Travel Review: Sri Lanka's traditional Kandyan dance perfectly encapsulates the passion, creativity and resilience of its people
This morning, I'm joining pupils at Madyama Lanka Nruthya Mandalaya — a cultural academy hidden in the mountains outside Amunugama. Together, we watch the drummer's bare hands crash down onto the barrel-shaped instrument, heralding the start of our class in traditional Kandyan dance — a hypnotic art form that originated nearby in Kandy, the last capital of the Sri Lankan kings.
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Belfast Telegraph
14 hours ago
- Belfast Telegraph
Travel Review: Sri Lanka's traditional Kandyan dance perfectly encapsulates the passion, creativity and resilience of its people
A barefooted boy saunters to the front of the hall, holding a two-headed geta beraya drum that almost spans his entire frame. His focused and determined face suggests a maturity beyond his teenage years. He closes his eyes and inhales. This morning, I'm joining pupils at Madyama Lanka Nruthya Mandalaya — a cultural academy hidden in the mountains outside Amunugama. Together, we watch the drummer's bare hands crash down onto the barrel-shaped instrument, heralding the start of our class in traditional Kandyan dance — a hypnotic art form that originated nearby in Kandy, the last capital of the Sri Lankan kings.
The Herald Scotland
05-08-2025
- The Herald Scotland
New Glasgow cafe's fusion dishes are unlike any you've tried before
Pictured: The Jolly Tamil opens in Glasgow's Southside on Wednesday, August 6 (Image: GordonTerris/Herald&Times) 'We've always known what a fantastic cook my mum is,' Tharany begins as we await the arrival of our teas, prepared with a traditional 'Tamil Pour' to add a light, frothy texture. 'She is Sri Lanka-born and raised, and as the oldest girl out of her siblings from the age of around nine, she was cooking for the entire family. 'Even if we go to our relatives' houses now, they will ask her to cook because they know she is the best, and when we were growing up, my brother's friends would ask her to make food for their birthdays. 'We would always say that she should open her own café, but it seemed far-fetched because none of us had experience in the hospitality industry. 'As a family, we finally decided that if we didn't take the gamble for our mum, we would always regret it, which is why we're opening this place. 'There's a chance that it might not work, but even if it doesn't, at least she can take pride in knowing that we have done all of this for her.' Opening any new business in the current climate is a daunting prospect, but with a menu that marries traditional Sri Lankan flavours with influences from Tamil communities across the globe, Tharany is determined to prove they have something special to offer. 'I have so much confidence in mum's cooking and our story, and I think Shawlands is the sort of place where people celebrate different cultures like ours, especially through food. 'My mum spent time in Singapore in her younger years, meaning the food she cooked for us growing up as Sri-Lankan Tamils in Essex had an Asian fusion element to it. 'In later years, I went abroad to Malaysia, where Tamil people were also entwining their traditional dishes with another culture. They really enjoy tofu curries, for example, and I hadn't seen a lot of that before. 'When I came back, my mum and I began sharing stories of the food we had tried, and that's something we've brought with us to The Jolly Tamil. 'It makes us unique from other Sri Lankan restaurants, because we're taking inspiration from Tamil communities across the world.' Having previously studied chemical engineering at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, a new adventure at The Jolly Tamil will offer Tharany the opportunity to pursue a lifelong passion for food inherited from her mother. 'I'll be doing the cooking, but mum will be there in the background to make sure that I'm doing things properly,' she explains. 'She has her authentic way of doing things, like curries from back in the day with her own little twists, but what I'll be bringing is more of a fusion approach to the menu. 'Like Halwa, which is traditionally an Indian sweet made with shaved carrot, sugar, spices and milk cooked down until it becomes a soft pudding. 'I'm taking those flavours but turning them into a cheesecake with mascarpone cheese and cardamom cream. 'Although I did engineering at Uni, I've always been really interested in gastronomy and love thinking of ways to level food up with a more scientific approach.' Read more: As the conversation moves on to impressive interior decorating work, all carried out by Tharany over the past 10 months with the help of various family members, Vadani emerges from the kitchen carrying two servings of the fresh tea she had offered just moments after we first stepped through the door at The Jolly Tamil. The official interview wraps up here, but for the next half hour, I'll remain fixed in the same spot, captivated by stories of Sri Lankan culture and a beloved matriarch's tips and tricks for cooking with ingredients full of natural goodness. Curry leaves, I'm told, are good for the eyes, while the spices used for the tea we're sipping will apparently do wonders for my digestive system. The most important thing we should know, however, is that just like every meal she has made for her family over the years, the cooking at The Jolly Tamil will come from the heart. 'No matter what happens with the café,' Tharany says when our cups have eventually run dry, 'I already feel very fulfilled by the memories I've made with my mum over the past months of preparations. 'It's now time to show off how amazing her food is and make her proud.' The Jolly Tamil is located at 95 Kilmarnock Road in Glasgow. For more information, visit
Rhyl Journal
25-07-2025
- Rhyl Journal
Review: I sampled some of the food at Rhyl's Queen's Market
From stone-baked pizzas to dishes inspired by Indian, American, Greek Chinese and Caribbean cuisine, there is plenty to tantalise the tastebuds and satisfy the heartiest of appetites. That's not to mention the ice cream, coffee and cake, donuts, traditional sweets, and much more. Oh, and there's also a pub! Queen's Market in Rhyl Let's get something out of the way before we go on - The Queen's Market is not a market of the sort we might have visited in days gone by. There is no butchered meat, fresh fish, second hand books, clothing, or souvenirs to be had. What it is, however, is a modern food court that have proved popular in places like Chester. And early signs are it will do the same in Rhyl. MORE NEWS: Taxi drivers in Rhyl 'furious' amid wait for fare uplift to take effect Concerns in Prestatyn as 'retrospective' homeless hostel application submitted Fight breaks out on train travelling between Prestatyn & Flint stations The food court in the market is light, although it is always busy with people navigating the market. There are booths on the mezzanine, which are a better option if you don't like the hustle and bustle of the market while enjoying your meal. Queen's Market: Ice cream rolls being made We were a party of three so decided to order from several of the kitchens to sample as many of the cuisines as possible. Now, as a fan of Bob's Burgers, I love a dish with a pun name. At Queen's Market, there are puns aplenty as most of vendors. For our initiation, we chose food from Bad Burgers and Dirty Dogs, Go Greek, and Street Pot. I must preface the rest of this article by saying we visited on the opening day and it was the first time the vendors served the public at the market. I don't think anyone expected how popular the new food court would be from the off, and there were reports of kitchen's running out of food before the day was out. This, and any other teething troubles, I am sure have now been addressed. Queen's Market: Bad Burgers and Dirty Dogs Bad Burgers and Dirty Dogs serves up a range of handmade smash burgers and gourmet hotdogs with a variety of toppings on offer, along with fully loaded fries. It has to be said that, on day one when we were there, there was a lot of feet finding. Queen's Market: Burger The burger and dog we ordered did not arrive particularly quickly, but I am sure the team are firing on all cylinders now. That said, the food was worth the wait. HUNGRY FOR MORE? This might be my favourite restaurant in North Wales! I enjoyed breakfast at what might be Rhyl's friendliest cafe I tried authentic Sri Lankan food in Rhyl - and it was fantastic! The prison/crime themed pub names of the burger and hot dog escape me right now (see what I did there?) but they were hot, fresh and loaded with flavour. With all the variations on the menu, I can see a lot of return custom for this burger joint. Queen's Market: Team members at Street Pot We also tried some of the food from Street Pot, which focuses on authentic Caribbean and USA flavours. Specialties include jerk chicken, curry, rice and peas, and fried plantain. We tried the mac and cheese and jerk chicken leg, which came with two pots of sauce. Queen's Market: Food from Street Pot The mac and cheese was rich, gooey and plentiful. I would have liked bigger portions of sauce, and perhaps something to add crunch or spice to balance the richness of the cheese sauce, but overall, it was a very tasty and filling. Queen's Market: Street Pot The star item from Street Pot, though, was the fresh fruit juice blends, which were equal parts refreshing and delicious. My favourite of the kitchens we sampled was Go Greek. Queen's Market: Food served up at Go Greek Go Greek offers a full range of traditional Greek food, including gyros, souvlaki, halloumi fries, as well as desserts, including the magical orange cake. Queen's Market: Go Greek We shared a gyro and sausage box with a side of halloumi fries with tzatziki. Queen's Market: Box from Go Greek The box was an implosion of different flavours, saltiness, umami, zest, and freshness. The sausage was an added treat, but the mix of meats and salad in the box without it would have still felt like value for money. I have had similar boxes in cities like Manchester, and the food served in Rhyl is their equal at least. We finished our lunchtime dining experience with some cold treats from Pudz Ice Cream Rolls. Queen's Market: Team at Pudz Ice Cream The Pudz team serve freshly made waffles and crepes with a variety of fillings and toppings, as well as their famous fresh milkshakes. Queen's Market: Ice cream The signature treats, however, are ice cream rolls, the preparation of which is a few moments of theatre in itself. We tried Biscoff Blizzard and Magic Mint. The former was very enjoyable, a perfect blend of textures from smooth ice cream to the crumbly crunch of biscuit. Queen's Market: Ice cream The mint, however, was too extreme for our tastes, but I'm sure it will find fans who like their mintiness turned up to the max. Since its launch, there have been a few chops and changes in the vendor line-up, but the market is now at full capacity and welcoming thousands of people through its doors. I will definitely return, as I would very much like to try the delights of Anarkali and Salt & Pepper Box. Queen's Market food court Not to mention, Little Italy Pizza Rhyl who were enjoying a brisk trade on the day I visited. It seemed every other person leaving the market was carrying at least one pizza box. Recently, Little Italy Pizza Rhyl posted: "A special moment for Little Italy Pizza Rhyl this evening, we served our 1,000th customer since being here in the New Queen's Market. Thank you, hope you enjoyed your Take it Cheesy garlic bread on us." Queen's Market: The team at Spill the Beans I will certainly go back to Queen's Market when I'm next in Rhyl. Whether it's for coffee and a donut, a bubble tea, a quick bite for lunch, or something more substantial with friends, it is available at Rhyl's impressive new food court.
