Chef Lanka is one of the first Sri Lankan restaurants in Dubai to provide authentic Sri Lankan cuisine. Don Channa Munasinghe, Director of Chef Lanka, tells us more about the restaurant’s humble beginnings and how it has made a mark for itself.
How did Chef Lanka come about?
The restaurant was set up in 2000 by a young family, whose dream always was to open a restaurant. Having put together enough money from their jobs and savings, they started out small — it was a risk but it paid off. The main lady behind the operations is Chandrika Munasinghe. She is supported by her husband, Patrick Munasinghe, who takes care of fresh produce and meat. We have three branches in the UAE. The main branch is in Karama and the other two are in Al Quoz and Al Nahda.
What are Chef Lanka’s specialities?
We serve traditional Sri Lankan and Chinese fusion food in our restaurants. We specialise in delicious rice and curry meals with different Sri Lankan vegetables every day. We also serve a tasty koththu parata (a dish made from roti, vegetables, egg and/or meat, and spices), which is loved by all our customers.
Who are your main customers?
We are very popular among Sri Lankans. About 80 per cent of our customers are from the country.
We have been seeing an increase in the number of customers from other countries too. We have a lot of Indian diners who love our spices.
We would encourage people from all around the world to come and try our authentic Sri Lankan cuisine. It’s like comfort food, which makes you feel good at any time of the day.
What sets Chef Lanka apart from the other Sri Lankan restaurants?
Chef Lanka specialises in serving the best authentic Sri Lankan cuisine. We have proved ourselves and have been doing it for the past 19 years.
