CHENNAI: From tangy curry-leaf tempered meen kozhambu, and mouth-watering prawn thokku to spicy fried varuval, all seafood dishes are an ode to Tamil Nadu’s glimmering coastline. Each carefully crafted recipe, tweaked by and passed down through generations, is a drop into exploring the vast and varied seas. In an attempt to bring these dishes to namma ooru makkal and their palate, friends-turned-business partners Aravind Suresh and Richie Richard launched Meen Satti, a seafood-focused cloud kitchen and restaurant.
From mild crab soup to erra soru, their dishes are reminiscent of lazy Sundays, and nostalgic dinner tables where siblings quarrel over the largest piece of fish fry. With over 90+ dishes on their menu, the base curries have been whipped up based on recipes passed on through his family, says Aravind. “Head chef Jayaprakash has come in and expanded it and made it appealing to a larger audience. No matter who walks into our kitchen, they can learn how to make the curry,” he says at the recent launch of their second outlet in Velachery. Their first restaurant put its fins on the map at Ekattuthangal, in 2021.
A tell-tale tribute to the coast, the calming 2,000 sq ft room which can seat fifty people had orange chairs signifying the sandy shore. On the other side, there are deep blue ones reminiscent of the sea, says Richie. Clay pots hung on the wall greeting famished customers, a peek into their kitchen, where all dishes are made with traditional earthenware.
Scaling growth, social mission
Their district seafood boxes and origin story have roots in 2021 when Richie rang up Aravind, and expressed he was tired of his job. “I gave him ideas about franchises. I knew how to eat, not how to cook. We wanted to do something with seafood. Being in Tamil Nadu, not many know about (the coast). The commercial brands that already exist have focused on two or three products. We came up with the name in January 2021 and sold our first family box on August 1,” says Aravind.
Till now, the restaurant has sold hundreds of seafood boxes. Even before they ventured into the restaurant business, their recipes — tailored by their ammas and paatis — always packed a punch. As director and chief guest, Vignesh Shivan points out that he has eaten in their homes and there is an “unconditional, family and honest feel” when he is there. However, moving from home to a cloud kitchen and restaurant was a whole new ball game. Aravind says, “We wanted a good ambiance where people want to come and bring their guests.”
Beyond business and commercial ventures, Richie says, Meen Satti aims to shed light on and show customers the multitudes of fish varieties. “We wanted to focus on people who get our fish, which is fishermen, they are always underrated for the work they do. We also support pot makers with the orders we give,” he adds.
Currently, the business partners are working on implementing a business model to rope in fisherpersons. Instead of a whiteboard with neat letters indicating the catch of the day, they wanted to bring in the people who caught and supplied the fish. “We want to build engagement activities instead of where customers understand where the fish are coming from and what the fishermen are going through. We also want to show that the fish is fresh and authentic,” they say, adding that the project should start in a few weeks. For those craving namma ooru curry, Meen Satti hopes to tantalise their palate.
Visit Meen Satti’s new outlet at AGS Tower, Ganapathy Nagar, above Yaa Mohaideen Biriyani, 100 Feet Road, Velachery.