CAFE VAGABOND, café for sharing, French food in Sri Lanka

Where to start? Welcome to Hiriketiya, in the south of Sri Lanka! My story began 1 month ago. No, actually, it started a few years ago. My name is Léa, I'm 23 years old. I've always had a traveler's heart, and a passion for cooking. When I'm not traveling, I work in the kitchen, but I've never done both at the same time. All my cooking is inspired by my travels, encounters, experiences... But also by the woman in my life: my mother. Because yes, above all, my inspiration comes from her, from my roots and from sweet French cuisine. So for as long as I can remember, I've dreamed of opening my own café-restaurant, to share this passion with as many people as possible! But then I realized that if I opened a café in France, I wouldn't be able to travel as much as I wanted... So before that, I went backpacking in Sri Lanka. And my journey literally turned into a culinary journey. I fell in love with Sri Lankan cuisine, the sharing it represents, and above all with a magical place, Hiriketiya. It's a little "secret spot" in the south of the island, with a magnificent bay where time no longer exists. When you travel, you meet people! One day, I found myself cooking in Shawn's guesthouse, and my cooking was a big hit! After a while, he suggested I open a restaurant here in Hiriketiya.He bought the business and offered me the opportunity to take care of the concept and management of the café. I've also had some wonderful encounters, which have confirmed that cooking is in my blood and that I want to spend the rest of my life cooking. And above all, I discovered how cooking is just as important in Sri Lankan culture as it is in my own French culture... it's a FUSION! Fusion cuisine, what's it all about? My cuisine is punctuated by memories of all my travels and my childhood, to make you dream in one bite. I love mixing flavors, techniques and visuals. But above all...SHARING! I like to feel all my generosity, and that's why I'd describe my cooking as generous, intuitive and wild! To achieve this, I'd like to mix the different techniques and flavor combinations I know, while also learning from others. And so Café Vagabond was born. So, what is Café Vagabond? Fusion cuisine means mixing. I'd like to share my know-how with locals, so that they in turn can teach me, be a place for volunteer backpackers who want to experiment more with cooking, and be a meeting place for events to bring travelers and locals together for cooking workshops. Café Vagabond will be open from 8am to 3pm every day during the season. We'll also be offering a selection of French pastries (made with love), as well as a gourmet menu with brunches and breakfasts (croissants, baguettes etc.). We'll also be offering free cooking class and tastings. How soon? The goal, while taking the time it takes, is to open the café for the season, i.e. in October! Where? The current restaurant is called "Moonstone Family Restaurant", and is already equipped (refrigerators, cash register, gas, refrigerated display cabinets), but not fully. It's a very large building, formerly used for events such as birthdays, weddings etc., but also as a restaurant. The GOAL is to give a second chance and freshness into this nice place. ++ is that it's located on a busy road, close to the shops and the entrance to the beach. Why KissKissBankBank? Well, I've got everything I need to give to this beautiful project a chance, but all I need is the kitchen equipment that will enable me to make quality, professional patisserie. For that, I need a helping hand!