Prashantha Lachanna

Food, travel, and culture writer

South Africa

A former chef turned writer who covers food, travel, and culture from across East Asia. Based in Taiwan, I focus on the stories behind places, traditions, and the people shaping contemporary food culture. I was a contributor to the 2027 Louis Vuitton Taipei City Guide, where I curated and wrote destination features highlighting Taiwan's restaurants, cafés, and specialty food culture.

I'm currently available for editorial commissions, destination guides, profiles, and long-form features focused on food, travel, and culture across East Asia. If you have a story in mind, I'd be glad to discuss it.

Portfolio

Books

Louis Vuitton
2027
Louis Vuitton Taipei City Guide

Contributed as a writer for Louis Vuitton Taipei City Guide, with a focus on restaurants, cafes, and specialty stores.

Food-Focused Magazine Articles

Peaceful Dumpling (defunct)
09/27/2021
Pan-Roasted Potato & Cauliflower

This dish represents the old and familiar but with a singular, new voice. Warm hugs in Winter and cool hugs in Summer.

Peaceful Dumpling (defunct)
01/27/2022
Creamy, Umami, Raw Kimchi Gazpacho

Make this simple but enlivening raw kimchi gazpacho to boost your immune system with live enzymes, energize you and wake those taste buds!

Website Content

Chocolatiering
11/04/2022
How to Make Chocolate in Molds

As the final step of your chocolate-making journey, you will learn how to mold your homemade chocolates.

Health and Wellness Magazine Writing

Peaceful Dumpling (defunct)
01/24/2022
Bruno

A story about losing my dog when I was 5 years old.

Product Label Copy and Online Retail Copy Writing

Ebooks

Menus

NAKEDFOOD
01/15/2015
Plant-Based Summer Menu

Plant-based menu concept and creation for fine dining establishment, NAKEDFOOD. Focus on seasonality and wine pairing.

NAKEDFOOD
6/11/2018
Plant-Based Winter Menu

Plant-based menu concept and creation for fine dining establishment, NAKEDFOOD.The menu focused on integrating cooked and raw dishes.

Unpublished Pieces

Ghost Writing Projects

Magazines Features of My Restaurant

Weeknight Magazine
02/03/2016
You are What You Eat

A feature spread about vegan chefs in Taipei and their approach to their menus. Each chef contributed a unique recipe.

今周刊 (Business Today Magazine)
09/07/2015
Lifestyle Feature

今周刊 is an award-winning financial magazine. They featured NAKEDFOOD as part of their lifestyle section highlighting unique restaurants.

飲食男女
07/23/2015
Summer Dishes Special

A feature about how NAKEDFOOD were the pioneers of the raw food movement in Taiwan. It also addresses the raw food philosophy.

Sense Magazine
05/04/2016
Raw Food in Taipei

Sense Magazine is a lifestyle, travel and food magazine. They featured the sustainability side of what were did at the restaurant.

Taipei Walker
12/04/2015
Feature: NAKEDFOOD

Taipei Walker is one of the pre-eminent travel magazines in Taiwan. They did a feature on us and highlighted seasonal signature dishes.

Citta Bella
09/13/2011
Listen to Taiwan

A special report about my work in education, theatre, and culinary arts. I ran a series of traveling raw food workshops.

禪天下 (Chan Cosmos)
09/6/2016
Feature: NAKEDFOOD

Chan Cosmos is an internationally acclaimed Buddhist magazine. Here they feature on the LOHAS qualities of our menus.

飲食男女
09/20/2015
Raw Food

Eat, Drink, Man, Woman did a special Report on my restaurant's contemporary raw, vegan cuisine, something new for Taiwan at the time.

今周刊 (Business Today)
06/26/2017
Exquisite and Rich: Raw Food

Business Today wrote a feature about our contemporary menus and how it is being received in Taiwan. They highlighted our signature dishes.