Good news for Chennai's vegetarians: This new cafe has inventive global cuisine options

In a city that loves its meat, from mutton biryani to fiery beef fry, the phrase 'vegetarian café' rarely sparks excitement. It often comes with quinoa bowls, the scent of lemongrass, paneer in everything, and a menu that leaves no room for imagination.
Beyond The Cup, in Kilpauk, is rewriting that script. Located in the heart of a predominantly North Indian neighbourhood, this new café does not posture or overcompensate. It simply offers confident, inventive food that happens to be vegetarian (and Jain!). Started by two friends Ashish Narang and Ritesh Jain, with the help of culinary consultant Mathangi Kumar, the menu spans global influences
'Our journey started when Ashish and I decided to start a small kiosk, Italia On The Go, that stays open till late in Kilpauk. Being an area dominated by Marwaris, Gujaratis and North Indians, we knew vegetarian would sell more, and they would want Jain options as well,' says Ritesh.
Since Italia On The Go is located outside the new cafe, the menu at Beyond The Cup is void of anything Italian. Instead, it is filled with options that are innovative, and you taste it in the Japanese togarashi-dusted edamame served still in the pod with crisp garlic bits. It looks unassuming, but before you know it, you are reaching for another pod, and then another.
We start off with an iced matcha latte that is lightly sweetened and grassy, exactly as it should be. 'For coffee, we are working with Chennai-based roastery Vithai. Their coffee is sourced from estates in the southern states, mainly Tamil Nadu. We specifically don't do Robusta coffee because of the high acidity content, and work with only Arabica,' says Mathangi. The classic cold brew is smooth and aromatic, and pairs well with the spicy corn tempura.
The small plates are where the café's creativity comes through. The million layered chaat brings the soul of a crisp street style aloo tikki chaat, to the viral layered confit potatoes, and it works just as expected. The dal pakwan hummus is a creamy hummus topped with a trio of green, sweet and spicy chutneys and served with a traditional pakwan that comes straight from Ashish's Sindhi home. The Singaporean cereal paneer is a buttery, crisp yet soft paneer, tossed in oats, red chilli, and curry leaves.
On a lighter, fresher note, the Vietnamese rice rolls are served with a cilantro sauce and nouc cham, a Vietnamese dipping sauce made with soy sauce and chilli. The burrata arugula salad with cherry tomatoes and blueberry vinaigrette would have been great with some flaky sea salt, and some sourdough toast on the side. From the large plates, we try the chilli soy noodles which are saucy and tossed with bok choy and water chestnuts. The spicy paneer kathi roll has a curry leaf kick that reminds you of the paneer from legendary Andhra cuisine chain, Nagarjuna.
What is especially refreshing about Beyond The Cup is how its limitations are treated as creative fuel. 'For Jain options, since we couldn't use anything that grows under ground, we used a lot of spring onion greens to add that onion flavour,' says Mathangi. The result is a menu that surprises more than it plays safe. The lack of a dedicated dessert menu does not feel like an oversight. The date butter crostini, and maybe a Spanish latte will suffice.
On your way out, you might be tempted to leave with a jar of their house-made, small-batch vegan kimchi, or the locally sourced chilli-oils and hot sauces.
Beyond The Cup is located at Harleys Road, Davidpuram, Kilpauk. A meal for two costs ₹1,200. For reservations, call 8122317575

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