Colombo’s food scene never stays still for long. There is always a new café to check out, a restaurant opening its doors or a home-based business serving up something you never knew you needed to try. But how do you find these places before they become everyone’s next favourite? For food content creator Raha Deen, the hunt is part of the fun. From halal food spots to emerging cafés and hidden gems, she is exploring Colombo’s food scene and bringing its discoveries to our screens, giving viewers a taste of what awaits before they head out to experience it for themselves.
And she does it without stepping in front of the camera herself. Raha’s faceless account keeps the attention on what matters most: the food, the places serving it and the businesses behind every discovery. So, what fuels her appetite for exploring Colombo, and what keeps her searching for the next delicious find? We caught up with her to find out what sparked her love of food, how TikTok fits into her journey and what keeps her searching for the next delicious discovery.
It starts with a love of food
For Raha, food discovery is about more than finding somewhere good to eat. She saw an opportunity to help others navigate Colombo’s food scene, while introducing audiences to businesses they might otherwise overlook.
“While I’ve always loved trying different foods and finding new places to eat, I also wanted to help people find good halal food in Colombo. That’s why I started sharing restaurants, food spots and even home-based food businesses that I come across,” she says.
What began with sharing pictures of food she enjoyed gradually grew into a wider exploration of Colombo’s food scene. Along the way, she has also had opportunities to work with different food businesses and brands, extending her passion for food discovery beyond her own dining experiences.
When food discovery meets TikTok
Sometimes, all it takes is a video of a dish to make you stop scrolling and start planning your next meal out. A café you have never heard of, a restaurant that has just opened or a home-based business serving something different can turn a casual scroll into a new discovery.
“TikTok has helped me reach new people. It’s also a great place to share quick food videos and discover restaurants and home-based food businesses,” she says.
The platform offers several ways to make those discoveries. The For You feed introduces viewers to creators and content based on their interests and interactions, while Search allows them to look up restaurants, dishes, food reviews and recommendations. Relevant hashtags such as #colombofood, #cafesincolombo, #colombofoodie, etc. can help people explore related videos, whether they are searching for Colombo food spots or looking for inspiration for their next café visit.
For creators like Raha, these features offer a user-friendly way to connect food discoveries with people who are interested in exploring them. TikTok also recommends using hashtags that accurately reflect a video’s subject, rather than relying on generic tags alone. Its Creator Search Insights tool, where available, can help creators identify topics people are searching for and find ideas for future content.
Giving lesser-known food businesses a place on the menu
Colombo’s food scene is not just about established restaurants and popular cafés. Some discoveries are found in neighbourhood spots or home kitchens, where small businesses are building their own customer base.
Short-form video gives creators a way to show audiences what these businesses offer, from the dishes themselves to a glimpse of the place behind them. For viewers, it can provide inspiration for somewhere new to try. For smaller businesses, being featured by a creator can introduce their food to potential customers beyond their existing circles.
Raha sees plenty of opportunity to keep exploring this side of Colombo’s food scene, particularly the hidden gems that people may not have heard of yet.
What’s next on her food trail?
Raha hopes to discover more halal food spots around Colombo, explore hidden gems and bring more home-based food businesses to the attention of her audience.
“I want to keep sharing honest experiences and help people discover places they may not have heard of before,” she says.
And that is part of the appeal of following food creators on TikTok. You might open the app looking for something to watch and leave with a new café to visit, a dish to try or a small business to support. With creators like Raha sharing their discoveries, Colombo’s next food obsession could be waiting right there on your For You feed.
