Chef
O Tama
Carey
O Tama Carey began her cooking career quite by accident after finding herself in a kitchen in London. Since then she has worked her way through kitchens learning to cook food of diverse cultures including French training at Bistro Moncur, a brief Japanese moment at Uchi lounge, Chinese at Billy Kwong and Italian, of sorts, at Berta. This was her first head chef role and where she could truly focus on working with small suppliers and seasonal produce. Berta won a Best New Restaurant award on opening and it was while here that Tama received her Time Out Chef of the Year award in 2014. In amongst her work in restaurants Tama has always dabbled in various side projects, she has: been involved in keeping bees to use their honey; been part of growing, killing and curing pigs for salumi making; taken pleasure in teaching classes; been a writer for a monthly seasonal ingredient column for SBS food online
tried her hand at food styling; contributed to Australian Gourmet Traveler and worked as a consultant on other restaurants.
Currently Tama is busy running Lankan Filling Station, her first solo venture, a Sri Lankan restaurant located in East Sydney. LFS opened in late July of 2018 to great acclaim and queues out the door. It was awarded a hat in the Good Food Award’s which it has since kept, and made it onto The Weekend Australian Magazines Hot 50 Restaurants within the first few months of opening.
Apart from when she is writing a regular column for the Saturday Paper, this is where you will find her, pounding spices in the kitchen or carrying food on the floor in this small yet stylish and aromatic venue.
Dinners
Dinner at Trebartha East
Ahangama
Saturday 20th
Trebartha East, The Round House is a design-centric boutique hotel atop a 12 acre cinnamon plantation offering 360 degree views of rice paddies and jungle. Just a 10 minute tuk tuk ride from Ahangama, it features four spacious bedrooms, a stylish living room and an 18m curved infinity pool. The all-day kitchen serves locally sourced, on-site crafted dishes in a breezy hilltop setting.
Masterclasses
Masterclass at Galle Fort
Masterclass Kitchen
Sunday 21st
Learn cooking secrets and tips from the masters in their field, as O Tama Carey guides you through a demonstration of a culinary masterclass. This is held in our masterclass kitchen in the UNESCO Galle Fort, a very intimate event where you meet the chef, can ask questions and taste morsels of delight. Take advantage of this outstanding talent being here in Sri Lanka, and improve your dinner party hosting skills, surprise friends and loved ones – you can become the kitchen goddess or god!