Nihonbashi : The Tale of Inspired Fine Japanese Cuisine in the Heart of Colombo

 Dharshan Munidasa; a chef with great passion

Dharshan Munidasa is the founder owner of Nihonbashi, an exclusive chain of restaurants of Japanese cuisine, located in the heart of  Colombo.

 Born in Tokyo and having lived his earliest years in Japan, his passion for Japan and its exquisite culinary delights was an early addiction, stemming from his love for eating which transforms well to his love for getting the dish prepared. 

 A past student of St. Joseph’s College, Sri Lanka, Dharshan did his higher studies in Computer Engineering and International Relations at The John Hopkins University, USA. However his hunger for food led him to later seek a career that became his lifeline. 

 His earliest experiment in cooking was watching his mother and Japanese aunts cook. As a young, independent student in the new world, cooking for himself became a necessity as he could not handle commercial cafeteria food. Furthermore, as a student, he states that he was inspired by the dishes at restaurants and strived to recreate them, himself.

 Returning to Sri Lanka in 1994, following the sad demise of his father, Dharshan wanted something new, original, and that could simply satisfy his hunger. Looking around, he decided that restaurants and fine cuisine would be his calling.

Nihonbashi builds a culinary bridge to the land of cherry blossoms  

 The heritage and the love for pure Japanese culinary fare motivated the 24 year old Dharshan, who had never ‘learned’ cooking, to open Nihonbashi on the 28^th June 1995, which has now become the most sought after culinary bridge to the land of cherry blossoms bringing the allure, flavor and culture to Sri Lanka. “All I ever did was watch, observe, and experiment!” he says about his bold step in to the world of restaurants.

After opening Nihonbashi he spent a lot of time in Tsukiji looking for seasonal seafood where he absorbed the finer knowledge of the ingredients from vendors.  “Japan has the largest fish market in the world. I used to spend hours there, talking to the vendors. I learned a lot from them, who in their turn were extremely friendly and patient with me!”. 

 Dharshan’s vision became his mission and despite many challenges, in 2001 the smallest Nihonbashi outlet was opened at ODEL, Alexander place, with the Sushi Bar taking Japanese cuisine to an entire new target group. 2002 was another remarkable year with the opening of Nihonbashi at Hilton Colombo Residence (HCR) specialising in Tempura. 

Nihonbashi at ODEL

Nihonbashi at Hilton Colombo Residence

Nihonbashi open doors for Dharshan to go international

According to Dharshan, Japanese food is not something that you eat to satisfy your hunger but an experience for all senses.

His steady rise in the local cooking world has seen him jet to exotic locations, presenting some of the finest Japanese fusion cuisine in Sri Lanka and to VVIP’s across the globe. The authenticity of Nihonbashi food, the depth of experience, the width of knowledge and more importantly Dharshan's commitment and contribution to Japanese cuisine has enabled him to visit four of the top ten resorts of Maldives as a Special Guest Chef to prepare special dinners, consultation, staff training, and create menu concepts. 

The Conrad in the Maldives, uses menus made by him since 2003 and continuous upgrading of the menu to keep up with the clientele was done in 2007 and 2009. Dharshan has been a guest chef 4 times at Huvafenfushi and cooked at Soneva Gili and Soneva Fushi and have consulted at the Four Seasons.

Dharshan’s Japanese food in the world of wine

 Dharshan is also a great connoisseur of wine, and a genius in matching dishes with the correct vintage, flavor and body. Soneva Fushi and Soneva Gili both from the Six Senses Group and Huvanfenfushi were specific Japanese wine degustation menu destinations to this traveling chef inviting him to serve their many discerning guests with a flair for epicurean adventures !

At Nihonbashi perfection knows no boundaries

A  meal at Nihonbashi is for those who can truly appreciate the diversity of cuisine and who truly love the sheer pleasure of a multitude of flavours on the palette. From gently flowing fountains and scene rock gardens which take to a place of Zen like tranquility, to tantalizing aromas that fill ones senses as you enter the minimalistic ambiance, making a trip to Nihonbashi gives the experience and the elements of a great restaurant. 

 Nihonbashi is one rare Japanese restaurant that offers a wide range of Japanese food under one roof with scrumptious menus containing over 250 items with over 95% cooked dishes, each created with perfection in mind. Some of the dishes such as Tsukume Nabe, are exotic even in a Japanese context. Set courses and dinner menus comprise of a minimum of six dishes and goes up to eighteen.  

Looking back at the many things which can be done -possibly at Nihonbashi, the team led by Dharshan who is the youngest member of the Chaine Des Rotisseurs, hosted a group of members of Confierie De La Chaine Des Rotisseurs to an 18 course meal which comprised of 25 dishes each utilizing 600 plates for just 24 guests !!!

Dharshan’s philosophy is to involve his team in everything and many members in the staff are embedded with virtues of Japan in them. From empowering them to make decisions, taking selected staff to Japan, having a 1:1 staff knife ratio are unique aspects of Nihonbashi when compared to other restaurants in Sri Lanka.

 Good food according to Dharshan is not merely talent, but also the combination of the best ingredients. Most of the ingredients at Nihonbashi are fresh and the least damaging to the environment when considering food miles. Nihonbashi is one of the few Japanese restaurants in the world, to purchase Tuna whole. 

Dharshan is committed in bringing the best of Japan to Sri Lanka and has introduced hard wood charcoal to add an authentic flavor to dishes such as Chicken Teriyaki. He even combines trademark Sri Lankan elements with Japanese techniques making Nihonbashi signature dishes which has won him praise. 

Out of the many signature dishes at Nihonbashi, the Kapapincha Tempura is the Sri Lankan traditional curry leaf fried in Tempura style, another combination of sashimi which is “yet-to-be-named”, is a raw fish dish out of fresh sea bream and lime. Maguro Carpaccio which is another popular signature dish is conceived to be drunk with champagne.

Karapincha Tempura

The Yet-to-be-named Sashimi

Maguro Carpaccio

“The food got better, menus expanded and something new is always added to keep with the times” said Dharshan as he always strives for service innovation and evolution at Nihonbashi.

Among the private dining rooms at Nihonbashi’s flagship restaurant, with some designed in the Horigotatsu style, the Wine Room has grabbed the attention of almost every customer who patronage. The Wine Room is one of Dharshan’s sole creations where the world of Japanese cuisine intersects the world of wine with its roots of Japanese design elements blended with modern materials. 

 

In November 2008, Nihonbashi cut down on the use of plastic within the restaurant by 70% by introducing the concept of water in a carafe as part of Dharshan’s good environmental practices.

 

Nihonbashi break new ground in Colombo’s fine dining business in keeping with the innovative approach   

Dharshan has always tried to keep Nihonbashi ahead of the curve when it comes to restaurant design, creativity in food, and bringing to diners the cultural and gastronomic appeal of Japanese cuisine.

 

Following the recent launch of Apple iPad’s Nihonbashi became the first restaurant in the world to introduce IPad menus adding another remarkable step for Nihonbashi’s success story. 

Today's special on iPad

Dharshan himself is always around to meet the guests and talk to them on the food as well as the choice of wines, especially selected by him to compliment the cuisine. Building on his overall experience in creating and managing the sleek, modern brand of Nihonbashi over the past 15 years, which has developed a strong following, has built himself not only a solid reputation but a pretty little empire in Colombo’s restaurant industry in the process. 

In line with this colourful celebration, Nihonbashi presented the most exquisite Tuna sashimi dish named as “Ruby Ruby Sashimi” worth fifty-six thousand US dollars [around 5 million yen] with rubies of the ocean and star rubies of the mountains. 

Ruby Ruby Sashimi US $ 56,000 /=

  

Dharshan embarks on another new culinary journey

Back in February 2009, the British celebrity Chef Rick Stein filmed the opening sequence on Sri Lanka in his TV series “Far Eastern Odessey” with Dharshan in Negombo. This gave the initial thoughts to Dharshan to start another new exciting journey in his life.  

Today, Dharshan is the co-producer and host of the newest taste and lifestyle TV programme “Culinary Journeys with Dharshan” taking the local viewers a step forward beyond an ordinary culinary experience, to places far and wide in search of the secrets of divine cuisine. Through this new journey he hopes to increase the awareness and appreciation of authentic Japanese cooking locally by dispellinghis vast culinary knowledge.           

       

“Sri Lanka has such a wealth of fresh seafood, a bounty left untouched. Few people are aware and fewer taken use. It is amazing to see the demand our seafood commands in countries such as Singapore, he said. I find Sri Lankan cookery shows very traditional. I want to give people a difference, show Sri Lankans a Sri Lanka they have not seen”.    

The Journey of Inspired Fine Japanese Cuisine to Be Continued…….

Nihonbashi Restaurants Pvt Ltd

No. 11, Galle Face Terrace, Colombo 3, Sri Lanka.  

Tel: +94 (0) 11 232 3847, Fax: +94 (0) 11 242 3150

Web  : www.nihonbashi.lk         

Email: info@nihonbashi.lk

   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
Nihonbashi Hilton Colombo Residence Outlet

Union Place, Colombo 02.

Tel. +94 (0) 11 230 0642

Email : hcr@nihonbashi.lk

Nihonbashi Sushi Bar at ODEL

Alexandre Place, Colombo 07.

Tel. +94 (0) 11 471 8758