9 December 2017 12:00 am
Bilateral ties between Sri Lanka and China date back to centuries when our island nation was an important hub on the Silk Route. Those ties have blossomed in modern times to share close cultural, diplomatic and financial ties with our neighbour.
In celebration of the two nations that are as diverse as they are similar, Waters Edge, together with Green Leaves Entertainment and Fortune Boat, is putting together a three-day Chinese Food Festival at the hotel premises.
An initiative spearheaded by Waters Edge Chairman Chamath de Silva and General Manager Rohan Fernandopulle, the food festival will be held on December 18, 19 and 20, 2017 from 7:30 p.m. onwards.
Not only will the food festival feature authentic Szechuan cuisine, the array of food will be prepared by master chefs flown down especially from China.
“Waters Edge considers it a great honour to host such renowned culinary experts and highly regarded chefs from around the world. Today we are a multi-cuisine culinary hub reputed for our awards and accolades won both locally and internationally. This will be another great feather in our cap”, said Fernandopulle.
Over the years, Waters Edge has transformed and grown immensely and today, the hotel stands amongst the best in the country. An ideal destination for various events such as weddings or parties, Waters Edge offers top- notch food, a variety of cuisines, great ambience and hospitality that is truly Sri Lankan.
Also commenting on the food festival de Silva noted, “We see this event as an initiative to introduce various cuisines of the world to Sri Lankans and to engage with a large Chinese expatriate community living in Sri Lanka. We would therefore like to extend an invitation to the Chinese community living in Sri Lanka as well as tourists and locals to come and experience Szechuan cuisine at its best.”
The three-day event will comprise of live cooking demonstrations, specialty dishes and variety of Szechuan dishes. The cookery demonstration taking place throughout the three days will not only benefit professionals in the food and beverage industry but it will also be a learning experience for anyone with an interest in cooking.
Szechuan cuisine is very similar to Sri Lankan cuisine as many spices and a particular Szechuan chilli is used in most preparations. The all-you-can-eat buffet will be priced at Rs.3000 nett per adult and Rs.1,500 nett for children between the ages of six to 12. Children under six will dine free.
The buffet will include authentic Szechuan dishes like hot and sour soup, rice ball soup, belly pork, kongbao prawns, salted chicken, sautéed green beans, griddle cabbage, rice noodles, the all-important dumplings and fried spring rolls as well. All of these favourites will be prepared by the likes of world-renowned chefs like Chef XU Xiao Yuan (Hot Dishes Gold Award Winner at the eighth World Champion of Chinese Cuisine in Rotterdam, Holland 2016) and Chef LIU Hua (Desserts and Bakery Gold award winner at the eighth World Champion of Chinese Cuisine in Rotterdam, Holland 2016).
“Wherever there is food, there is a culture involved so a very popular cultural opera performer will also be performing during the course of the three days,” stated Sri Lanka Overseas Chinese Association President Zhang Hong.
To make the event a truly Chinese experience, renowned acrobat and member of the Chengdu Circus LI An will also entertain food enthusiasts with his fast mask-changing, hand shadowing, and long-mouth teapot performances.