WHAT primarily started as an attempt to prepare delicious and nutritious pure vegetarian meals for students practising at the Temple of Fine Arts Penang chapter, Annalakshmi, the key arm of TFA, has grown over the years to be a culinary experience at its very best, particularly for vegetarians.
Buletin Mutiara had the privilege to interview J. Balakumar, a senior member overseeing the operations at Annalakshmi, who said that the canteen-turned-restaurant was not at all aimed at the public.
“Our humble beginnings started in 1985 when TFA was first established in Penang, as an extension of the main set-up in Kuala Lumpur, which was introduced in 1984.
“As we all know, TFA primarily focuses on traditional dance and music classes. The small canteen at TFA was initially set up to cater to the students attending these classes.
“Over time, in the 90s, word of mouth about our food operations started spreading far and beyond, leading to requests to open beyond Sundays, the only day the canteen initially operated.
“So, we looked at the prospect of opening on Saturdays, and to our surprise, we could sense that the chain was about to get bigger with many requests that came in.
“Fast forward, we went through a lot of ups and downs because we didn’t know whether we were going in the right direction.
“We were not sure if opening a proper restaurant was the ideal thing to do because the fundamental purpose of this place in the initial years was to provide food only on Sundays.
“Our Guru, Swami Shantanand Saraswathi, was informed about this matter, and he questioned us if we were serious about this venture.
“He knew what we should be expecting out of this approach, and fair enough, it was not a pleasurable activity but a painful one in its early years.
“There was a recession in the 90s that resulted in price hikes for all the raw materials, crippling a lot of businesses and we were not spared from being part of it.
“However, through collective efforts and the drive to practise sustainability in whatever we do, we weathered the storm. Today, Annalakshmi is an established brand under TFA, serving pure vegetarian meals to the public,” Balakumar said during the interview with Buletin Mutiara on Oct 15 at TFA Penang chapter at Lebuhraya Babington in George Town.
While Annalakshmi’s philosophy of ‘eat as you like, pay as you wish’, which was envisioned by Swami Shantanand, remains a core value, Balakumar said slight adjustments had to be made to stay relevant in the food industry.
“Our mission is not profit-driven, but we aim to stay relevant and serve our purpose at the same time.
“We don’t wish to run a business at a loss, and at the same time, we don’t want to be held under a sponsorship programme because we have a name to uphold.
“The prices of raw materials, fresh produce and other main cooking items are no longer how they used to be. So, to complement and stay in the market, we had to make several adjustments to our existing philosophy.
“We are a not-for-profit organisation. That doesn’t mean we don’t make a profit at all; we do but not an outrageous profit.
“It is important that we remodel ourselves, and adopt necessary measures to stay functional in this period.
“Our objective is to make enough money so that we can cover the operational expenses, which are vital to ensure this set-up sustains.
“Annalakshmi’s philosophy may have shifted but the prime aim is to provide an experience of a kind, which is not just food but food of a very different experience,” he added.
Relatively, he said the three most important stakeholders in a food business that must be protected by any means necessary are the bank, suppliers and the staff.
The restaurant boasts a team of well-trained cooks, including a pioneer staff who has been with the Annalakshmi group for 25 years, having worked in countries such as Singapore and India. He is having his stint now in Penang.
According to Balakumar, customers come to Annalakshmi because it serves different types of dishes daily, but ‘Paal Appam’ is one of the top favourites there.
Balakumar also introduced P. Koshna, the next generation in line, getting ready to take over the operations at Annalakshmi.
Story and pix by Kevin Vimal