Setting the stage for a Mexican flavour
In the early part of this millennium Bathiya and Santhush changed the face of Sri Lankan music. Their fresh beats, modern lyrics and unbeatable energy on stage made them icons of Lankan pop culture-while some tongues may have wagged initially, they’ve turned out to be one of the most successful acts in the country. So it’s no surprise that the duo’s newest venture is by no means a trip down the path of the well-travelled; with the opening of the island’s only Mexican restaurant La Fiesta, BnS hope to change the game in an entirely new industry. Just a few weeks into the opening, they speak to us about the dynamics behind this newest addition to an already extensive portfolio.
Santhush, Chandana and Bathiya at La Fiesta’s launch party. Below other guests at the launch
Of course, Bathiya is only a self-declared expert in “eating well” and Santhush can just about find his way around the kitchen; so in the opening of a dining establishment they’ve partnered with Chef Chandana Silva, a man who definitely knows his Mexican.
Incidentally their friendship was also forged over Mexican food-the original La Fiesta is based in Tokyo, Japan. “The Tokyo La Fiesta was our favourite spot whenever Santhush and I visited Japan,” says Bathiya. Santhush is more eloquent-“we would wipe the place out!” It was only natural that these two would eventually persuade Chandana to set one up back home.
Chandana has almost two decades of experience in Mexican food. “It’s such a big, flavoursome food culture,” he says of the gastronomic fare he loves to experiment with. “The flavours are very strong here and it’s an easy cuisine to fall in love with.”
Chandana’s version is more Tex-Mex than pure Mexican and the reason for this is quite simple. “Unless you’ve been to Mexico and lived there for a while pure Mexican is probably something that’ll take some time getting used to,” he says. “With Tex-Mex, which is basically an Americanised version of Mexican, there is so much more room for flexibility.” Here’s the deal-breaker for you–the much loved stalwarts of Mexican cuisine like nachos and burritos are technically Tex-Mex. For his part, Chandana is not vexingly purist like most chefs can be-“at the end of the day, these are essentially great recipes that I’m working with.”
For Bathiya and Santhush, the proof is clearly in the pudding and they’ve already scarfed it down. Santhush can eat nachos “all day long” and Bathiya thrives on the spicy dish of Mexican Prawn. “You eat this food once and you’re hooked,” he says. “And that’s what a good restaurant is about.”
With La Fiesta having just opened, Chandana is still finding his way around the Sri Lankan palate. Having lived in Japan for so long (Santhush jokes that Chandana speaks Japanese better than his mother tongue), he occasionally finds himself being a little under zealous with the spices. But he’s got his partners to bring him to order-“Chandana looks for delicacy and balance in his food because he’s a chef,” laughs Bathiya. “But we’ve pestered him so much that he’s finally given in about the spices.”
But one dish which the chef is still extremely careful with is is the quirky Mole Poblano, a Mexican delicacy of sorts. The dish is for the adventurous at heart-a sauce of chocolate seasoned with eight spices is simmered for three days and then served over rice or a corn tortilla with chicken. Being given creative licence for dishes like this is what keeps Chandana in Mexican cuisine. He says that their patrons have not been disappointed-often, they’ll go with the dish they’ve never heard of before. The Chimichanga is proving to be wildly popular-a deep fried burrito never fails, we’re told.
Other dishes like Ceviche (a marinated seafood dish), Sopa de Albondigas (Mexican-style meatball soup) and Camarones al Ajillo (garlicky shrimp) are just some amongst a host of tongue twisters available on the menu. “The motto here is to serve Mexican for the Asian palate,” says Santhush and Bathiya couldn’t agree more. “This is food both Santhush and I are very passionate about.”
At the moment La Fiesta is a restaurant and bar, and there’s a special VIP Guest area for those who prefer a little privacy and for functions. Right now they’ve got a good menu for lunch and dinner and the tequilas and margaritas in the extensive drinks menu come highly recommended. The restaurant is open for lunch from 12-3 p.m. and dinner from 5-11 p.m. (on weekends they’re open from noon). The bar is open till 3 a.m. La Fiesta is in the newly opened addition to the Dutch Hospital Shopping Promenade and can be accessed easily from the Chatham Street side.
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