On Saturday, June 20, 2026, Lago Italian Bistro, located in Colombo City Centre, will present a unique Father’s Day dining event, crafted in collaboration with Chef Derrick Kwa. This special evening aims to foster family connections and stimulate conversations among guests. Each dining table will select seven words from a list of twelve descriptors—including nurturing, creative, fierce, and stubborn—to characterize their father. These selected words will then translate into seven distinct sharing plates, ensuring that no two tables experience the same meal.
Chef Derrick Kwa is an accomplished Singaporean chef with a career that spans prestigious fine-dining restaurants across three continents, including Michelin-starred venues and those recognized in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants. He has also held the position of Group Executive Chef for Wilde & Co, a collection of boutique luxury hotels in Sri Lanka, where he collaborated with local chefs to deepen his familiarity with the country’s spices, ingredients, and culinary traditions. This immersion has enhanced his understanding of Sri Lanka’s dynamic food culture and amplified his appreciation for its vibrant flavors and ingredient-driven cooking.
Initially trained in digital marketing, Chef Derrick has spent considerable time contemplating the nuances of communication, storytelling, and human connection. This foundational perspective remained with him as he transitioned into the culinary field, where he views food as a medium that transcends words—communicating through ingredients, memories, and shared experiences.
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For this year’s Father’s Day celebration, Chef Derrick has crafted a menu featuring twelve words rather than dishes: nurturing, fierce, protective, generous, adventurous, creative, joyful, dramatic, stubborn, wise, resilient, and calm. Each table will select seven descriptors that resonate most with their perception of their father, allowing the kitchen to curate a personalized meal delivered in three courses: three sharing plates to start, two main dishes, and two desserts. Since several descriptors correspond to multiple dishes, every combination results in a unique dining experience.
The connection between each word and its corresponding dish is intentional and storytelling-driven. For instance, the nurturing descriptor is illustrated through gnocchi in rasam accompanied by sautéed aloe—symbolizing comfort, care, and healing. The protective element is represented by a dish featuring clams, chili, and turmeric, with each ingredient embodying various forms of protection. The stubborn descriptor is reflected in a dish of goat and robust coffee, showcasing resilience and strength.
Chef Derrick expresses, “The essence of a meal lies in the connections it fosters. The most memorable meals do more than fill your stomach; they provoke thought, evoke feelings, and unite people. My goal was to create a menu that facilitates this connection, making the conversation about fathers a central part of the experience.”
Each dish is born from a sense of curiosity, deconstructing ideas to their core ingredients and techniques before reassembling them with purpose. Chef Derrick emphasizes the use of locally sourced Sri Lankan ingredients, adding a touch of island flavor while incorporating global culinary concepts, all within the framework of contemporary fine dining.
This experience is designed to be inclusive, welcoming not only families celebrating their fathers but also friends and partners who wish to explore the meaning of fatherhood.
The event will take place at Lago Italian Bistro, utilizing a sharing-plates format that encourages interaction and discussion, perfectly aligning with the menu’s intent.
Greta, co-owner of Lago, states, “We were drawn to Derrick’s concept because it transforms a meal into a dynamic conversation. At Lago, we believe that the finest dining experiences bring individuals together, and this event prompts families to reflect, share stories, and honor those who have influenced their lives. By allowing guests to tailor their menu to reflect the qualities they admire in their fathers, each table becomes part of a broader narrative. We are thrilled to host an event that combines meaningful connections with outstanding cuisine.”
This collaboration emphasizes creating an environment conducive to dining, reflection, conversation, and connection—an evening where the meal serves as a platform for expressing sentiments that might otherwise remain unspoken.
Source: Financial Chronicle Biz English | Sri Lanka Business News.
