The Heart of Little India
For places to become a part of the food heritage in Singapore, they have to have a few elements: tenacious people who are guardians of something beloved, a story that’s waiting to be told, and people who are willing to listen and safeguard that story for the next generation.
Singapore’s oldest Indian vegetarian restaurant, Komala Vilas, along with its neighboring sweet shop selling traditional Indian sweets and snacks, is one of the biggest mainstays of Little India. This year, the restaurant enjoys its 72nd anniversary and we listen as third-generation member Mr. Rajakumar Gunasekaran talks about his grandfather, Mr. Murugiah Rajoo, who founded the first restaurant in Serangoon Road.
“My grandfather first came (to Singapore) in the 1930s, when he was a teenager, and worked in a restaurant.” Mr. Gunasekaran begins. “He came here with nothing. When he started working at the restaurant, he started saving up money. In his twenties, he bought over the restaurant, using the savings and some money borrowed.” The name Komala Vilas is a tribute to the wife of the original owner, Komala, who had taken care of Mr. Rajoo like a son when he had first arrived in Singapore.
This story is from the November - December 2019 edition of Cuisine & Wine Asia.
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This story is from the November - December 2019 edition of Cuisine & Wine Asia.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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