Last month, I met up with two of my dental school friends for dinner. One of them was leaving Singapore so it was a mini farewell of sorts. For the venue, we picked Lagnaa Barefoot Dining restaurant located in Little India.
The reason we picked this restaurant was because they had the concept of barefoot Dining. At Lagnaa, you are invited to slip off your footwear, get comfy on the floor and partake in mouth-watering Indian fare. This concept is not new to those of us who grew up in an Indian household, especially a South Indian household where sitting on the floor cross legged and eating from a plantain leaf used to be a common if not everyday occurrence. But after moving away from the homeland, you tend to leave parts of your cultural habits behind. And so, we welcomed the idea of sitting barefoot on the floor and enjoying a meal together!
Due to the Covid-19 restrictions, I hadn't been to Little India in an abnormally long time. In fact, I was finding it hard to remember the last time I had been there. I happened to reach early so spent some time walking around and taking in all the familiar sights, sounds and smells.
Lagnaa Barefoot Dining is a one-of-a-kind bistro located at 6 Upper Dickson Road, an offshoot of Serangoon road. Look out for the chef statue out front and you will not miss it!
Lagnaa is housed in a shophouse building which has a rustic dated look to it. There is invited graffiti on the white arch at the entrance done by satisfied customers. You will see several hanging alcohol bottles.
Since I was one of the first patrons to arrive, the friendly manager Santhi joined me at an outdoor table for some light-hearted banter. I also spoke to the charming chef Kaesavan (K7), the founder and mastermind of Lagnaa who champions Indian cuisine and dares to be different. Lagnaa means "your essence" in Tamil. Chef Kaesavan is no stranger to the F&B industry. He spent years perfecting his recipes and techniques to create a dining experience around the six ayurvedic flavours of Indian cuisine: Sweet, spicy, bitter, salty, sour, astringent and chilli. He was a bit disappointed to learn that we would be ordering only vegetarian food but we nonetheless had an illuminating chat about food. I learnt more about the restaurant, the cuisine and the philosophy behind it. After my friends arrived, the three of us made our way upstairs.
The ground floor is open (non-AC) and has a long and narrow configuration, a bright yellow accent wall and wooden tables and chairs providing a regular dining experience.
The top floor is where the barefoot dining experience is and this space is fully air-conditioned. You are to leave your footwear at the bottom of the stairs. My advice is that if you have bad knees or are unable to sit on the floor for prolonged periods then you better avoid this option. Also, remember to wear pants or a long dress or skirt for a more comfortable experience 😊
This level typically looks like the inside of a shophouse. With wooden floor and accents, white walls, mood lighting, warm tones, low tables and patterned cushions, the space has a more homely and inviting look.
The menu has a good selection of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes, both North-Indian and South-Indian. Know that you can choose your spice level — from 1 (for those who prefer it mild) to a 10 (for the hardcore chilli fans). Even if you are a self-confessed spice lover, you can’t just jump straight to the highest level. To get there, you have to start from level 1 and work your way up. Only those who pass level 6 get to proceed to the finale. Those who complete level 7 get food on the house. Those who complete level 3 and above will get a clothes peg with your name on it, pinned on the restaurant’s “Wall Of Fame”.
And the chef runs a Chilli Challenge for those who dare to put their money where their mouth is! Finish a full portion of Level 10 Curry without the assistance of any yoghurt or milk based product and you could go home $10,000 richer!
Are you tempted to try?? Not to deter you but I think it is my duty to mention that no one has done it before!
None of us were up for any kind of chilli challenge (living overseas can gradually diminish your tolerance to spice!) so we ordered a few items to share with moderate spice levels.
