Paradise restaurant, in Soho, has designed a series of Sri Lankan-inspired autumnal dishes for October in a tasting menu, along with the launch of Paradies, a special Riesling wine made in collaboration with Modal Wines and Staffelter Hof.
New dishes on the food menu showcase Sri Lankan and British ingredients, such as the paneer and Hampshire Tunworth dessert, which comes as a cream, with a sweet pink guava jam, and a coconut roti crisp.
Kiri-hodi, a beloved Sri Lankan coconut milk gravy, is here served with seared hand-dived Orkney scallop and native lobster cooked with preserved wild garlic oil, accompanied by a coconut kiri-bath and quail’s egg hoppers to mop up the gravy at the end.
Isso roti is stuffed with a fiery coconut sambol and prawns, and cooked directly on charcoal to help puff up the dough.
While, Mas Curry, a traditional meat curry made with ex-dairy beef and a Kandyan-style sunflower seed curry, served alongside a southern-style turmeric and saffron dahl.
An off-menu Paan is also served before the mains as a take on a traditional bread and butter course. Made with British quinoa, the crisp, dumpling-style mouthful is accompanied by a whipped lime pickle butter for dipping.
Diners will end the meal on a sweet note with Mihiri – a peppermint, cinnamon and clove tea cream served with the Paradise house Nuwera-Eliya tea blend.
Paradise’s six-course menu, priced at £65, offers diners a two-hour experience, with the option to add a unique and thoughtful wine pairing for an additional £43 per person.
Guests can choose from ‘land’, ‘sea’, and vegetarian options for lunch and dinner.
Also launching in October is Paradise’s exclusive collaboration wine with Modal Wines. Paradies, a special Riesling, sourced from Germany’s Mosel region, and a collaboration between the restaurant and winemaker Staffelter Hof.
With notes of ripe pear, honeysuckle, and citrus, the wine’s bright acidity and gentle sweetness pairs well with the flavours used throughout the Paradise menu.
Bucking the convention of drinking a beer with spice, the wine will be available from the end of October, on the drinks list, pairing and for off-sales.
The new additions to the menu come courtesy of Paradise’s Founder & Creative Director, Dom Fernando, who has crafted an experience that honours his family’s own recipes while embracing Sri Lanka’s Portuguese, Malay, South Indian, and Dutch influences.
Born in London to Sri Lankan parents, Fernando spent his school holidays exploring Sri Lanka, where he was fascinated by the street food and his grandmother’s culinary prowess, both of which remain woven into the fabric of each Paradise dish.
Of the new dishes and drinks, Fernando said: “More than ever, I’m passionate about highlighting both British and Sri-Lankan ingredients – but with an eye on the future. I’m really keen to showcase our new brand of modern Sinhalese cuisine and beverage programme that blends authenticity and innovation with like minded producers. I think our new autumn menu shows how flavours can contrast and how produce can help bridge food cultures.”
The restaurant accommodates twenty-six guests with plush leather banquettes and handcrafted wooden chairs, while a stone countertop, seating up to six, anchors the room. This setup offers diners an intimate view of the kitchen and bar, echoing a traditional Wallawa—the residence of an aristocrat in historic Colombo.