Cooking Archives - GlenMyu Estate

Making people happy

Cookery Courses, Food and Drink, Holiday, Our food menus at GlenMyu Estate, Sri Lankan Cooking, Things to do on holiday in Sri Lanka / By Mikeez

Making people happy

Making people happy – that’s what we aim to do!

This phrase really resonated with me whilst I was listening to a podcast.

Michel Roux Jr. was being interviewed by James O’Brien for the Full Disclosure Podcast.
Towards the end of the interview James ends saying that the impulse driving the hospitality industry is “making people happy”.

This impulse is ultimately what we aim to achieve at GlenMyu Estate.

We feel that we have an advantage

We feel that we have an advantage in our aims of making people happy.

For most of our guests GlenMyu Estate is not their first stop on their holiday in Sri Lanka. The estate is located just over five hours from the airport and therefore it is only the dedicated few that make GlenMyu Estate their first stop.

Fortunately for us, guests arrive already having been wowed by the country and the hospitality of its’ people. They come with smiles on their faces and rave about their experience so for on the island.

Fall in love with the Sri Lankan Hill Country

Cleary, we then have a job to do to continue the feeling that our guests have when they arrive.

We want to create an atmosphere where you feel relaxed and are visiting an old friend. In some hotels you can feel uncomfortable and not fully be able to let your hair down.

The atmosphere that we have tried to create is somewhere that you can truly relax and unwind. It was really important to us that there were comfortable chairs and sofas in the rooms and lounges. Space was also important, so, if you want to spend some time alone, you can.

We have not overdeveloped the land and only have three guest bedrooms. There is always space to swim in the pool and lots of places to explore on the five acre estate.

It makes us feel great when our guests connect and fall in love with GlenMyu Estate.

Full Disclosure with James O'Brien - one of my favourite podcasts.

Watch or listen to the Full Disclosure Podcast with James O’Brien and Michel Roux.

I tend to listen to lots of podcasts in the Sri Lankan Hill country and have waned myself off of television over the years I have lived here. There are many more podcasts that I subscribe to which gives me my fill in entertainment, news, sport and politics.

Food is an important part of what we do at GlenMyu Estate

Eating great food, prepared with love is a way of making people happy.

Ru and her team take pride in the dishes that they prepare for our guests. They are motivated when they hear the positive feedback from our guests.

We try to source as much as we can locally as it is fresh and tastes great. You will find that our menu is mainly plant based with some fish and chicken options.

If you read our reviews on Google, Tripadvisor, Booking.com and Airbnb you will see how much our guests love the food at GlenMyu Estate.

Shared experiences with friends and family

We love to see the smiles on pour guests faces as the sit and eat together.

Hearing the shrieks of joy as families enjoy the swimming pool together puts smiles on our faces. We know that family bonding is important and that we have the facility to enable people to come together and create memories.

Sharing the love for Sri Lankan cooking

Sri Lankans are very proud of their country and also their cuisine.

Our guests really enjoy our complimentary Sri Lankan cooking demonstration which is provided when they order our Sri Lankan sharing platter.

Ru’s mum, who has over 50 years experience in a Sri Lankan kitchen, shows our guests how the dishes are made.

The great thing is that you get to eat a delicious Sri Lankan meal after an entertaining hour or two.

Fresh fruits and vegetables

The colour of fresh local fruits and vegetables really add something special to the meals we cook. It is really important that we source the best ingredients that we can to cook for our guests.

Reconnecting with nature

Most of the world lives in cities and has pushed nature away.

Reconnecting with nature is good for the heart and the soul.

GlenMyu Estate has five acres for you to explore and enjoy. We have planted species on the estate to encourage wildlife to visit.

Listening to the birds as you swim in our Natural Spring Fed swimming pool is a beautiful experience.

Making a connection with our rescue dogs or watching the ducks wander around the land as they forage brings a bit of inner peace.

Connect with the animals at the estate

We have several rescue dogs at GlenMyu Estate.

Most visitors to Sri Lanka see the poor condition of the stray street dogs as they travel around the island. There are some good organisations that help these poor animals such as WeCare, Embark and Dogs of Ella.

All of our rescue dogs are vaccinated, friendly, and used to meeting guests. We would not recommend that you pet any dogs or cats in Sri Lanka as rabies is still an issue and dangerous for humans.

You can been comfortable in petting our dogs as they have all their vaccinations and love it when guests stay.

Look out for Clove, who thinks that you have come to visit her!

Our dogs add to our aim of making people happy during their stay.

Be happy and come to Sri Lanka on holiday.

Your experience of a holiday in Sri Lanka will put a smile on your face and you will remember your time here for many years.

The tourist boards’ new slogan is ‘You will come back for more’.

Once you have experienced this paradise island we are sure you will want to come back again one day.

Stay at GlenMyu Estate to explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country

GlenMyu Estate is listed on Booking.com and Airbnb.
Contact us by the WhatsApp button on our website for direct booking rates.

Stay at GlenMyu Estate as you explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country

See sights like Horton Plains National Park is a unique experience.

We only have three bedrooms and you will need to book early during the peak holiday season.

The estate is usually within an hours drive of the major sightseeing locations such as Nine Arch Bridge, Ella Town, Upper Diyaluma Waterfall, Lipton’s Seat, Bambarakanda Waterfall and many more.

Making people happy Read More »

Jackfruit growing at GlenMyu Estate, Sri Lanka

Jackfruits in Sri Lanka

Cookery Courses, Food and Drink, Holiday, Organic, Our food menus at GlenMyu Estate, Plant Based Menu, Recipes, Sri Lankan Cooking, sri lankan recipes / By Mikeez

Jackfruits in Sri Lanka

Jackfruits in Sri Lanka.

These delicious fruits are a staple dish on our menu at our luxury bed and breakfast in the central hills of Sri Lanka.

I was delighted to return from my UK trip in October to see so many Jackfruits on the trees next to the lawn at GlenMyu Estate.

An island of many seasons

There are several different zones in Sri Lanka which give rise to different climates and growing conditions. Also, there are two major monsoons that affect different parts of the island during the year.

In the Sri Lankan hill country we have two drier seasons and two season where we have some much needed rain.

The weather patterns have changes due to global warming. However we normally have a dry spell from mid-June until mid-September.

Rains were late coming to GlenMyu Estate this year and our Jackfruit trees were quite bare!

When I returned, this is what I saw!

Before I left GlenMyu Estate for the UK at the beginning of October the tree had not delivered Jackfuits for around month.
I could see a few small shoots starting on the tree. But I was pessimistic that we would have a crop for our guests during the peak tourist season from December to April.

I was amazed, and very happy to see the number of fruits that had grown in less then three weeks.

As you can see, we should have plenty of Jackfruits during the season to make delicious dishes for our guests.

Keeping the food miles low

We are lucky to have some mature Jackfruit trees next to the lawn at GlenMyu Estate.

They provide an abundance of fruits which we use in dishes that we serve to our guests.

The food miles are about as low as you can get being around twenty metres from the kitchen!

What do we use Jackfruit for?

We mainly use Jackfruit for a curry which we serve along with the other elements in our Sri Lankan sharing platter.

Most guests are surprised at how meaty the texture of the Jackfruit is when it is cooked. It is however a carbohydrate rather than a protein.

Therefore, we make sure that you get your protein from other dishes that are part of the Sri Lankan sharing platter.

We also make a Pulled Jackfruit Burger which is cooked in a barbecue sauce.

Lots of our guests have been surprised that it isn’t pulled pork as it has a similar texture.

Jackfruits in Sri Lanka -How we open the Jackfruit

Jackfruits are huge and heavy.

Once they have been cut from the tree they are a challenge to break open and get to the good stuff inside. There is also a sticky sap which makes it a tricky item to handle.

Sri Lankans are experts when it comes to opening the Jackfruit, as you can see from this video.

The Jackfruits aren't all ours!

Fortunately there are lots of Jackfruit on the tree. There are lots of animals that visit GlenMyu Estate that also love Jackfuit.

Monkeys, birds and squirrels are happy when they ripen.

Luckily there are enough fruits to share with the wildlife.

We have also planted lots of fruit trees on the edge of the estate which will feed the wildlife in the future.

Learn how to cook Jackfruit

When our guests order our Sri Lankan sharing platter, Ru’s mum happily provides a complimentary cooking demonstration.

She has over fifty years experience of Sri Lankan cooking and her food is delicious.

Our guests really enjoy the informal setting and give great reviews of the food after they have eaten their evening meal.

It commences at around 4 p.m and therefore is suitable if you are staying more that one night at GlenMyu Estate.

Stay at GlenMyu Estate to explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country

GlenMyu Estate is listed on Booking.com and Airbnb.
Contact us by the WhatsApp button on our website for direct booking rates.

Stay at GlenMyu Estate as you explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country

See sights like Horton Plains National Park is a unique experience.

We only have three bedrooms and you will need to book early during the peak holiday season.

Jackfruits in Sri Lanka Read More »

Taking skills from Le Cordon Bleu to Sri Lanka

Cookery Courses, Food and Drink, Holiday, Our food menus at GlenMyu Estate, Plant Based Menu, Recipes, Ru's Recipes, Sri Lankan Cooking, sri lankan recipes, Traditional British Sunday Dinner / By Mikeez

Taking cooking skills from Le Cordon Bleu to Sri Lanka

Ruwanthi took some of the cooking skills and techniques that she learnt on a short Le Cordon Bleu course to GlenMyu Estate, Sri Lanka.

Ruwanthi completed a basic Le Cordon Bleu course in London. She has and taken what she learnt to the kitchen at GlenMyu Estate, Sri Lanka.

Prior to spending sixteen years in the UK, Ruwanthi had limited cooking skills.

Her mother is a great cook, and she provided all the meals for the family as Ru was growing up.
Focusing on her Gymnastic skills whilst attending Ananda Balika Vidyalaya School in Colombo, Ru’s focus was not in the kitchen. Her concentration on her sport led her to becoming National Gymnast champion for several years.

However, a career move to London meant that Ru would need tolerant to cook for herself.

I think that the competitive streak she has resulted in the quality of cooking she delivers at GlenMyu Estate.

I was so lucky

How lucky was I? Ruwanthi used to bring what she cooked home in the evening for me to taste.

Quite often, her Le Cordon Bleu dishes became my lunch the next day much to my colleagues envy.

The place to eat in Queens Park

We lived in our tiny flat in Queens Park, North West London.

As Ru’s cooking skills gained momentum, our flat became the place that everyone wanted to eat.

The number of dinner parties that took place around our small lounge dining table were numerous and are remembered by our friends who were the beneficiaries of Ruwanthi’s food experiments.

What good times we had.

Delia Smith and a Traditional Roast Dinner

Ru knew that Sunday lunches were a favourite of mine.

She decided one day to follow Delia Smith’s cookbook to create a Roast Dinner for myself and my flatmate Phil.

We were amazed on what she served up. Perfect Roast Potatoes and superbly crisp and fluffy Yorkshire Puddings.

High praise was lauded and a Sunday Roast became a welcome meal after I retrained from coaching rugby to the junior teams in my local London rugby club.

Our Traditional Roast Chicken Dinner is a favourite amount the ex-pat community that live on the island. Recently, we have added a mushroom pie for our Plant Based guests so that they don’t miss out on this delicious meal.

Taking those skills to Sri Lanka

The skills that Ru learnt in the Le Cordon Bleu basic cookery course has stayed with her over the years.

There have been many more influences that have developed what she serves to our guests at GlenMyu Estate.

I encouraged Ru by bombarding her with cookbooks for birthdays and at Christmas.

She has quite a collection, from Michel Roux Jnr, Raymond Blanc to Gordon Ramsey and Jamie Oliver. I managed to get Rick Stein to sign several of his series of cookbooks over the years.

Delia Smiths Simple Cookery was added to with other books in her collection.

Sri Lankan influences

For many year Peter Kuruvita’s beautiful Sri Lankan recipe book “Serendip, My Sri Lankan Kitchen” has been a reference point for Ru’s Sri Lankan cooking.

Of course, her mother has also been a major influence. Ru continues to hone her Sri Lankan dishes under her mothers guidance.

Food is an important part of GlenMyu Estate

Nourishing our guests with outside and in is an important part of what we do at GlenMyu Estate.

We have tried to create an environment throughout the five acre estate and within the house that is uplifting and connects you with nature.

The dishes that we serve, including our sumptuous breakfast to give you a good start to the day, provides you with good healthy nutrition.

Ingredients from the garden and great local suppliers

One thing that we have learnt from our time in Sri Lanka is that you should use fresh local season ingredients.

We grow a lot of things in our organic garden at GlenMyu Estate which are used as ingredients in the meals we serve.

It is important for us also to support good local producers. We have a great fruit and vegetable suppliers in the Sri Lankan hill country. Mushrooms are supplied by a grown in Bandarawela which is 26 kilometres from the Estate.

Fish is brought from the coast daily and therefore we get great Tuna and Prawns on a regular basis.

Heading towards a Plant Based Diet

It has become a natural process for us to move towards a more Plant Based diet.

You will see from our menus that we have a lots of dishes that are suitable for Vegans and Vegetarians. We still offer some chicken and fish dishes too so that we can cater for all types of diets.

In the past Sri Lankan diets were naturally Plant Based as little meat and poultry was eaten on the island for various reasons.

We have found that as we have such great fresh ingredients that provide a balanced nutritional diet, that it has been easier to move towards a more Plant Based offering.

The meals are delicious and we have had many die hard carnivores tell us that they didn’t miss meat in the dishes that we served them.

A complimentary Sri Lankan Cooking demonstration

One of the fun things that we do at GlenMyu Estate is to provide a complimentary cooking demonstration when guests order our Sri Lankan sharing platter.

In additional to having a delicious meal to look forward to, you also get fifty plus years of cooking experience showing you how to make the dishes from Ru’s mother.

It’s an entertaining way to see how our Sri Lankan dishes are made.

We get a kick out of seeing pictures from our guests of their Sri Lankan dishes that they have made when they get home.

Sri Lankan food - the next big thing?

We love Sri Lankan food and we don’t believe that it has properly arrived on the World stage.

Hopefully, with increasing numbers of tourists visiting Sri Lanka and the success of Sri Lankan chefs on Masterchef this will be righted in the future.

In 2024 Sri Lankan chefs did well on Masterchef. Brin Pirathapan won UK Masterchef. Savindri Perera (Sav) came third on Australian Masterchef.

The judges were wowed by the food that they both served that had a Sri Lankan influence in the dishes.

We should be asking for commission!

Supporting Sri Lankan businesses and championing Sri Lankan cuisine is something that we feel is right to do.

Many of our guests seek out Sri Lankan food when they get back home as they have enjoyed what they eat at GlenMyu Estate. We know that several of our guests have eaten at Rambutan, Kolamba, Hoppers in London.

Other have sought out Sri Lankan restaurants recommended by the Michelin Guide including Sagara and Lakruwana which are both based in New York.

Peter Kuruvita and Cynthia Shamugalingam’s book Rambutan must have made additional sales from our guests.

Perhaps we should be charging commission!

To be honest, after meeting us, you will know that we are not that type of people. We just like supporting good business and good people.

Stay at GlenMyu Estate and enjoy the great food served by Ru and the team.

Stay at GlenMyu Estate as you explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country and sample the dishes that we prepare freshly for our guests.

See sights like Horton Plains National Park is a unique experience.

We only have three bedrooms and you will need to book early during the peak holiday season.

The estate is usually within an hours drive of the major sightseeing locations such as Nine Arch Bridge, Ella Town, Upper Diyaluma Waterfall, Lipton’s Seat, Bambarakanda Waterfall and many more,

GlenMyu Estate is listed on Booking.com and Airbnb.
Contact us by the WhatsApp button on our website for direct booking rates.

Taking skills from Le Cordon Bleu to Sri Lanka Read More »

Okra Salad Recipe

Cookery Courses, Food and Drink, Holiday, Organic, Our food menus at GlenMyu Estate, Plant Based Menu, Recipes, Ru's Recipes, sri lankan recipes / By Mikeez

Okra Salad Recipe

Our Okra Salad Recipe

At GlenMyu Estate we are happy to share our recipes.
One of our guests from the USA loved it so much we published it.

So, if you liked this recipe please think your thanks to Janice from Los Angeles for inspiring us to publish our recipe.

Okra Salad Recipe

We normally serve our Okra Salad as an accompaniment to our Chilli and Garlic Prawns or Sesame Crusted Tuna dishes at GlenMyu Estate.

You can read more about the other food we serve got guests at the following link below.

This is what Ali wrote when he stayed at GlenMyu Estate in July 2024.

Ali lives in Dubai and therefore has a good selection of cuisines at his doorstep. His words make us immensely proud.

“we ate the best food cooked by Ru. The food prepared by this lady is better than many food we have tasted in micheline star restaurants around the world”

(booking.com – July 2024)

Our guests love the food that we serve at GlenMyu Estate.

We are humbled when they write their reviews about their stay and how much they enjoyed what Ru and the team served them to eat. You can read the reviews on Booking.com, Airbnb, Google and Tripadvisor.

Stay at GlenMyu Estate and sample our other recipes

GlenMyu Estate is listed on Booking.com and Airbnb.
Contact us by the WhatsApp button on our website for direct booking rates.

Stay at GlenMyu Estate as you explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country

See sights like Horton Plains National Park is a unique experience.

We only have three bedrooms and you will need to book early during the peak holiday season.

Okra Salad Recipe Read More »

Ru' Sri Lankan Egg Hoppers with a twist.

5 reasons Trying New Food is the Best part of Travelling

Cookery Courses, Holiday, Life in Sri Lanka, Recipes, Ru's Recipes, Sri Lanka, Sri Lankan Cooking, sri lankan recipes, The Organic Garden at GlenMyu, Vegan, Vegetarian / By Mikeez

5 reasons Trying New Food is the Best part of Travelling.

5 reasons trying new food is the best part of travelling.

We all love traveling. There’s so many good elements to that two-week break and it’s good for your heart and soul.
Some of the benefits are:

Sight-seeing
Meeting new people
Exploring new places.
Getting away from everyday life at home.
Resting and reenergising.

and let’s not forget about the endless amounts of Instagram posts.

But the best part of all is the food.

Different countries of the world have so many new flavours and dishes that you would not come across at home. It’s unlikely that you would try these dishes at home and travelling gives you the inspiration to get out of your comfort zone.

It’s probably not the main thing that you research before you go on holiday and the beauty is getting out of your comfort zone a trying new tastes.

We find that our guests at GlenMyu Estate, Sri Lanka are really open to trying new dishes that Ru serves. The delight and discussion about the new flavours are music to our ears.

Here are why we think that food is the best aspect of traveling.

1. You Discover Foods You Have NotTried Before.

There are so many dishes in other countries that you would never try if you do not traveled outside you own country. And my what would you have missed if you didn’t sample some of these amazing flavours!

Traveling somewhere new provides you with the opportunity to opens your eyes and your taste buds to a new world of flavour.

In Sri Lanka, even eating local Mangos, Papaya and Avocados (which have not done those food miles) are a discovery. At GlenMyu Estate we have experienced guests’ joy at eating something that tasted different in their home country.

Fresh coconut juice from a King Coconut is delicious and good for you.

Sri Lankan food is favoured with lots of different spices that are grown on the island. If you pop into a supermarket you will see that there is only a limited range of groceries on offer.

As a result Sri Lankans use very little processed food and favour locally grown fresh ingredients.

Even on a small island like Sri Lanka, there are regional variations of the way food in prepared, the ingredients used and how it is served. So on your holiday in Sri Lanka you will experience different flavours around as you travel.

2. You Will Experience Foods You Eat at Home in a New Way.

While you will discover completely new foods when you visit a foreign country, you will also be able to try food you’ve eaten many times before at home. However, you will probably discover a completely new flavour in it.

There’s nothing like eating pizza or pasta in Italy. Or they say that Guinness tastes different in Ireland.

It makes sense that when foodstuff has to travel it will lose its’ freshness. Some food is sprayed with chemicals to preserve it or make sure it does not ripen quickly before it ends up on the supermarket shelves.

Foods local in other countries have so much more flavour because they are authentic and have not been adjusted for a foreign market. They are also fresher and the cooks and chefs are used to preparing dishes with the locally grown ingredients.

3. A Country’s Food Tells You So Much About Their Culture.

Your guide book will give you an insight into the local culture, however, getting into a kitchen or sampling local food will tell you much more.

We have lots of guests that visit GlenMyu Estate that have seen cows in fields and on the roads as they have travelled around the island.

They are surprised when we tell them that Sri Lanka was not historically a culture that used milk. You can imagine, if a farmer milked a cow, years ago they had no way of keeping it cool in the tropics.

So butter, milk and cheese are not products that are used in many of the local recipes. Coconut milk and coconut oil is used in most dishes. Coconuts are grown all over the island and in many home gardens. You will be surprised on how many coconuts a tree will deliver to a family during the year.

Our informal Sri Lankan Cookery Demonstration.

One way of getting to understand the culture is to take part in a local cooking course when you are in Sri Lanka.

We at GlenMyu Estate, offer an informal cookery demonstration when guests order our Sri Lankan Sharing Platter. Ru’s mother, who has at least 50 years experience in the kitchen, loves sharing the intricacies of her version of Sri Lankan cooking.

There are many regional variations in cooking styles on this small island. Ru’s mum is from the Matara district and the way she cooks is a reflection of that if the south coast.

4. Food Brings People Closer Together.

We have three bedrooms at GlenMyu Estate. Sometimes all three rooms are booked by one party. Eating their meal together as a group allows the guests to bond and have a shared experience.

At other times the rooms are booked by individual parties who are exploring the island. We are delighted when these guests experience new food and tastes with others around the table, especially when they are ecstatic about what they have sampled. It’s also a chance to share their views on the travel around the island and their plans after leaving GlenMyu Estate.

The community feeling and bond creates from this shared experience is one that we treasure. We think that it really adds value to the travel experience around Sri Lanka.

Food is also a good conversation opener for people that have met for the first time.

We have seen friendships created, contact details swapped and photos shared.

5. You Benefit From Discovering New Flavours and Dishes to try at Home.

Going to a new country and trying new dishes and experiencing new flavours means you get to come home with so many ideas to try in your own kitchen.

Of course, the ingredients that you will be able to buy at home may have travelled a bit, so it may not taste exactly like that when on holiday.

But at least it will provide you with a taste of your holiday and bring back memories of what a wonderful time you had.

We have been amazed and delighted that several of our guests have tried our recipes at home. There was a Norwegian couple that sent us a picture of the family trying their version of Ru’s mums Aubergine curry.

A German lady sent us photos of her Sri Lankan Egg Hoppers which she made in Berlin.

We also had a Polish couple who had some fast food restaurants in Poland stay with us at GlenMyu Estate. They worked out that they could get substitute ingredients for the coconut symbol that they eat here and would add it to their restaurant menu.

Ru likes to share her recipes and ho they are cooked. We have a YouTube Channel “Ru’s Recipes” which will we add content to over time to show you how to make the food you enjoyed at GlenMyu Estate.

5 reasons Trying New Food is the Best part of Travelling - Summary

You Discover Foods You Have NotTried Before.
You Will Experience Foods You Eat at Home in a New Way.
A Country’s Food Tells You So Much About Their Culture.
Food Brings People Closer Together.
You Benefit From Discovering New Flavours and Dishes to try at Home.

Stay at GlenMyu Estate, try new food and take part in our cookery demo.

A stay at GlenMyu Estate as you explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country gives you the opportunity to sample a variety of local and fusion cuisine.

We are developing a good reputation for our food (read our guest reviews) and guests enjoy the variety of dishes we offer.

We only have three bedrooms and you will need to book early during the peak holiday season.

The estate is usually within an hours drive of the major sightseeing locations such as Nine Arch Bridge, Ella Town, Upper Diyaluma Waterfall, Lipton’s Seat, Bambarakanda Waterfall and many more,

GlenMyu Estate is listed on Booking.com and Airbnb.
Contact us by the WhatsApp button on our website for direct booking rates.

5 reasons Trying New Food is the Best part of Travelling Read More »

My wife likes to experiment… with food.

Cookery Courses, Food and Drink, Plant Based Menu, Recipes, Ru's Recipes, sri lankan recipes / By Mikeez

My wife likes to experiment… with food.

My wife likes to experiment …with food. Fortunately there is lots of inspiration to create new dishes in the Sri Lankan Hill Country.

Moving to the Sri Lankan Hill country provided lots of opportunities for my wife to experiment with food.

GlenMyu Estate was completed during the glacial pandemic. At that time there was a limited amount of produce coming to the hill country.

The supermarkets in Sri Lanka don’t have a wide range of groceries. Especially compared to what you get in the western world.

You can still but some unhealthy ultra processed goods. However, you do not get the variety on the shelves. For example, we only have two variations of bacon; streaky and back, (and only a couple of different brands).

So, having lived in Sri Lanka for the last seven years we are used to having little choice. We have to be a bit creative with what we can get and grow.

The peak effect of the financial crisis in Sri Lanka between March 2022 and November 2022. This resulted in some of our supermarket shelves being empty of certain goods. We managed without butter on several occasions and ether was also shortages of milk.

Our tastes have changed

At first I missed the variety of produce which was on our doorstep in London. It’s amazing how quickly you wean yourself off of salamis, french cheeses and cadburys chocolate. I do still like to eat these items every so often. But now, I mainly wait until my annual trip back to the UK.

We experiment with what we can grow

My wife loves cooking and I am confident enough to say that she has a real love and flair for it. Having learnt to cook in the UK (she raves about Delia Smith) and completing a short Corden Bleu course in London, Ru is really good. Our guests love the dishes that she serves and the reviews of GlenMyu Estate regularly rave the food.

GlenMyu Estate is a five acre property in the Sri Lankan Hill Country.

The main property hosts three guest bedrooms in the bed and breakfast part of our offering.

We are slowly developing the estate into an organic garden and fruit forest.

Our organic vegetable garden is operating well. We are still working out how to improve our production so we can serve more of our home grown produce to our guests.

We still support good local suppliers for the produce that we cannot grow. It is important that we support the local business community, people and suppliers.

My wife has been experimenting with food that we grow

We are lucky to live on a paradise island. Fortunately, we can get great produce that has not travelled many food miles. The fruits and vegetables that we cannot grow don’t have to come too far.

Although we are not near the coast, fish is brought up fishmongers to the Hill Country.

It came take as little as three hours and therefore we can get fresh fish daily.
Fish is an important part of many Sri Lankans’ diets.

Experimenting with food. Moving towards a plant based diet.

Living with animals (we have a cow, lots of ducks and chickens) we are eating more of a plant based diet. Unlike the UK, we are not confident of the animal husbandry in Sri Lanka. We now prefer to eat more fruit and vegetable based meals.

Historically, Sri Lankans mainly ate a vegetarian or vegan diet as that was the main produce available.
This makes it easy to eat a plant-based diet in Sri Lanka.

It’s healthy and good for the planet so we have no reluctance to change our diet.
I might even lose a few pounds which would make my wife very happy!

No need to fight against the tide.

It makes sense for my wife to experiment with the foodstuffs that are easy to source. There is no point us trying to source expensive steak from Australia to serve to our guests. Especially when they can get one for half the price back at home.

As we have no control over the suppliers of pork, chicken and other meats we think there is no point in pushing to find a supplier.

Our guests have been delighted with what we serve and lots of them select our plant based dishes once they have tried Ru’s cooking.

What does my wife experiment with?

At the present time she is concocting and experimenting with dishes using soya as a base.

Making our own soya milk has been quite easy.

Soya ice cream will be perfected to give our vegan clients another dessert alternative to sorbet and coconut cake.

Filling Sri Lankan roast paan with a soya and other flavours is another offering that we will provide to our guests in the future.

Using jackfruit in dishes is a staple for Sri Lankans.
Jackfruit was in the headlines as a vegan superfood around five yeas ago.

We are fortunate to have several Jackfruit trees growing in the garden. They are different varieties and we use them in curries, for our pulled jackfruit burger and the jackfruit nuts are used as a savoury snack (great with beer or a G&T!).

My wife will continue experimenting with food.

Ru really enjoying trying different dishes.
She used some of our neighbours as Guinea Pigs.
They don’t mind as I am normally the first taster before it is adjusted prior to our neighbours getting to sample the new dishes.

Keep an eye on our menu

If you are interested in what my wife is experimenting with please have a look at our food menu from time to time.

I’m happy that my wife likes to experiment.

It’s great that my wife has the inspiration in the Sri Lankan hill country to experiment and try to create new dishes.

And I don’t mind sampling the food that she comes up with.

So, I hope that she continues to experiment with different foods for a long time in the future.

Stay at GlenMyu Estate and sample Ru's new dishes.

A stay at GlenMyu Estate is a unique experience and you can sample Ru’s new dishes.

We only have three bedrooms and you will need to book early during the peak holiday season.

The estate is usually within an hours drive of the major sightseeing locations such as Nine Arch Bridge, Ella Town, Upper Diyaluma Waterfall, Lipton’s Seat, Bambarakanda Waterfall and many more,

GlenMyu Estate is listed on Booking.com and Airbnb.
Contact us by the WhatsApp button on our website for direct booking rates.

My wife likes to experiment… with food. Read More »

New vegan Menu

Cookery Courses, Food and Drink, Holiday, Recipes, Ru's Recipes, sri lankan recipes, The Organic Garden at GlenMyu, Vegan, Vegetarian / By Mikeez

New Vegan menu.

We have just launched our new Vegan menu at GlenMyu Estate. Ru delivers a variety of Sri Lankan and fusion dishes which you will love.

What's in our New Vegan menu?

Let’s start with Breakfast. We always want our guests to have a great start to the day. Our breakfast is quite substantial and really set you up for a day of exploring in the Sri Lankan Hill Country.

We offer Bed and Breakfast at GlenMyu Estate and therefore your breakfast is included in your booking cost on Booking.com or Airbnb.

Kola Kanda is a really health porridge like drink made from healthy leaves from the estate.

We also offer some Sri Lankan offerings such as Hoppers and String Hoppers with a little twist.

We have some Avocado trees at the estate and they fruit a couple of times a year. Avocado is only available when the fruits are in season. Hopefully you will be here when our delicious Avocados have just been picked from the tree.

Vegan Soups and Salads.

We try to source as much of our ingredients from our organic garden at GlenMyu Estate.

It’s also important that we support local businesses and suppliers. Therefore, we do source some ingredients from outside the estate. For example, Mushrooms are supplied by a regular supplier located near Bandarawella.

We cannot guarantee that these items are organic as we do not have control over their growing processes.

Guests enjoy accompanying Ru when she picks items from the garden that are used in the dishes she serves.

Vegan Main dishes.

As mentioned we have a great supplier for mushrooms from Bandarawela. We love the Spiced Grilled Mushrooms in cashew sauce. (we can adjust the level of spice to suit your palette.)

Sri Lankan Roast Paan is a perfect bread for dipping into the cashew sauce.

We also love the homemade Roast Pumpkin Ravioli.

Here is a video from Ru’s recipes where she is making the ravioli.

The Vegan Burger

What I love about our Vegan Burger is that the Jackfruit we use is picked from the trees on the side of the lawn in front of the house.
It is truly food to fork and almost no food miles.

Ru makes the buns freshly at GlenMyu Estate and the salad is picked from the garden. (normally served with chunky chips, not potatoes as shown in this photo).

Sri Lankan offerings - well you are on the island.

Since you are on holiday in Sri Lanka it is important that you sample the local cuisine.

We are fully aware that some guests prefer to eat without lots of chilli and pepper. As we lived in the UK for many years we do understand the Western palette and can adjust the dishes to you preferences.

Sharing plates and a cookery demonstration.

Our Sharing Plates are an experience that both Vegans and Non Vegans enjoy. The kaleidoscope of flavours tasted in the array of dishes is wonderful.

Ru’s mum is the chef for these dishes – she does have around 60 years experience so we bow to her knowledge and skills!

What is life without dessert? Vegan

You are on holiday so something sweet after the meal is okay. The good thing about staying at GlenMyu Estate is that you can swim some lengths in our swimming pool to burn off your dessert.

Sorbets, fresh fruits, rice pudding and ice cream are all there on our new Vegan menu to finish off your meal.

Please note that the prices quoted are at November 2023.

These prices are subject to change. Please click on the link to our Menus on our website for current menu pricing.

Stay at GlenMyu Estate and taste our New Vegan Menu.

When you are travelling around Sri Lanka and are looking for some really great tasting Vegan food then GlenMyu Estate is a great option.

Near to many great tourist sights such as Lipton’s Seat, Horton Plains, Diyaluma Waterfall and also the busy tourist town of Ella. You can explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country and come back to the tranquility of the five acre estate at GlenMyu to relax and have some good food.

Visit our website to see more information about GlenMyu Estate.

GlenMyu Estate is listed on Airbnb and Booking.com.

New vegan Menu Read More »

World Vegan Day 1st November

Sri Lankan Cooking, Vegan, Vegetarian / By Mikeez

World Vegan Day - 1st November

Celebrating World Vegan Day on the 1st November at GlenMyu Estate.

I was reminded to celebrate World Vegan Day in an email from Veganuary.

You may know that GlenMyu Estate takes part in Veganary annually where we aim to add something different to our menu.

You can read more about Veganuary at GlenMyu Estate in the following articles:

Launching our new Vegan Menu.

Veganuary 2023.

Vegan Recipes our guests love.

Looking forward to Veganuary 2024.

What is World Vegan Day?

World Vegan Day is a global event celebrated annually on 1 November. (n.b. the date/day in November has some variations in different countries).

People are encouraged to explore and embrace a vegan lifestyle.

This involves abstaining from the use of animal products for food, clothing, or any other purpose.

World Vegan Day provides an opportunity to educate the public about the benefits of Veganism.

It also raises awareness about animal rights, and also to promote sustainable and compassionate choices

When did World Vegan Day come about.

World Vegan Day was established by animal rights activist Louise Wallis, then Chair of The Vegan Society in the United Kingdom, in 1994.

It was created to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the organisation and the coining of the terms “vegan” and “veganism”.

Louis Wallis is the former president of the Vegan Society. She is a singer, DJ and animal rights activist.

You can read more about Louise in this interview on the Save a Scream website.

And now it's World Vegan Month!

The Vegan Society initially started with World Vegan Day in 1994. This was extended to World Vegan Week and then to World Vegan month.

You can read more about World Vegan month at the The Vegan Society website.

Vegan Food offered all year around.

At GlenMyu Estate we are aware that not all of our guests are Vegan and we do offer some fish and chicken dishes.

We think that the our guests are not ready for GlenMyu Estate to offer only vegetarian and vegan meals. Perhaps in the future, when we have further enhanced our reputation for great food, we will be able to change fully in future.

We have been surprised when we offer guests an alternative to fish, poultry or meat dishes, how much they enjoy them. The ingredients we use are fresh and local which we believe adds to the taste of the meals Ru serves to our guests. You can see Ru in action at our YouTube channel for GlenMyu Estate and also at Ru’s Recipes.

When is World Vegetarian Day?

I thought that there must also be a World Vegetarian Day if there is a World Vegan Day.

World Vegetarian Day takes place on

So what did we do?

We had one of our delicious Jackfruit Burgers with sweet potato fries and a salad for our lunch on World Vegan Day. It’s one of my favourites and a dish that our guests really enjoy.

We had one guest that had come with a friend to have a Roast Chicken Dinner with Yorkshire Puddings, Roast Potatoes and roasted vegetables. The friend was vegetarian and had our Vegan Burger for lunch. After having a taste of the Jackfruit burger the guest chose this as their main meal the following day.

It’s amazing how often we hear the words “You don’t need meat” or “I don’t miss meat” when our guests select dishes from our vegetarian and vegan menus.

The Jackfruit are picked from the trees that are next to the lawn at GlenMyu Estate.

Ru makes the burger buns freshly in the kitchen. The salads and leaves are mainly picked from the garden.

It doesn’t matter how large or small you celebrate or acknowledge World Vegan Day. Perhaps, just eating Vegan dishes on the day appears to be just a small effort. However, we feel that our responsibility is to encourage people to provide a Vegan option. If we provide the best Vegan food and dishes we can to show them how great the food can taste, maybe we will encourage the movement towards plant based meals which is at least better for the planet.

Find our more about a stay in the Sri Lankan Hill Country

GlenMyu Estate is ideally located to discover the sights in the Sri Lankan Hill Country such as Ella Town, Nine Arch Bridge, Lipton’s Seat, Horton Plains National Park, Upper Diyaluma, The Pekoe Trail Waterfall and many more.

We are a luxury boutique hotel with three guest bedrooms looking our towards the south coast of the country.

Read our reviews on Google, TripAdvisor, Booking.com and Airbnb to see what our guests say about a stay at GlenMyu Estate.

We are listed on Booking.com and Airbnb.

World Vegan Day 1st November Read More »

Sri Lankan Cooking Demonstration

Food and Drink, Organic, Recipes, Sri Lanka, Sri Lankan Cooking / By Mikeez

Cooking Holidays in Sri Lanka

At GlenMyu Estate Hotel we offer our guests a free informal Sri Lankan Cooking demonstration. It’s not quite a cooking course however our guests take notes and try some of the recipes out once they get back home.

Sri Lanka is a culinary Paradise!

The local ingredients picked from fertile land, combined with spices brought to the Island by Portuguese, Dutch and British colonists and the influence of Arab, Malay and Indian flavours, over several centuries, has resulted in a special cuisine where there are subtle differences around the Island.

Being a port on the silk route we should not be surprised that traders brought a wide range of produce that has been immersed into the local dishes.

Although the Island is small, (similar inside to Ireland), the growing conditions and local weather in different part of the isle means that the North, South, East and West all have different tastes and interpretations of the food they offer.

It’s not all about chilli peppers!

There are so many spices, fruits and vegetables that grow well in the Island that your plate is not just about getting a hit from one of the variety of chilli peppers grown here

Sri Lanka reputedly grows the best Cinnamon in the World and this is an ingredient that you will find in many dishes.

Cloves, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Pepper, Chillies, and Vanilla are just some of the spices that are grown on the land at GlenMyu Estate and are used in the dishes we offer on our menu.

Here are a few pictures of some of the produce that we are growing in the garden.

To find out more about GlenMyu Estate, Haputale please click on the following link.

Join in with the cooking at GlenMyu Estate

We don’t run an official Sri Lankan Cooking course at the Estate but we have found that many of our guests are interested in Sri Lankan cooking.

We provide an informal Sri Lankan Cooking demonstration where we encourage our guests to join in.

Ruwanthi will take you around the garden to pick some of the organic produce that will be used as ingredients for some of the dishes.

On returning to the kitchen you will be asked to join in preparing the dishes by our dynamic duo Ruwanthi and her mother. We also will have other workers that assist and help with preparing the ingredients and dishes.

Jackfruit is picked from the trees on the estate and is one of the ingredients for the Sri Lankan sharing platter. This is a dish we regularly demonstrate in our informal cookery course.

Our cooking demonstration is informal and you will have the opportunity to watch the dishes being made and Ru will explain about the ingredients we use. Don’t worry, there is no test at the end of the demonstration, just a lovely meal.

It has been known however, for Ru to hand you a pestle and mortar and get you to work helping to prepare a dish!

Our Sri Lankan Sharing Platter - a guest favourite!

The Sri Lankan sharing platter is a vegetarian selection of Sri Lankan curries which vary depending on the availability of fresh produce. We normally run our informal Sri Lankan Cookery course and demonstration when guests order this meal.

Typically it includes a Jackfruit Curry (Great protein!), Aubergine Curry, Plantain Curry, Malum (green healthy leaves) and a salad.

We serve the Sri Lankan Sharing platter with homemade Paratha or with rice for our Vegan guests.

Ru’s mum is a master with the knife and here she is cutting a banana flower which is one of the ingredients of her curries.

Ru lived in London for around sixteen years and is therefore experienced in cooking to a Western palette. She is fully aware that the level of Chillies and Pepper added to the dishes has to be pared down significantly for most of our guests.

However, here is Ru missing her mother putting in a little bit too much chilli during the informal Sri Lankan Cooking Demonstration and course!

It's not all about Sri Lankan Curries!

Ru makes her own fresh pasta for another favourite dish of mine and the guests – Roasted Pumpkin Ravioli.

In effect you may end up picking and cooking your evening meal.

We are always delighted if guests want to join in and we encourage them to do so.

If you end up making a dish or two when you get home it really warms our hearts!

Find our more about a stay at GlenMyu Estate

We only have three bedrooms so we can be booked out quite early in certain time of the year so if you wish to book please try to book early.

We are listed on Booking.com and Airbnb however please contact on the WhatsApp button on our website for the best rates.

Sri Lankan Cooking Demonstration Read More »

Free Cooking Classes

Cookery Courses, Ru's Recipes / By Mikeez

Beragala – Haputale – Sri Lanka

Cooking Classes

Beragala - Haputale

Sri Lanka

At GlenMyu Estate, Hotel many of our guests are really interested in Sri Lankan cooking classes.

Learn to cook a Sri Lankan meal at home from our informal cooking classes and demonstrations at GlenMyu Estate.

Cooking Sri Lankan food as well as the ability to prepare a few dishes to an excellent standard.

The free cooking demonstrations are conducted at GlenMyu Estate, Beragala, Haputale, Sri Lanka.

You can take notes or get involved yourself

The class is provided free on request if you are staying at GlenMyu Estate.

During the ad-hoc cooking lessons you will be able to get busy in the kitchen alongside Ruwanthi, her mother and the staff.

Cooking classes - Western and Fusion Dishes too!

Ru also makes a variety of Western and Fusion dishes for our guests.

Here are some photos when Ru was making Pumpkin Ravioli.

A selection of the dishes that Ru cooks for our guests.

Find out more and cooking classes.

To arrange a stay at GlenMyu Estate and learn more about how Ru prepares the dishes and cooking classes please contact us for rates.

Call us on 0752999272 or send Michael an email at michael@resortglenmyu.com.

Ru's recipes on YouTube

We will be launching Ru’s recipes on YouTube.

Please subscribe so you don’t miss the videos as they are released.

More about GlenMyu Estate

GlenMyu Estate – Summary

3 Kingsize Double Bedrooms with Spectacular Views

2 Spacious Lounges with views over the hills below the house

A Natural Spring-Fed Infinity Swimming Pool

5 Acres of land to explore

Delicious bespoke meals freshly prepared by the host

A selection of places to dine

A place to relax and be closer to nature

Within reach of the following tourist sites

Diyaluma Waterfall and Upper Diyaluma Pools

Horton Plains National Park – Mini Worlds End, Worlds End and Bakers Falls

Adisham Bungalow

Lipton Seat

Dambetenna Tea Factory

Bambarakanda Waterfall

Thangamale Bird Sanctuary

Ella Town

9 Arch Bridge

Little Adams Peak

Ravanna Waterfall

Free Cooking Classes Read More »

Cooking Sri Lankan Style

Cookery Courses, Sri Lankan Cooking / By Mikeez

Cooking Sri Lankan Style

Opportunities to take part in a Sri Lankan cooking demonstration at GlenMyu Resort, Hotel and Bed & Breakfast, Haputale, Sri Lanka.

We have had many guests that visit GlenMyu Estate who are really interested in Sri Lankan Cooking.

For some, their visit to this Paradise Island is their first taste of the local cuisine.

Similar other countries there are delicate differences between how food is prepared and the ingredients used around the Island.

Feeling, hot , hot, hot!

The level of heat is something that visitors have to get used to.

Even asking for no or only a little black pepper and chilli pepper is something that is interpreted in different ways.

The consequences of this is that some food is overtaken by the spice and you really don’t get to savour the best of Sri Lankan cooking.

Sri Lankans generally expect that you will have chilli in your meal even, if you ask for none to be added.

Expectations and unexpected results

An example of the expectation of my own was in our early holidays to the Island an elderly aunt of my wife would regularly make tea for us.

Unlike in the UK, I always have Plain Tea (black tea without milk) as Sri Lanka is known for the quality of the tea and I really enjoy the flavours here.

I also have not had sugar in my tea since I was around 16 years old.

I would always ask for Plain Tea with no sugar.

I always received Plain Tea with sugar.

The elderly aunt did understand enough English to know how I liked my tea.

After several days of sugary tea, I asked my wife to tell the elderly aunt that I did not want sugar in my tea.

The elderly aunt shook her head and advised that she understood my request, however, “how can you drink tea without sugar?!!!”

Building a tolerance level.

Being from the West, but married to a Sri Lankan, my tolerance for chilli has been watched up over the years. However, I am normally the taster in the kitchen and the barometer of what is likely to be acceptable to a Western palette, and what will having them running for glasses of water to cool them down.

An interest in Sri Lankan Cooking

Often guests have wanted to know more about how dishes are made and what ingredients the food is made from.

Ruwanthi has regularly had guests in the kitchen and given them an outline of how the dishes are made.

Last week Ruwanthi had guests using the pestle and mortar to grind the ingredients for Lunumiris – a spicy Sri Lankan samba paste which is served as a condiment. The dish consists of chilli pepper, shallots, Maldivian fish, sea salt, black pepper and lime juice.

Pick the ingredients and learn how to cook by my mother-in-law

Today we had a couple from Europe who had extended their two night stay to three and they had also really enjoyed the food that we had provided.

They were really interested in Sri Lankan cooking and wanted to be able to replicate some of the dishes when they got home.

Our guest really enjoyed the experience of being part of the team making the dishes and she took plenty of notes as illustrated in the pictures below.