Inside the play-cum-dining area
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Ever so often, parents with small children play a game of juggle while eating out at a restaurant. The time they take to eat, the amount of food eaten, and the leisure time spent thereof are all dependent on the littlest member. And inevitably the family dining experience suffers. But, what if there was a designated dining space for children that also doubles up as a play area, replete with the presence of a caretaker? Junior Kuppanna, which boasts over 60 years of serving Kongu cuisine across India, toyed with this idea for the last couple of years, and has now managed to realise it at their Alwarpet branch in the city. They call it Junior Kuppanna for Juniors.
An erstwhile seating area has been converted into a playpen with colourful wall murals, a small cupboard with children’s books , and many toys including a basketball hoop and a ball pit. Play dough, superhero masks, and boardgames line the walls of the open, bright room that gets a lot of sunshine. Today, gathered around a plate of steaming paneer fingers, is a noisy, almost restless bunch of four. They are now taking a breather, after a quick game of hide-and-seek.
The play area also has a small library with children’s books
| Photo Credit:
special arrangement
“This particular branch sees a lot of professionals and young families coming in. Most often, we see that parents find it difficult to attend to the kids while eating,” says Bablu, business head of the Alwarpet branch.
While there are many restaurant chains that have designated play areas for children, what perhaps makes this outlet stand out is the fact that children are encouraged to eat there. Along the way, they can gather some buddies. Complementing this, the restaurant has also introduced a menu for kids that claims to abide by a less-oil, less-spice, less-sugar rule. Kongu cuisine, known for its spicy flavour profile, takes on a milder personality here.
“Ingredients are also basic, and are ground in our Erode factory where all our spices and masalas are made. Whatever we have made is based on the already-available menu. But we have observed that kids prefer finger food, and mostly Indo-Chinese cuisine,” says Bablu. . And so, dishes like dragon chicken, paneer fingers and chicken lollipop come in smaller portions. While they claim to have less-oil and spice rule, it is not completely devoid of the same.
Bun dosa from the kids’ menu
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
While Chinese-fusion food is a big hit among their tiny guests, regional alternatives like bun dosas and bun parottas are in the menu. The bun dosa is a distant cousin of the much-loved, kid-friendly pancake, albeit made with idli/dosa batter. It’s fluffy, filling, mildly sweet and is served with a thimble of condensed milk. While muru muru parotta is a mini version of the crispy, thinly layered parotta, one of many types of parottas that the restaurant chain prides itself on.
“We also have activities like caricature workshops, balloon-making sessions, and art classes here every weekend. It is conducted around lunchtime when the restaurant is the busiest,” concludes Bablu.
