What happens when Colombo’s favourite bar takes over Chennai’s favourite speakeasy? Throw in spicy kottu parotta, slabs of fluffy date cake sticky with treacle and a high energy guest list. An additional perk? You will be drinking cocktails for a cause.
Just for one day, the bartenders at MadCo will hand over their space to the team from Uncle’s Colombo. This bar takeover, beyond giving us a chance to try the Sri Lankan bar’s most popular cocktails, also funds the Serendip Be The Change Foundation, supporting 25 schools in Sri Lanka, where children are taught to grow organic vegetables, which are then used in their midday meals.
Gehan Fernando, founder of Uncle’s
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Special Arrangement
The takeover will see Gehan Fernando, founder of Uncle’s, front of house, guiding guests through Uncle’s signature cocktails while two of his senior bartenders shake things up behind the counter. The lineup includes five of their signature cocktails: Aunty Agnes, Perera’s Problem, Pandan, Dudley Please, and Naarang and Pomegranate Highball. Expect Sri Lankan flavours reimagined with locally available spirits — think pandan syrup, coconut treacle, and spiced cordials made with nutmeg, cinnamon, and mandarin. While some recipes usually lean on arrack, the island’s beloved spirit, here they have been adapted with gin, bourbon, and tequila to recreate the same profiles.
With Uncle’s handling the cocktails, the food menu for the evening has been designed by consultant chef Matangi Kumar. Instead of a fixed tasting menu, she has created Sri Lankan-inspired small plates meant for sharing. “I didn’t want a rigid, course-by-course menu,” she says. “The idea is to let people order for the table, taste a little of everything, and keep it true to the fundraiser’s ethos of community and no wastage.”
Kiribath arancini
| Photo Credit:
Raghu Kannan
Her menu reimagines everyday Sri Lankan dishes. A crunchy kiribath arancini, for instance, with a steamy interior stuffed with coconut, green chilli, and curry leaf sambol. Also try the potatoes tossed in Jaffna masala; fiery devil butter prawns and flaky parottas filled with keema, cheese and curry leaf aioli.
For mains, diners can choose between Sri Lankan kottu (egg, chicken, or mutton) and an comforting risotto-like paruppu saadam cooked with coconut milk, paired with papadam, pickle, and sambal sourced directly through the Serendip Foundation. For desserts, there is a date cake laced with kithul treacle toffee sauce and a pandan crepe stuffed with roasted banana and jaggery caramel.
Sri Lankan kottu
| Photo Credit:
Raghu Kannan
All the money raised will go towards Serendip Be The Change Foundation’s education without hunger programe. “It is a sustainable, scalable model to combat child malnutrition and ensure lasting food security and self-reliance. By teaching children to grow their own food, we’re creating a ripple effect that transforms homes, schools, and entire communities to become food sufficient,” says Poongkothai Chandrahasan, founder-director. She adds, “We don’t believe in charity — we believe in empowerment… From climate resilience to classroom attendance, the results are real — better grades, fewer dropouts, and over 15,000 well-nourished, healthy children.”
“It’s not just about satisfying an immediate need, but about training and coaching children to potentially take up careers in organic farming and sustain themselves as they grow,” says Gehan. “That to me is very special, because it’s helping people help themselves, and it builds bridges too.”
As you sink into your seats with Uncle’s inventive cocktails and MadCo’s vibrant range of Sri Lankan short eats, this collaboration is an encouraging reminder that meaningful change is possible when communities come together.
Uncle’s will take over the bar at MadCo on October 15 for lunch and dinner. For reservations, DM @madco_chennai on Instagram. Dinner with one cocktail per person costs ₹5,000.
Published – October 07, 2025 03:03 pm IST
