Ravi Kanagarajah of Ravi Soups dies at 42

Ravi Kanagarajah, the chef and owner of Ravi Soups, died last Friday of a stroke at the age of 42. The Sri Lankan–born chef first made his reputation for soups as a saucier at Mildred Pierce, before opening the first location of his eponymous chain in the entertainment district in 2007 (second and third locations followed, on Queen West and in the Junction). The chef’s brother Suresh Kanagarajah told NOW that he intends to continue with plans to expand further and that the restaurants will remain family-run. The news set off a wave of fond reminiscences from diners and chefs, who praised Kanagarajah’s friendly demeanour and finely tuned palate. After a brief break, all three restaurants reopened for regular service yesterday. [NOW]