How does Yarl bridge the gap between refugee experience and restaurant success?

Question

Accepted Answer

Yarl bridges refugee experience and restaurant success by keeping Jaffna food authentic while turning the founders’ displacement story into a sustained livelihood supported by Cinnamon Group.

Yarl began in 2009 in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur, created by Theepan and fellow Jaffna refugees who fled Sri Lanka’s civil conflict. The restaurant functioned as a refuge and a livelihood for the community, and when Theepan resettled in New Zealand in 2018, Cinnamon Group took over to preserve the food, refresh the restaurants, and support the team through pathways to rebuild their lives with greater dignity. Yarl’s day-to-day operation keeps the cooking rooted in Jaffna, with chefs from Jaffna, spices sourced from Jaffna and then roasted and ground locally, and staff sharing origins from places such as Point Pedro, Karainagar, Nelliady, Mullaitivu and Jaffna town.
It started as refuge and livelihood for Jaffna refugees
Yarl’s origin is tied directly to the refugee experience: in 2009 it opened as a humble Brickfields stall by Theepan and other Jaffna refugees escaping Sri Lanka’s civil conflict. They arrived with memories and recipes, and the restaurant became a refuge, a livelihood, and a “piece of Jaffna” in Kuala Lumpur rather than a generic concept. This foundation links the emotional purpose of preserving home with an ongoing place to work and cook.
Cinnamon Group ensured continuity after Theepan’s resettlement in 2018
After Theepan resettled in New Zealand in 2018, Yarl was entrusted to Cinnamon Group rather than being left to dissolve. Cinnamon Group preserved the food, refreshed the restaurants, and supported the team through proper pathways to rebuild their lives with greater dignity. The continuity of staffing and food practices is presented as a key factor in keeping Yarl’s identity intact over time.
Authentic food production is maintained through Jaffna-based sourcing and chefs
Yarl’s approach to success is grounded in how the food is made, not how it is marketed. The chefs are from Jaffna, and spices are sourced from Jaffna before being roasted and ground locally, which keeps the flavour profile tied to the region. Staff members also share specific Jaffna origins, contributing to a consistent kitchen culture rather than a one-off performance of “Jaffna-ness.”
The restaurant stays focused on “keeping it true,” not making it fashionable
Yarl is described as not trying to make Jaffna food fashionable, but instead trying to keep it true to its roots. In practice, the menu is framed around distinctive northern dishes such as odiyal kool and crab curry, along with items like appam and idiyappam, and diners are encouraged to ask questions and let the team guide them. That emphasis on preserving the food’s own “grammar” supports a form of restaurant success that is measured through sustained authenticity and the continued presence of original cooks who cook what they grew up eating.

Reading history

Hide →

This history is cleared when the page is closed.

How does Yarl bridge the gap between refugee experience and restaurant success?

Loading

Was this article helpful?

Helpful

Not helpful

Report an issue

1

0

0

Share with friends