“A night I’ll never forget”
“When we found out that we won a Michelin Star, it felt very surreal. At the Michelin Guide ceremony, we were very lucky to have some of our best friends receiving their first Michelin stars as well, so we started off the celebration with them,” Rishi Naleendra recalls.
“When we came back to the restaurant at around 10 p.m., business was still operating as usual. The moment we walked in, everyone started cheering and by 11 p.m., many of our industry friends and regular customers visited us. That night, we had over 60 people celebrating with us, and it’s a night we’ll never forget.”
As the name suggests, Rishi runs his Singapore restaurant Cheek by Jowl alongside his wife and General Manager, Manuela Toniolo who is involved in the day-to-day operations. “(She is) more than just a restaurant manager, she is also the sommelier who curates our list of organic and biodynamic wines and recommends them to our customers. She also does the reservations, events, inquiries and assists me with organising my schedules,” says Rishi of his wife who has supported his journey he says, every step of the way.
One of Rishi Naleendra’s creative dishes
Cheek by Jowl’s evolving menu is a fusion of cuisines and flavours which are starkly simple in their presentation. A signature dish is Roast Pumpkin served with spiced cashew nut sauce which is turned out using Sri Lankan roasted curry powder– a nostalgic touch to his Lankan roots. But it is the generosity of spirit he says, inculcated by his parents and Lankan culture that has remained with him throughout his career.
Growing up in Sri Lanka to a family of food professionals and parents who ran a demanding catering business, Rishi Naleendra has come full circle being awarded a coveted Michelin Star in the 2017 edition of the Michelin Guide in Singapore, earning him the prestigious status of being recognized as a Michelin Star Chef.
Cheek by Jowl: Rishi’s restaurant in Singapore
But it was not something he aspired to as a youngster. “When I saw how hard my parents were working and the amount of time they were sacrificing, I was determined not to be in the F&B industry,” Rishi tells the Sunday Times over email.
What really sparked his interest in the culinary industry was the excitement that swelled around a busy kitchen Cafe in Melbourne. “I was doing a dish washing job,” he says of his work as a kitchen hand and he “loved how much energy and enthusiasm was in that kitchen.”
While working at Melbourne’s Taxi Dining Room restaurant, a book titled “The Perfectionist” - the story of French Chef Bernard Loisea’s dream of earning a Michelin Star made an impression on him as he worked his way up to Sous Chef at the restaurant. “I think that was the first time that I ever had a thought in my head of being able to get one someday. Since then, I’ve always strived to work towards improving myself.
“Whether I have a star or not, as an industry professional, I’ll keep performing and strive to improve my craft. Apart from that, my team and I are always looking at ways that we can take the experience for our guests to the next level,” he says.