Here at BIRD, we’re firm believers that the best way to experience a country is to eat your way around it. From Portuguese pastel de nata to Ecuadorian locro, you’ll often find us planning our travels around our taste buds.
Over the years, Sri Lanka has cemented its place as one of our very favourite foodie hotspots. In spite of its relatively small size, the verdant island nation has a spectacularly diverse cuisine: king coconuts plucked fresh from the palm on Wijaya beach, roadside snacks of spice-flecked vada fritters, and fresh and fiery fish curries made with the best of the day’s catch. Heaven.
This month, we’re hugely excited to announce that one of our favourite chefs — Resplendent Ceylon’s very own Susantha Medagedara — will be bringing the vibrant flavours of Sri Lanka to London, as he takes the reins at Marylebone’s Carousel restaurant from 24 April – 5 May.
Pushing the boundaries of traditional local cuisine, the modern Sri Lankan menu will go beyond the much-loved staples of creamy parippou dhal and crispy egg-filled hoppers, to showcase the region’s unique flavours. The five-course tasting menu will include signature dishes such as grilled and devilled chicken, balancing the heat of banana peppers with cooling curd, flamed kiri hodi langoustines with kohlrabi puree, and spiced rampe snapper in a fragrant turmeric-pandan broth, served with fresh coconut pol sambol…
*Looks dismayfully at packed lunch*
Given the country’s 150-year history of tea-making, no Sri Lankan dining experience would be complete without a cup of Ceylon’s finest, and Susantha’s menu is no exception. Working with sister brand Dilmah, Sri Lanka’s foremost tea company, Carousel’s guests will enjoy a light and golden brew of single-origin Ranwatta tea to round off their meal, with tea-infused elements also reflected throughout the menu: Ceylon tea ice cream with chocolate marie, anyone?
Mouth watering? Us too. If you get a move on, you can still grab tickets for Susantha’s residency on the Carousel website — but be quick, it’s sure to be a sell-out!
Susantha Medagedara at Carousel, 24 April-5 May 2018: the five-course set menu will be served nightly from Tuesday to Saturday and priced at £39.50 per person. To book, visit www.carousel-london.com
