Dining Out: Dhruvees offers welcome upscale spin on South Asian dishes – by Peter Hum Source:ottawacitizen.com The Beechwood Avenue restaurant is the vision made real of Ottawa-based, India-born entrepreneur Donald Wingell, who worked for years as a manager at deluxe hotels in Sri Lanka, China, Indonesia and Singapore. Dhruvees 18 Beechwood Ave., 613-744-7888, dhruvees.com Open: Tuesday to Sunday 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., closed Monday Prices: main courses between $20 and $32 Access: steps and ramp to front door There are two kinds of people in the world. First, there are those who don’t mind getting their hands dirty while ripping off the shells of cooked crustaceans so as to feast on their sweet, toothsome flesh, even if it means appearing embarrassingly primal in front of your sophisticated dining companions. Then there are those who would rather not. Diners from both camps should be happy at Dhruvees, which opened in early February in New Edinburgh. ...

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THANK YOU FOR THE MUSIC –  By – Algi Wijewickrema When you have an email address like “noproblemperera” I’m sure you readers would expect an out of the ordinary person. Out of the ordinary is an understatement really for arguably Sri Lanka’s most versatile and entertaining musician. He is the leader of a band that is not only popular among Sri Lankans living here but also popular with Sri Lankans abroad. He is none other than the leader of the “Gypsies”, Sunil Perera. When I visited Sunil at his studio in Ratmalana where their family business has existed for decades, he was ready to accommodate us but the interview was inevitably disturbed by many telephone calls that kept coming which to me proves how busy this man can still be and how the popularity of Gypsies has not diminished. Beginning with his school days at St. Peter’s College, Bambalapitiya, Sunil ...

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INDONESIA – AN ODYSSEY OF THE SOUL by Bernard VanCuylenburg                                                An alternate title for this article would be “Beyond Bali” since this resplendent island blessed with the bounties of nature is a favourite travel destination for many Australians. I have friends who have visited Bali more than once and can never resist the temptation of repeat visits ! However, Bali, is only a very small jewel in a large crown of a country, which nature has endowed with landscapes and scenery of soul stirring beauty and majesty. And that country is our neighbour to the North – Indonesia. ...

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