• Licensed to Grill by Di’s to open on 29 June 

Those residing in Kandy or who visit regularly are perhaps familiar with Licensed to Grill, a top choice for a variety of delicious dishes. The restaurant, with a slight change in management and name, is set to reopen on 29 June as Licensed to Grill by Di’s, owned by husband-and-wife duo Dinesh Pathirana and Dilshani Nugawela.

Under Licensed to Grill by Di’s is the Elysian fine dining restaurant in Riverside Garden Lewalla, Roslin Villa Boutique Bungalow in Maggona, Beruwala, social arm Building Bridges managed by Pathirana, Nugawela, and Tiffany Ferdinands, and The Kandy Times, a YouTube channel by Pathirana and Kaushitha Abhayagoonesekara.

With the opening just days away, the team joined The Daily Morning Brunch to tell us all about Licensed to Grill by Di’s and the flavours they are adding to Kandy’s dining experience.

Licensed to Grill

In 2015, Pathirana, along with two of his friends, started Licensed to Grill. The restaurant received recognition on TripAdvisor for three consecutive years from 2016 to 2018. “They were one of the first people to start a street food outlet in Kandy,” Nugawela shared.

However, in 2019, Pathirana turned off the Licensed to Grill burners with one friend migrating and the other moving into the tourism industry. Pathirana and Nugawela then began running Roslin Villa Boutique Bungalow, which takes bookings through online platforms like Airbnb and Booking.com.

The decision to move back to Kandy was fuelled by calls and inquiries about Licensed to Grill, which is why they decided to open Licensed to Grill by Di’s, offering fusion food like burgers, steak, and wraps. Elysian, on the other hand, dishes up a four-course meal, with a focus on meats like pork, beef, chicken, and fish.

Nugawela stressed that dining at Elysian requires a reservation at least five hours prior, as they prepare meals with fresh ingredients, purchasing and preparing them once the reservation is made. Their reservation policy comes in handy when sourcing meat as well, with Nugawela pointing out that not many suppliers in Kandy know the specific cuts Pathirana requires.

Pathirana, meanwhile, shared that fine dining was a relatively new concept to Kandy, typically offered by five-star hotels only. This makes Elysian more popular among tourists. Pathirana is a chef and both Pathirana and Nugawela are foodies, and so they are keen on maintaining a high standard, similar to what they look for when dining out.

While Elysian’s fine dining and reservation policy may attract a specific kind of diner, Licensed to Grill by Di’s was described as a café type restaurant open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., allowing diners to walk in as they please.

Also located in Lewalla, Licensed to Grill by Di’s will be opening in Pathirana’s house, which has been converted into a restaurant. Renovating the space was a challenge, Nugawela pointed out, with the economic crisis increasing costs, not just of construction and labour, but also ingredients and products.

Social work

We did ask Nugawela about moving from social work to the food industry when she said: “I’m a foodie. I went to the restaurant, fell in love with the food, and then fell in love with the man as well.” She explained that while she will be handling customers and serving at the restaurant, with Pathirana handling the cooking and food prep, her social work is supported through Building Bridges.

“I have been working for 15-20 years on several issues, including migration and human trafficking, and when Dinesh and I got together, we thought we have to give back to the community, which is why, in 2021, we started Building Bridges.” Nugawela explained that the initiative doesn’t rely on donations from other organisations, but mainly uses their own earnings as well as donations from friends and family to carry out various programmes, helping out those in need.

Despite it being supported by family and friends, Nugawela said that transparency was of utmost importance, with all initiatives carefully documented.

In addition to such programmes, Building Bridges is also carrying out an online awareness programme on child abuse, an area Nugawela’s work has covered. These videos are posted on The Kandy Times YouTube channel, which Pathirana started with Abhayagoonesekara to boost Kandy’s potential as a travel destination.

“Right now, tourism is an economic platform in the country and we felt that Kandy has a lot of potential but is not actually captured sometimes. Through The Kandy Times, we visit places in Kandy and cover various events,” Pathirana shared, explaining that many tourists think Kandy is limited to the Temple of the Tooth Relic or the Royal Botanical Gardens in Peradeniya, but that there are several other must-visit locations, such as rivers and waterfalls.

With the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdowns that limited outings in the past few years, people, especially the youth, are now keen to go out and have fun. This is something the couple is positive about, as it will change Kandy’s culture of early nights. Thus, as Nugawela and Pathirana prepare for the opening of Licensed to Grill by Di’s, Kandy is likely to be looking forward to savouring dishes like burgers, streak, and wraps at the latest addition to the city’s dining experience.