OZO Colombo’s Chef Amila creating individual masterpieces

Amila Shirantha is firmly establishing himself as one of Sri Lanka’s culinary leaders. Starting as a young man straight out of school, Chef Amila began working in the field of hospitality for banquet operations. Not being satisfied with just serving fine food to people, he wanted to know what went on behind the scenes in creating the food, so he decided to take a professional course in cookery at the International Hotel School in Mount Lavinia. 

Amila completed his education and practical training in Sri Lanka and has built a prolific career spanning nearly two decades, which have seen him cook in a clutch of the finest restaurants in Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Today, Amila applies his talent, passion and vision to his role as Executive Sous-Chef at OZO Colombo, serving traditional local dishes and international creations to demanding clientele from across the world.

After studying at the IHS Culinary School and taking a three-year apprenticeship at Mount Lavinia Hotel, Chef Amila’s path led him to Equator Village, Baros Maldives, Coco Palm, One & Only, and Viceroy in the Maldives, where he specialised in fine dining. Having trained under Chef Damian Broute from Australia, Amila learned the perfect balance of flavours, as well as the arts of classical French and Italian cuisines. He worked diligently under his mentor for seven years until he was ready to spread his wings again and seek out new experiences.

In 2013, Chef Amila returned home to take on the role of Sous-Chef at OZO Colombo, where he hones his skills in creating tantalising dishes. It was here, where he fell in love with sourcing local food and meeting the farmers who grow it. Chef Amila is a strong believer in creating food in small quantities to ensure that each ingredient and portion retains its unique flavour and taste. He views his kitchen as a hub for creating, training, dreaming and growing to make a difference, one quality dish at a time.

Regardless of how far he travels or how many cuisines he specialises in, Chef Amila stays true to the belief that food is what brings people together. He hopes that the food and the thematic nights that his team puts together will allow people to experience new food trends in the beautiful environment of OZO Colombo.