This week, we meet Cynthia Shanmugalingam, the founder of Sri Lankan Tamil restaurant Rambutan in London’s Borough Market to find out how she brings her memories and voice to the kitchen. Also in the programme, Monocle’s Petri Burtsoff takes to the streets of Helsinki to sample some of the city’s best culinary offerings and we sit down with Amayès Aouli, the head of Wine and Spirits at Bonhams auction house. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Hello and welcome to the menu Monocle Radio's food and drink program.
I'm your host, Chiara Rimela.
Coming up, we unpack the importance of using your voice in the kitchen with founder of London Tamil restaurant Rambutan.
I feel like as long as Sri Lankan people or any group has a voice in their own cuisine, that's wonderful.
And then if everyone else wants to jump in and get on board and reinterpret it, it will only only take the cuisine forward.
Also on the program, Petri Burzov takes us on a culinary walking tour of Helsinki.
Each dish is literally a work of art and prepared in cooperation with local artists whose artworks form an integral part of the dining experience.
Plus, we find out what makes a wine worthy of being auctioned with Bonham's head of wine and spirits.
All that here in a menu on Monocle Radio.
When looking to find authentic global cuisine in a city, it is safe to say that London has some of the best offerings.
From small holes in the walls serving up West African fare to the abundance of dependable Sichuan outposts in central Chinatown, cuisine from almost every culture can be found here.
One taste that has become increasingly popular in the UK capital is Sri Lankan food.
However, the market is often dominated by larger chain restaurants or places that combine other similar but not quite the same South Asian cuisines.
This misses the importance of a chef cherishing their native dishes and telling personal stories through cooking.
That's why Cynthia Shanmugalingam decided to open her restaurant Rambutan in Barra Market last year.
The seasonal menu is inspired by her childhood memories of visits to her Tamil grandparents in the north of the country.
Through her highly personal and flavor packed menu, Rambutan represents the rustic Sri Lankan cookery she experienced post civil war and allows her to take pride in her heritage.
I sat down with Cynthia to learn more about her approach to cooking Tamil cuisine and started by asking her about how her journey to opening Rambutan began.
I guess this sort of journey started for me when I've always loved food and like come from a big Asian family.
We all like are obsessed with food.