In conversation with Lankan Filling Station chef O Tama Carey
In conversation with Lankan Filling Station chef O Tama Carey
Credit: Anna Kucera
O Tama Carey never had any aspirations to be a chef, but an accidental stint in a London restaurant began a journey that would see her work through an impressively diverse roster of kitchens, from French training at Bistro Moncur, to a stint at Japanese restaurant Uchi Lounge, on to Billy Kwong and finally at the helm of Italian restaurant Berta as head chef.
In 2018 she began her first solo venture, opening Lankan Filling Station in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs. An ode to the food of her heritage, the restaurant was born partly from a desire to bring Sri Lankan food into the city’s mainstream, and partly because Carey simply wanted to eat hoppers every day.