Rambutan launches Rambutan & Cousins dinner series

At the end of July, Rambutan, the Borough Market restaurant celebrating Sri Lankan diaspora cooking, will launch a monthly dinner series titled Rambutan & Cousins. The initiative, announced by Cynthia Shanmugalingam, coincides with the establishment’s first anniversary and aims to showcase London’s culinary diversity with a Sri Lankan twist. The series will feature a lineup of guest chefs including Rahel Stephanie, Will Gleave, Ana Gonçalves, Zijun Meng, Nick Molyviatis, Abby Lee, and Mike Davies, who will each bring their own creative flair to the Rambutan kitchen.

The concept for Rambutan & Cousins was inspired by the numerous guests claiming to be Shanmugalingam’s cousins, highlighting the close-knit nature of the Sri Lankan community. The programme of dinner experiences seeks to celebrate this sense of kinship and competition, allowing the participating chefs to experiment with Sri Lankan ingredients and recipes, adding their own interpretations to create an exciting fusion menu.

The programme will kick off on 28^th July with Indonesian supper club host Rahel Stephanie. The following date is the 11^th of August, with Will Gleave, cofounder of former P.Franco, Bright and Peg. On the 10^th of September, is Nick Molyviatis turn to take the pans. Ana Goncalves and Zijun Meng of TĀ TĀ EATERY and TÓU will take the lead on the 13^th of October. And later on, there will be announced a date for the collaboration with Abby Lee of Mambow and Mike Davies of The Camberwell Arms.

Each event will also feature a collaboration with different natural wine suppliers, including Tutto, Ancestral and Modal, pairing particular labels with the vibrant and spicy flavours of the dishes served.

Shanmugalingam, the brain behind Rambutan, describes the restaurant as a “diaspora dream of Sri Lanka” that mirrors the multicultural fabric of London and its culinary scene. The series aims to reflect the creativity and diversity of chefs in London, many of whom have immigrant backgrounds and bring a wealth of different food traditions to the table.

Rambutan & Cousins offers a monthly opportunity for food enthusiasts to explore innovative dishes that blend London’s dynamic cooking styles with the rich culinary heritage of Sri Lanka.

Food Desk

Reservations for each event are open. For bookings, visit Rambutan’s website here.