Renowned Chef Bimba Nayak, together with Chef Gauri Nayak, Brings Rare Pathare Prabhu Cuisine to Shangri La Colombo

There are cuisines that are celebrated around the world, and then there are those quietly preserved within family kitchens, carried forward through memory, instinct, and generations of tradition.

This June, Shangri La Colombo invites guests to discover one such culinary treasure as renowned Indian chef and culinary educator Bimba Nayak along with Chef Gauri Nayak presents an exclusive Pathare Prabhu dining experience at Central from 4 to 7 June 2026, preceded by a special hands on cooking class on 3 June 2026.

For many, the words Bombil, Kolambi, and Khadkhadle may sound unfamiliar. Yet within the Pathare Prabhu community one of Mumbai’s oldest and most historically significant communities these dishes represent a culinary legacy shaped over more than seven centuries.

Believed to be among the earliest settlers of Mumbai, the Pathare Prabhus are custodians of a distinctive food culture that reflects the journeys of their ancestors across western India. Their cuisine is richly layered, drawing influences from Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, and coastal trade routes, while celebrating ingredients such as coconut, kokum, tamarind, jaggery , and some of the finest seafood from the Arabian Sea.

Few have done more to preserve this heritage than Chef Bimba Nayak

Widely regarded as one of the foremost ambassadors of Pathare Prabhu cuisine, Chef Bimba has spent decades documenting, teaching, and sharing recipes that might otherwise have been lost to time. Inspired as a young girl by her maternal grandmother’s cooking, she has dedicated more than six decades to safeguarding the culinary traditions of her community, teaching thousands of students and curating acclaimed food festivals across India.

“I don’t believe food should be made and served from the heart,” says Chef Bimba . “It should be made with every fibre of one’s being.”

That philosophy will come to life in Colombo as Chef Bimba collaborates with Patrick Buttgereit and Indranil Banerjee to create a menu that honours both heritage and locality. In the lead up to the event, the chefs will visit Colombo’s bustling fish market to hand select the freshest seafood an expression of Shangri La Colombo’s Rooted in Nature philosophy, which celebrates ingredients at their source and the stories they carry from sea to plate.

Guests can expect a vibrant and deeply personal menu featuring treasured family recipes and signature dishes such as Kolambi Khadkhadle, Chicken Gode, Bhanavle, and other traditional specialities rarely experienced outside the Pathare Prabhu community.

For those who wish to delve deeper into this extraordinary cuisine, Chef Bimba will host an intimate cooking class on 3 June 2026, sharing the spice blends, techniques, and culinary insights that have been passed down through generations.

At a time when many regional food traditions risk fading into obscurity, this collaboration offers a rare opportunity to experience a cuisine that has remained largely hidden, even in its hometown of Mumbai.

More than a dining event, it is a journey through history, culture, and the enduring power of recipes to preserve identity.

The Pathare Prabhu Culinary Experience with Chefs Bimba and Gauri Nayak will take place at Central, Shangri La Colombo, from 4 to 7 June 2026. The exclusive cooking class will be held on 3 June 2026.

For reservations and more information, please call +94 11 788 8288 or email dining.slcb@shangri la.com.