The arrival of Chef Dr. Pabilis Silva in Viet Nam in mid March to participate in the International Food Festival in Hoi An in central Viet Nam, generated major interest among Vietnamese. This food festival was attended by top Chefs from 12 countries including Russia, France, Germany, Italy, Turkey, Greece, Slovenia, UK, Sweden, Mauritius and India. The event placed Sri Lanka on the spotlight in a grand way, with one of the co-organizers of the festival being Sri Lankan, Keerthi Hapugasdeniya.
The food festival lasted for a week and the local publicity received by Master Chef Pabilis was immense, with the Chef being associated with the legendry Mt. Lavinia Hotel for over 60 years. The Embassy supported the Sri Lankan food corner at the Opening Day, as well as the Sri Lankan food festival held at the Morning Glory Garden Restaurant, in Hoi An for six days from 15th – 20th March 2016.
Following the festival, Master Chef Pabilis and his team flew into Ha Noi for a Gala Dinner organised by the Sri Lanka Embassy at the Sofitel Legend Metropole, the oldest hotel in Ha Noi established in 1901.
Addressing the guests at the dinner, Ambassador Hasanthi Dissanayake highlighted that Viet Nam has almost all ingredients that are used in Sri Lankan cuisine, but the difference is the way the ingredients are combined. She explained that Sri Lankan food cusine had evolved, and absorbed influences of neighbouring India, especially South and South west India, and European - especially Portuguese and Dutch. The wide range of edible plants, vegetables, fruits and roots are combined with spices such as cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, pepper not only to bring an aromatic flavour to the original ingredients, but also providing medicinal values.
Ambassador Hasanthi introduced Master Chef Pabilis as an Ambassador of authentic Sri Lankan cuisine, who had identified 42 natural food additives in Sri Lankan cuisine and written over 13 books on food and food culture of Sri Lanka.
The Ambassador acknowledged and appreciated the presence of Ambassador Pham Sanh Chau, Director General of Cultural Diplomacy and UNESCO Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Secretary General of Viet Nam National Commission for UNESCO at the event, who was in the forefront in bringing Vietnamese culture to the world and his unstinted cooperation to the diplomatic community to promote cultural cooperation.
Ambassador Hasanthi further thanked the Sri Lankan community in Viet Nam who assisted in numerous ways in organizing the events. Among the exotic food items served at the Gala Dinner were a waraka drink with the glass laced with salt and pepper, festive salad (dolosmahe saladaya), cream of gotukola soup, chicken chutty roast prepared with mango chutney. The dinner was attended by a number of media personnel, and Vietnamese and Sri Lankan from the business community.
Embassy of Sri Lanka
Ha Noi
22 April 2016
