Globally renowned Chef Shankar R. Santhiram brings his banana leaf sappadu from Penang to Pali Hill. The full Tamil virundhu — served, and served again, until you fold the leaf.
A meal that keeps arriving.
Sappadu is the Tamil word for the meal itself — rice, curries, poriyal, kootu, pickle, pappadam, laid out on a banana leaf and refilled until you've had your fill.
Twelve seatings
Four a day across three days. Book early to pick your time.
Two leaves, one price
Full vegetarian and non-vegetarian sappadu, side by side.
The fifty-kilometre rule.
Shankar treats India as a subcontinent of many cuisines. By his reckoning, the way a sambar is made changes every fifty kilometres. Malaysian Tamil cooking is what those recipes became after they travelled across an ocean. What arrives on the leaf will be familiar and unfamiliar at once.
Shankar R. Santhiram
World famous Malaysian Tamil chef, author and leadership consultant, reaching audiences from Penang to Durban.
Since 2023 he has been Chef Patron of Fire by Shankar — Penang's destination for Tamil fine dining. He writes two weekly columns and is currently filming a ten-episode series, Shankar's Saapadu Story South Africa.
- 1999 — The Indian Chapter Opens his first restaurant in Malacca.
- 2002 — EQTD Consulting Founds his leadership development practice.
- 2019 — The Fire Grill Remodels his KL bistro to focus purely on food.
- 2023 — Fire by Shankar Chef Patron at Straits Quay, Penang.
Book your seats.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's included?
Your experience includes the full 13-item sappadu and two drinks, with all taxes covered.
Can I book a vegetarian and non-vegetarian sappadu together?
Yes. Choose how many of each leaf you'd like when you book. Both run side by side at every seating, at the same price.
How long does a seating run?
Approximately 1.5 hours. Seatings are back to back, and the seating will begin exactly on time, so please arrive 15 minutes before your reserved seating time to ensure a hassle-free dining experience.
Allergies and dietary needs
The sappadu is a set menu cooked as a single service, so the dishes stay as the chef has written them. If you have an allergy, do check with us before you book - call or message us and we'll happily talk you through everything on the leaf.
Who cooks the food?
Chef Shankar. The menu is his, cooked the way he cooks it in Penang, with our team alongside him on service.
Can I cancel or transfer my booking?
Yes! Your seat is transferable to another guest up to 48 hours before your seating; just send us their name and number to update the booking. Alternatively, if you need to cancel, we are happy to provide credit for the value of your reservation to use on your next visit.
Where else can I book?
Seats are also listed on Swiggy Scenes and District. Availability updates across every channel, so book the seating you want as soon as you see it.