Rishi of Kotuwa fame in Singapore adds his flavours to Smoke and Bitters
Above the sandy shores and the tapestries of trees making up the lush countryside that surrounds Hiriketiya’s Pehembiya beach, you get the delightful aroma of local flavours and spices mixed with the salty air that engulfs the borders of Smoke & Bitters. The popular restaurant that has the distinction of being the only Sri Lankan bar featured in the Top 50 Asia list in both 2022 and 2023, is known for collaborating with many culinary experts over the past few years.
On January 13, Smoke and Bitters with the partnership of Singapore Airlines, was proud to host a pop-up by Chef Rishi Naleendra, well known for his Sri Lankan restaurant Kotuwa in Singapore. Begun during COVID, Rishi, the first Sri Lankan chef to be awarded two Michelin Stars, is renowned for his expertise in experimenting and creating blends of global cuisines with Lankan flavours.
The talented chef has come a long way since establishing his first restaurant, “Cheek by Jowl”, where he received his first Michelin star. Closing its doors after a triumphant run, he founded “Cloudstreet” based in Singapore. Currently having acquired two Michelin Stars, and starred on Asia’s 50 Best for the last three years, Rishi has also opened a wine bar there called “Fool” that serves casual wines and complementary dishes. This collaboration with Smoke and Bitters was undoubtedly another successful night to showcase his skills.
“Rishi is the only Sri Lankan chef with an accolade of that standard,” says Don Ranasinghe, co-owner of Smokes & Bitters. “It is great to have an opportunity to facilitate this kind of thing where we can bring in someone like him. It inspires the next wave of people in the field. We’ve been lucky and fortunate with our chances to have the avenues and opportunities that we had; go abroad, go places, meet people, take our food from the island to the world and bring more people to Sri Lanka.”
Rishi expresses that it always feels good to be at home and cook with a local team. “This event has been an amazing experience for me as well,” he says. “Smoke & Bitters worked really hard to make it a success, and that is translating into the food and experience tonight.”
“Black Pepper Prawns”, “Coconut Flatbread”, “Smoked Poricha Duck” were on the menu of ten items; essentially a seafood mix accompanied with local essentials as well as elements from Singaporean dishes. The dishes had an artistic touch in their presentation and tasted just as sumptuous as they looked.
Featured too were a combination of beverages from both Kotuwa and Smoke & Bitters. Interestingly the drinks under Kotuwa created by Ashaka Harith were named after beloved Baila songs, “Oye Ojaye (white rum, Campari, pineapple) “Nurse Nona (Tequilla, Amaro, Buffalo curd, Kithul), “Kandy Lamissi” and “Sumihiri Paney”, embodying the Lankan spirit.
From Smoke & Bitters came the full gamut of local ingredients, such as the “S&B No. 23” comprising Tequila, Naarang, falernum, passion liqueur, Ceylon and kaffir bitters and mezical spray. “Bitters to cocktails is like what
salt is to food. It’s a very concentrated extraction of flavours – botanicals, florals, herbs, citrus elements along with bittering agents. We have many here along the ayurvedic spectrum of things,” explained Don who has specialized in the field for most of his culinary journey. Starting work from the young age of 17, he came to realize that ingredients needed for exemplary cocktails could all be found on the island. “The cocktail culture here unfortunately relies on imports. It’s crazy that we don’t realize how much we have.’
Lahiru Perera, co-owner of the restaurant also expresses that it was after he went abroad that he realized how much Lanka had to offer the world. “I’ve always had a passion for cooking with wood fire and the smoky elements it brings out in food.” Smoke & Bitters has brought down its own custom-made smoker, he adds, The clay pots, wood fire and intricacies that came with roasting food were all a reflection of his childhood home. “For me, and for us – it was about going back to the roots.”
Smoke & Bitters will be featured at the Galle Literary Festival happening this week from January 25-28 where they showcase their cocktails at a screening of a Geoffrey Bawa documentary. They will also be in a panel discussion, ‘The rise of Sri Lankan food in the global scene’ at the Galle Fort Hotel on January 25, with Tom Parker Bowles, British food writer and critic, whom they would also be presenting their dishes to.