On Wednesday 29th October, Kentish Town’s The Parakeet will host an exclusive one-night-only supper in collaboration with Cynthia Shanmugalingam of Borough Market’s Rambutan. Head Chef Ben Allen will join forces with the award-winning chef and author for a seven-course menu that unites their distinct culinary styles into a memorable and highly anticipated evening.
The collaboration’s foundation stems from the shared love for cooking over fire, expressed through different traditions and techniques. Allen’s wood-fired modern European dishes meet Shanmugalingam’s spice-driven Sri Lankan cooking, rooted in Tamil home-style recipes and market-led produce. The menu serves up a balance between these approaches, serving up smoke, heat, and complex flavours.
Dishes include flambéed spiced oysters, flatbread with smoked curry butter, spiced wood-roasted mushrooms with cured egg yolk, and Sri Lankan wood-roasted crab rice. The Parakeet’s signature wood-fired sea bream will appear on the menu in a new form, elevated with Shanmugalingam’s own spice blends.
The Parakeet opened in March 2023 in the former Victorian landmark pub The Oxford Tavern. Founded by ex-Brat chefs Ben Allen and Ed Jennings, it offers seasonal modern European plates cooked over flames, served in a dining room that retains the building’s original character. The pub room provides a more casual space for locals, while the dining areas combine antique furnishings and natural light to create a refined but relaxed setting.
Allen has long admired Shanmugalingam’s cooking, describing Rambutan as the first place he visits on a rare night off. Rambutan opened in 2023, and recognised by the Michelin Guide the following year. Known for bold, spice-forward Sri Lankan dishes, it reflects Shanmugalingam’s upbringing and her dedication to sharing Tamil culinary traditions. Her debut cookbook, Rambutan, won the Fortnum & Mason Best Debut Cookbook Award in 2023.
The event takes place on Wednesday 29th October 2025 from 18:00 to 23:00. Tickets are priced from £90, with drinks and additional courses available to purchase on the night.
Find out more about The Parakeet and Rambutan, and book your tickets for the exclusive one-night-only supper through DesignMyNight right here.
