Canteen aims to serve healthy ‘veetu saapadu’ with moral values

CHENNAI: Situated in a calm locale at CIT Colony, Kaylir Canteen welcomes us with bold graffiti, showcasing the founders’ idea behind starting a canteen. Yaadhum Oore Yaavarum Kelir which translates to ‘To us, all towns are one, and all people are our kin’, is a famous phrase from Sangam literature, Purananooru. “We wanted the name of our canteen to convey our idea. Kaylir signifies bringing people together,” starts Bhargav, founder of this newly started canteen.

With the aim of building a community, Bhargav and Dhanya use simple and relatable food as a foundation to bring people together. The pandemic played a major role in pushing the couple to try their hand in this field as they always wanted to explore the food space. “After COVID-19, we became mindful of what we eat. We took some time in planning things and the idea is not to have a stereotypical vibe of a fancy cafe or restaurant. Everyone should feel at home here,” says Dhanya, the co-founder of the canteen. Kaylir was started recently by the couple, partnering with Subramaniam.

The wall arts at the canteen are created by different artists, and hold a strong reason. “We believe that spaces bring energy. So, we wanted to bring together as many artists as possible to give life to the space available with us,” explains Bhargav.

During their travel to different places, the couple was fascinated with the idea of spaces started with the right intention and started by people who believe in the concepts of sharing, and abundance and believe that money is not everything.

Another factor that stands out in Kaylir is their service. One has to take the plates to the washing area after eating at this diner. “Cleaning up the place after eating is a very basic principle of life. We are trying to recreate all the comforts and discomforts of home. And we believe discomfort is what makes things familiar,” says Bhargav, who also adds that the staff in Kaylir doesn’t belong to one particular team, and help and work together whenever required.

One can see people from all age categories at this pet-friendly canteen. Starting from the bamboo ceiling to the wooden table, chairs, and the frontage, similar to thinnai in villages in the outdoor space, proves the couple’s idea of keeping it simple and sustainable.

Their limited menu can be read on the blackboard placed near the food counter. People who prepare those dishes are home chefs, who love to cook and are hired to bring unique and authentic recipes. Anyone who loves cooking and can commit will be hired here. The couple also wishes to push the idea of eating vegetables.

Their evolving menu includes koottu, poriyal, paruppu podi, green leafy vegetables, rice, sambar, and rasam for lunch and idly, dosai, vadai for breakfast. Some distinctive dishes are Appalam koottu and Bread upma.

Talking about the food trends in Chennai, Dhanya remarks, “Whatever the trend may be, we hope that normal veetu saapadu will not go out of style.” Aiming at just serving comfort food, the founders are planning to come up with regular events during the weekend, and are also working in full drive to open the canteen for snacks and dinner as well.

“We wanted to build a space where people can connect, eat healthy food, and feel like it is an extension of home,” says Bhargav and Dhanya.