A Day on the Line with Chef Dom Fernando at Paradise, London

Reimagining Sri Lankan Cuisine

• 💡 Chef Dom Fernando, founder of Paradise in London, aims to elevate traditional Sri Lankan food beyond curries and pulses.
• 🎯 Paradise is noted as potentially the only restaurant globally offering a Sri Lankan tasting menu.
• 🚀 Fernando transitioned from accounting to pursue his passion for cooking, infusing Sri Lankan dishes with British influences.

Crafting Unique Dishes

• 🥐 The Kimbula Banis, a savory take on a sweet dish, is inspired by cheese toasties with a Sri Lankan twist of green chili custard.
• 🥣 Making Kimbula Banis involves soaking stale croissants in a rich custard made from milk, cream, egg yolks, and unique Sri Lankan spices.
• 🦞 For the lobster ciri, native lobsters from Scotland or England are used, with shells crushed to create a rich, flavorful broth.
• 🌿 Aromatic ingredients like Sri Lankan cinnamon, cardamom, fenugreek, curry leaves, and pandan leaf are toasted and incorporated to build authentic flavors.

Restaurant Operations and Philosophy

• 📈 Fernando actively monitors restaurant performance, including cover bookings and food/drink costs, to ensure profitability.
• 🍽️ Transitioning to a tasting menu has significantly improved forecasting and reduced food waste, which is critical for tight margins in the food business.
• 🗣️ A recent four-out-of-five review from The Standard's critic is being leveraged to increase bookings and momentum.
• 🔥 The kitchen utilizes a wood-fired grill with cinnamon, mango wood, and coconut husk for unique smoky flavors, cooking items like prawns and retired dairy sirloin steak.

Service and Dedication

• 🧑‍🍳 During service, Fernando takes on the role of expediter on the pass, ensuring dishes are plated and served efficiently.
• ⚠️ The team emphasizes staying calm and in control, even when facing challenges like late deliveries, highlighting the need for tough skin in the restaurant industry.
• 🌟 Service is described as "go time" or "showtime," requiring readiness and execution regardless of obstacles.