Opened this March 2025 at 21 Boon Tat Street is a restaurant redolent with history and calling, passion and ideas, connection and possibilities. A restaurant that is both nexus and locus, like the storied railway station that inspired it. Get onboard for Station by Kotuwa – a vibrant offshoot of Sri Lankan restaurant Kotuwa, which pays tribute to Chef Rishi Naleendra’s heritage. Similarly a celebration of Sri Lankan flavours, but in spirit, Station stands on its own with new and exclusive offerings tailored to it; differing in menus, space, and vibes.
For years, the address 21 Boon Tat Street has been a creative platform for Chef Rishi Naleendra. With him at the helm, the site underwent several incarnations – Cheek by Jowl with its casual refinement, Cheek Bistro with its easy charm, and FOOL Wine Bar with its playful unconventionality. Each succeeding move marked a distinct new direction in experimentation and innovation.
Now, his metaphor is Kotuwa Station. Located in Rishi’s hometown, the station is a key transportation hub, drawing people from all corners of the island. Even today, it is the busiest railway station in the country, with a flurry of movement, noise and vibrancy in the heart of Colombo’s financial district known as ‘Kotuwa’, or ‘fort’ in Sinhalese.
Etched in Rishi’s early memories are its frenetic energy and transient hordes, and most of all, the vendors selling snacks, drinks, and sweets.
Now, with Station by Kotuwa, Rishi ventures forward once again with a fun, fresh and approachable experience of Sri Lankan dining. Blending seamlessly into the city’s rhythm, Station is open, accessible, and welcoming like its namesake. Designed for versatility, it caters to all manner of visit: spontaneous gatherings, planned dates, afterwork drinks, full meals, and quick bites. Just as a railway station is woven into the fabric of daily life, so is Station as both waypoint and destination – a place one returns to, again and again.
Jay Teo reunites with Rishi as Head Chef at Station. With paths that crossed repeatedly in the past, Chef Jay ‘comes home’ to Boon Tat Street. A collaboration between the culinary team, the menu expands on the bright and authentic flavours established at Kotuwa with newly minted dishes only available at Station. Using unexpected ingredient combinations and cross-cultural techniques, the results are punchy yet light; familiar yet new; Lankan yet contemporary. Prime examples include the Babath Crispy Tripe, Smoked Chilli, Lime; Beetroot, Shishito Pepper, Malay Pickle, Curd; and Kaliya Chicken Liver, Egg Roti.
In place of traditional family-style dining, the a la carte menu allows flexibility. Diners build their meals from easy options of snacks (from $7++), starters (from $14++), mains (from$22++), sides and condiments (from $4++), as well as desserts (from $12++). For the undecided, choose the Station Feast ($68++ per person), a set of must-haves put together by the team.
Beverage choices are just as breezy, with many curated just for Station. There are artisanal arracks (from $16++), as well as a new selection of cocktails ($22++ each) and exclusively selected wines (from $19++ by the glass | from $100++ by the bottle). The wine list is wellrounded and accessibly priced for diners looking for a casual wind-down glass or familiar pairing or otherwise seeking the obscure and quirky. The broad spectrum of wines, from biodynamic to organic, includes labels produced by small artisanal wineries with sustainable farming practices. Like the food, drinks steer away from stiffness and conventionality, and point to adventure, as the mantra at Station.
With no doors, only shutters, Station echoes the incessant, unconstrained flow of people at a bustling train station. The mixed arrangement of banquette and high table seating; the infectious energy that flows from the open kitchen to the rest of the restaurant; the natural comings and goings of friends and strangers – creates a mood of come-as-you-are effervescence.
Lankan culture and character find expression in the design mix, most especially in the art pieces adorning the space. On one wall hangs a ‘Peacock’, a large copper shield bearing a relief tooling of the native Sri Lankan bird with a resplendent tail – a treasure that Rishi bought from a ‘Craig Road antique uncle’ in Singapore. On the opposite wall sits an artwork by award-winning Sri Lankan artist Prageeth Manohansa, from the ‘Elephant Series’. Five looming elephants in quick brushstrokes, depicting life, are painted on paper traditionally used as wrapping for tea.
A painting by Rishi also takes pride of place. It portrays a Kandian chief from Kandy, the last kingdom of Sri Lanka, and the Kastane, a sword very unique to Sri Lanka with an elaborate hilt shaped in a mythical style from Buddhist lore. Rishi also sourced authentic fabrics for the banquette seats, and handpicked vintage pieces in the restaurant’s eclectic mix of furnishings, stamping his personal taste on much of the décor.
Procured from the workshop of The Rag and Bone Man in London are bespoke pendant lights reworked from salvaged plane motor parts, that hang above the high tables, as well as industrial wall sconces. In line with the fun vibes, there are neon lights with cheeky catchlines; and a playlist of eclectic East-West tunes with a touch of funk, jazz, and soul. Permeating the entire space is warm, genuine service – after all, hospitality is second nature in Sri Lanka.
Like tracks converging, the dreams of Chef Rishi Naleendra coalesce into reality at his restaurant. Station delights, evokes, and excites. It is a place for the everyday, the special, and everything in between. It embraces an open mind, a joyful heart, and a free spiritedness.
A melting pot of life it is… just like Kotuwa Station.
