Sri Lanka’s most acclaimed Japanese restaurant Nihonbashi celebrates 30 years

Friday, 27 June 2025 00:36 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Chef Dharshan Munidasa - Pix by Ruwan Walpola

Olive Oil Kake Tai Cha

Spicy Prawn Soupless Ramen

Samurai Room

Marking three decades of popularising “Washoku” in Sri Lanka, Chef Dharshan Munidasa’s flagship restaurant celebrates its 30th anniversary on 28 June, a restaurant that began with a vision to bridge Japan and Sri Lanka through food and earned global recognition including being the first Sri Lankan restaurant on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list, ranking consecutively from 2013-2018.

Chef Dharshan’s journey was born from personal passion, an uncompromising commitment to authenticity, and a deep respect for ingredients. Since its inception in 1995 at Galle Face Terrace.

“Nihonbashi,” literally meaning Japan-Bridge, represented a culinary promise; to serve real Japanese food, unapologetically pure and true to the traditions of Washoku. In his relentless pursuit of promotion and dissemination of Japanese cuisine and the principles of Washoku, Dharshan was conferred “The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays”, one of the highest honours granted by the Japanese Government.

From the very beginning, Chef Dharshan resisted trends, choosing not to serve “California Rolls” or fusion adaptations. Instead, Nihonbashi became a pioneer, introducing Sri Lankan diners to the nuanced flavours, textures, and philosophies of pure and unadulterated Japanese cuisine, from procuring Tsukiji-bound tuna to championing the purity of seasonal ingredients. The restaurant takes great pride in sourcing most of its ingredients locally, given the access to the best fish markets, reserving imports for those exceptional ingredients not found in Sri Lanka.

Over the years, Nihonbashi has evolved into a culinary incubator, giving rise to renowned restaurants like Ministry of Crab, The Tuna & The Crab, Kaema Sutra and Carne Diem Grill, which all have strong influences of Japanese culinary philosophies. Nihonbashi also has branches in Kandy and the Maldives, extending its philosophy and experience beyond Colombo.

Nihonbashi’s new home at Port City features eight private dining rooms with a mix of Japanese tatami style seating and western style seating: Chikurin (Bamboo Forest), Akamatsu (Red Pine), Bonsai, Ikebana, Samurai, Whiskey, Wine and Sake room, drawing inspiration from Dharshan’s Japanese heritage. The location exhibits an outdoor bar ‘Lost in Translation’, along with what is possibly the largest Yakitori Grill in the world.

The menu features a combination of traditional Japanese cuisine and modern Japanese cuisine, ranging from A5 Japanese Wagyu, Sushi, Sashimi, Tempura, Teriyaki and Nabe, to a wide selection of yakitori, as well as Dharshan’s original dishes such as Olive Oil Kake Tai Cha, Shirunashi Ramen, Karapincha Tempura and Ten Sabi Temaki.

To mark this special occasion, Nihonbashi introduces Sushi Sen, an existing new menu concept that reimages the traditional hand roll experience. Guests become the architects of their own sushi roll, choosing from a selection of 10 mains, 10 vegetables, and 10 amazing sauces, creating a possible combination of 1,000 handrolls. Sushi Sen offers a fun, interactive, and flavour-packed experience that brings something truly original to Colombo’s dining scene.

Nihonbashi at 30 is more than a milestone — it is a legacy built on one guest, one dish, and one story at a time.

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