Chicky and Nandini Fonseka bring hints of Sri Lankan savour to southwest
Chicky and Nandini Fonseka are the Merchants of No Sense, and they are bringing their Sri Lankan savour to southwest Sydney.
The Express
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Chicky and Nandini Fonseka are the Merchants of No Sense, and they are bringing their Sri Lankan savour to southwest Sydney.
You might have seen the mother and daughter from Revesby, doing the market scene with their street food stall Nasty Delicious.
But the family have planted their turmeric roots in Menai, opening the doors to Merchants of No Sense just one month ago.
The food is what you expect from any Sri Lankan establishment — colourful and fresh, but you need to look for the island’s influence.
Ceylon iced tea infused with lavender ($6) and fresh drinking coconuts ($8) are fused with quirky Australian dishes.
Charcoal pancakes with salted caramel, fresh orange segments and crème friache ($15.50) and pink pitaya bowls ($14) — a twist on acai bowls — are out the door as fast as they are made.
The menu, written on a craft paper roll, changes seasonally and ingredients are sourced from family friends at markets.
Cold pressed juices are made in house, as are a selection of pastries and the cafe places a strong emphasis on reducing wastage by weaving one ingredient into many of the dishes.
The Fonsekas have plans to transform the cafe into a bustling Sri Lankan restaurant at night by May.
The restaurant will serve up signatures like Pol Sambol — freshly cracked coconut, shaved and mixed with dry roasted chillis, limes and little Maldive fish.
Chicky, 30, said her family are passionate about bringing the best of their Sri Lankan heritage to the Aussie table.
“A lot of people think Sri Lankan food is the same as Indian — but they are totally different cuisines,” she said.
“Sri Lankan is very fragrant, there are lots of fresh ground herbs that we roast or cook for long periods of time — it’s very labour intensive.”
Chicky said with her mum, the main idea was to offer food that’s “creative and fresh”.
One look at their ever-evolving menu will show you, they’ve done just that.
Merchants of No Sense
WHERE: 7/786-788 Old Illawarra Rd, Menai
WHEN : 6am-3pm weekdays, 7am-3pm Sat, 8am-3pm, Sun
WHAT TO EAT: the Black Forest ($22) with black charcoal bread, whipped feta, smoked salmon, beetroot balsamic, poached egg and more; Pol Sambol — coconut, chillis and fish
DETAILS: Merchants of No Sense Facebook page
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