Meals were always the center of family togetherness. Breaking bread together, was a sacred experience. Each dish was painstakingly created, whether at home or at the restaurant, by the great cooks of the family. The art of creating each dish was a knowledge handed down through generations. Kayra is an organic manifestation of all of these cherished sentiments and great influences in my life. A shared love and passion for food, is what drives the team at Kayra to reach new heights with the food and dining experience offered.
Back in the day, my grandparents traveled from Kerala for greener pastures to Malaysia. Once here, they sought to relive the nostalgia of the Old Country and recreated their best memories of the past through the delectable taste of Kerala food. And so, in 1949, the first Kerala restaurant in Johor Bahru was conceived. For me, this was how the inspiration took place – as an enchanted spectator of my grandparents’ bustling kitchen. Watching, observing and breathing in the aromas of favourite meals being prepared.
When curating and building the menu, I knew we had to revert back to old recipes, yet fused with new flavours inspired by our Kerala travels. Essentially, the Kayra experience reflects the aspirations of today’s generation: a combination of the traditional, the contemporary and the innovative.
Meriam Sophia Alfonso
& The Kayra Family