Nayana Ellepola appointed Managing Director of Nihonbashi Restaurants

Friday, 28 April 2017 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Celebrity Chef Dharshan Munidasa and his mother Nobuko Munidasa, founders of Nihonbashi Restaurant, recently appointed long-standing General Manager Nayana Ellepolato the role of Managing Director.

With over 40 years’ experience in the hospitality industry, Nayana joined Nihonbashi in 1996, just six months after its opening in June 1995. Over the course of the restaurant’s 22-year existence he has been the steady hand behind-the-scenes that enabled Dharshan to spread Japanese culinary culture in Sri Lanka while focusing on building multiple new restaurants, garnering both a local and international reputation. This has culminated in Nihonbashi and its sister restaurant The Ministry of Crab being the only restaurants from Sri Lanka to be ranked in Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list, with Nihonbashi being the first Sri Lankan restaurant to be placed on the list in 2013, currently ranked for the fifth consecutive year.

In his new position, Nayana will oversee the strategic direction of Nihonbashi, Café Nihonbashi and Alexandra & Ward, while continuing to handle the operations of The Tuna and The Crab in Galle, which is managed by Nihonbashi. Together with Dharshan he will also explore new opportunities and ventures for Nihonbashi Restaurants Ltd.

“We have gone through many ups and downs over the last 22 years together, which has taught us numerous lessons,” says Nayana. “I hope to use these experiences in my role as Managing Director to help Dharshan take forward his vision of expanding and developing Nihonbashi both locally and internationally.”

Commenting on the new appointment Dharshan adds, “Nayana has been a pillar of Nihonbashi over the past 22 years and I believe that he will continue to strengthen Nihonbashi in his new role, as we move from being a unique concept restaurant operator to a multi-faceted restaurant operator.”