Known for his standout Sri Lankan cooking at Paradise, London, chef Dom Fernando returns to his roots in Colombo with new restaurant Open Door Policy. Here we discover the story behind a launch that’s been a lifetime in the making.
It’s just past 7am in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and the heat is rising fast, thickening the air with the scent of diesel, spices and the sea. From the back of our car, I watch tuk tuks weave through traffic, school children clamber onto buses and street vendors arrange their stalls beneath colourful umbrellas.
I’m heading south with chef Dom Fernando, who is well-placed to show me around – he was born in the UK to Sri Lankan parents and grew up between the two countries. We’re here to discover the inspiration behind Dom’s latest venture, Open Door Policy (ODP), for which he’s transported the team from his award-winning London restaurant Paradise to Sri Lanka.
The aim: to redefine the Colombo dining scene with a 10-seat chef’s table experience. “There’s nothing like this here, so we’re taking guests on a journey that’s brand new,” he says. ODP, he explains, isn’t just a restaurant but a platform for the local cuisine and community. Dom has built it from the ground up, transforming a two-storey villa in a quiet coastal area, working with local businesses and craftspeople at every stage, from, “the ladies who hand-crafted our bricks to the engineers who built our long stainless-steel table.”
He’s also partnering with local hospitality schools to redefine how service is taught, introducing a more relaxed approach where servers feel confident engaging with guests. Dom’s ambition is to create an ecosystem that will empower a new generation, particularly women (on the island, he explains, jobs waiting tables and front of house have been historically reserved for men). “There’s so much untapped talent here,” he says. “Whether it’s the people, the produce or the culture, it’s all about how we nurture it, refine it and share it with the world.”
His pride in Sri Lanka’s rich natural larder is unmistakable, seen as we meet with the new generation of tea plantation owners, visit cinnamon farmers and even barter with a group of nuns for a plot of land needed for crops. No stone has been left unturned in his commitment to creating an experience that actively gives back to the island and its people.
After a two-hour journey, we reach our destination, checking into Cape Weligama – a coastal, clifftop retreat hosting Dom’s much-anticipated soft launch of the ODP experience (ahead of the restaurant launching back in the city, in the heart of Colombo 3).
With Dom eager to dive into the local scene, we meet at the water’s edge as sunlight begins to stretch across the sky. Along the shore, fishermen perch on their wooden boats, chatting quietly. Dom approaches with a relaxed familiarity, as though he’s already spent many mornings out at sea. “Look at how well they know this water,” he says. “Generations of knowledge passed down. That’s what I want to protect – not just the flavours of Sri Lanka, but the skills that could so easily disappear if no one fights to keep them alive.”
As we drift on the water, Dom speaks on one of the island’s pressing challenges: the struggle to engage younger Sri Lankans in traditional trades. “These techniques are dying,” he says. “A lot of younger people want jobs that feel easier, like driving tuk tuks. I’d love to try and shift that mindset, especially in the rural areas.”
After our morning at sea, I head to the historic town of Galle to discover more locals working to keep Sri Lankan traditions alive. I visit Rope Walk, a bar inside the Galle Fort Hotel known for arrack –a smooth, complex, centuries-old spirit native to Sri Lanka, distilled from the sap of the coconut palm. The one I try tastes smoky, floral, spiced; even buttery. Currently, it’s not known globally but this, according to the team here, has less to do with the flavour and more to do with the branding, packaging and production infrastructure that allowed spirits like mezcal to become a hit on the world stage.
Next, is Raa in Hiriketiya, a laidback surfer’s cove on the south coast. It’s a breezy, open-air bar run by Dom’s friends, Lala and Don – the duo also behind Smoke & Bitters, the only spot on the island to make Asia’s 50 Best Bars list. Their aim is to protect the art of ‘toddy tapping’ – the centuries-old process of harvesting the coconut sap from which arrack is created. They’re launching an apprenticeship programme in hopes of keeping the trade alive. “Coconut is what feeds this country, from the food we eat to the roofs over our heads,” says Don.
That sense of building something lasting, local and rooted in care is carried into my final day in Sri Lanka: experiencing the first taste of Open Door Policy. As we take our seats, Dom introduces himself, his team and the story behind ODP, before we are given the first taste of the nine-course journey that takes diners between his two culinary worlds. It feels like a homecoming. Until now, much of Dom’s energy had gone into recreating Sri Lankan flavours in London, always leaving a part of himself behind on the island. Now, things are in reverse: he aims to spend 80% of his time on the island, driving real change in the country that shaped him.
You can see this in the menu: a fusion of his British and Sri Lankan heritage. At ODP, guests begin the evening at the vinyl bar downstairs before moving up to the chef’s table, where dishes include a spin on a traditional wellington to the British breakfast of eggs and soldiers, reimagined with an egg and sweetcorn curry and bread ‘soldiers’ made from kadè-paan from Colombo’s Hasthigiri Bakery. Dessert continues on the terrace, with a very Dom Fernando blend of flavours from both countries.
It’s been a month since Open Door Policy opened and Dom continues to bring this range to every dish he creates. “So far, we’ve had both Sri Lankans and guests of Paradise in London visit. They’ve told us it feels like we’ve been open a lot longer,” he says. What’s next? “Over the last few months, we’ve learnt from our teams, our suppliers and our guests. They’ve all given me ideas about how we tell our stories – shining a spotlight on progression to give Sri Lanka something we can be proud of,” he says.
For a small island, Sri Lanka carries a weight of flavour, history and humanity that leaves a lasting impression. And it’s projects like Open Door Policy, led by people like Dom, that have the potential to amplify these elements on a global stage. After nine courses that transport you across continents with every bite, it’s clear that the most powerful meals are the ones that root you deeply in the world around you.
Open Door Policy is open now – discover more here
