You will get ‘floored’ here

CHENNAI : Sitting on the thinnai (sit out) and devouring a bowl of nattu kozhi biryani on a banana leaf is no longer confined to villages. Uppu Milagu, a new restaurant in Taramani, let’s its guests dine the traditional way. “About two decades ago, even houses in the city had sit outs where the whole family dined. Conversations, stories and everything memorable used to happen over lunch or dinner on the thinnai. But unfortunately, that has dwindled now,” says E Praveen Kumar, owner, Uppu Milagu.

In an attempt to bring back the ‘floor culture’ to the city, his restaurant houses three compartmentalised traditional sit outs, where customers can sit on the floor while eating. “We wanted to cater to people who are constantly looking for new experiences. Every house has a dining table these days, and most youngsters don’t know the joy of sitting on the floor while eating. So, this has been well received by them. They have been coming in groups. People who dine in the regular tables in our restaurant see them and come forward to sit down,” he smiles. 

The restaurant is just 12 days old and has  been creating ripples for its novel concept. “I am an ayurvedic science graduate and have been doing research on the health benefits of dining while sitting on the floor. From improving digestion, controlling excessive consumption of food to improving body posture, it does it all. So, when I heard of this concept in Uppu Milagu, I immediately headed here along with my friends. We had such a great time,” shares Parvathi Ayyappan. 

Praveen, a former sales executive, emphasises that he is specific about the food that’s served on the leaf. “I have no background in the food industry. In fact, I started 10 years back. I used to run a small canteen that sold coffee, tea and snacks in the IT corridor,” he shares.After overcoming several challenges including an acute shortage of manpower, Praveen says he decided to start his own restaurant. “This has been a dream of sorts and I am happy that it has finally come true. So, I’ll never compromise on what goes on the banana leaf. We don’t serve broiler chicken. We only serve naatu kozhi and use only coconut oil. We are also trying to bring back a lot of our traditional dishes but, with a twist,” he says. 

Gun chicken, bun omelette, nei soru with fish curry and the chicken idiyappam kothu are some of the restaurant’s signature dishes and Praveen says that people keep coming back for its authentic taste. He points to the kitchen and says, “Food leaves a lasting impression in people’s mind and heart. We have an open kitchen and people can see what goes on inside.” 

(Uppu Milagu is located in Sannidhi street, Taramani. For details, call: 9840419981)