In collaboration with Le Grand Galle, Sri Lanka. Keep reading this post for my honest experience partaking the Grand Galle cooking demo at Le Grand Galle in September 2019.
Table of Contents
Le Grand Galle Cooking Demo with Chef Agaran
WHAT YOU WILL NEED
- A notebook with a pen (to write down the recipes)
- A hairband (for hygiene within the kitchen)
- A hungry belly (so much food!)
Adding on to our Le Grand Galle post, Cris and I were kindly invited by the hotel to participate in their cooking demonstration, where you get to observe up-close one of the hotels’ Chef in action right in front of your eyes.
After having had a majestic breakfast of kings to kick start our day, I must admit that I was a bit hesitant in going to a cooking demonstration about an hour later. The simple thought of putting any food into my mouth was enough to make me want to cuddle in bed, take a nap, and call it a day.
But of course I would never let this chance go by and I thought to myself that this would take at least two hours, which would allow me more than enough time to digest and be ready to eat by the time the food was done.
So we happily made our way down to the reception, where we would meet the Chef. To my surprise, instead of taking us to the hotel kitchen where I had initially thought the demo would take place, they directed us towards one of their restaurants, Blue, where you can enjoy a panoramic view of the sea from the restaurant.
I soon noticed that the restaurant has an open kitchen to the restaurant, which would allow us to observe the Chef cooking. I was about to take my seat when a sous Chef gently approached me and handed me an apron and a Chef’s hat (which I shamefully had to adjust at least 3 times due to my ginormous head, much to the Chef’s amusement).
I was told to join the Chef right in the kitchen, where he patiently explained to me in his best English the dishes that he would be preparing for us:
- A typical Sri Lankan salad
- A selection of vegetable curries (and I was happy to see that they would cook Dhal curry from scratch – if you’ve been reading my Sri Lanka blog posts you are probably familiar by now how obsessed Cris and I were with Dahl during our trip. We couldn’t get enough of it)
- Chicken curry
- Pan-fried mushrooms with local condiments
Furthermore, he carefully explained to me all the condiments and ingredients that are part of Sri Lankan cuisine, from the cardamom to the ginger and peppers.
I must say that one of the things I like the most about Sri Lankan food (aside from the scrumptious taste) is just how colorful everything is. It seems that every time they present us a dish, it is always so colorfully stunning that it is (almost) a shame to eat it.
However, the smell is so overpowering that you will immediately get over it and, honestly, all that you will be able to think is ‘’get into my belly NOW!!!’’
Le Grand Galle Cooking Demo
From explaining about Sri Lankan culinary history to detailing all ingredients and showcasing the step by step to prepare a full Sri Lankan meal, the Chef guided us through a gastronomic adventure that I will certainly never forget.
I did my best to write down all the details and I will try and replicate the recipe as soon as I can (I am sure it won’t taste 1/10 as good as the one prepared by Chef Agaran).
By the time he was done cooking, the smell was already overbearing and I couldn’t wait to taste everything that I saw being created from scratch right before my eyes. To our astonishment, we noticed that we had enough food for about 5 people, and it was all exclusively made for just the two of us.
Ah yes, and remember when I said I was half hoping the experience would last around 2 hours for it to allow us time to get hungry after including at their breakfast buffet? Well, in fact, the Chef was super quick and I don’t think the whole demonstration lasted more than 40 minutes total.
But that was of course not a problem. Even if we were still satisfied from breakfast, the food was so delicious that we still found enough space in our bellies to eat A LOT (and to have seconds, clearly).
TO CONCLUDE
Thank you Le Grand Galle for inviting us to be a part of this beautiful experience. Not only did we have a chance to observe firsthand the cooking process of the wonderful Sri Lankan food, but we loved the chance to meet the local Chef and to get familiar with Sri Lankan ingredients during the cooking demo.
It was certainly unforgettable and I highly recommend it to anyone who is staying at Le Grand Galle and who wishes to have a different dining experience.
A special thanks to Chef Agaran, for his patience, his friendly smile and of course, his delicious cooking skills.
Stutti!
Find my Le Grand Galle Trip Advisor review here (don’t forget to click that follow button so you are up-to-date with the best – and worst – places to eat around the world)
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