality of a true chef is stamina.