Serendipity: an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident; good luck in finding valuable things unintentionally.

Long ago, the island of Sri Lanka was known as Serendip. The legendary tales told of this place are the origin of the English word serendipity.

It’s fitting that Harsha and Rohan’s first meeting was serendipitous. After a chance encounter at a dinner in 2015, they quickly realized they were both Sri Lankan chefs living in Los Angeles who were passionate about good food, outside-the-box creativity, and their shared Sri Lankan heritage.

They often discussed the lack of representation of Sri Lankan food in Southern Californian food culture and decided it was time to bring Sri Lankan cuisine into the mainstream. Two years later, Raksha was born. Named for the traditional masks said to ward off evil, Raksha is bringing the unique flavors of Sri Lanka.

Meet the chefs

  • Harsha was born and raised in Sri Lanka. Growing up, he enjoyed helping his mother in the kitchen, where he learned the traditional recipes and techniques of Sri Lankan cuisine.

    Although he moved to the US to study engineering, he quickly discovered cooking was his true passion. He was trained in European and contemporary American cuisine.

    Harsha enjoys a good read as much as his mom’s chicken curry.

  • Rohan’s culinary training began at a young age cooking alongside his Sri Lankan mother in Queens, New York.

    After attending culinary school at Le Cordon Bleu in London and Paris, Rohan worked in Washington DC and New York City, before settling in Los Angeles. He has spent the last decade working as a private chef for celebrities, politicians, and other esteemed clientele.

    Rohan is like a fish in water and loves to swim and surf.