Chennai has a new flower cafe and a space for Korean beauty and crafts

A matcha cake in a glass house, surrounded by flowers. This is how I like to spend my teatime these days (if my boss is not watching). I am at InKo Centre’s Flower Brew — a delightful combination of a flower shop (Flower Power) and a cafe (Bara and Bean). So, when you enter, the aroma of coffee and the scent of a myriad flowers greet you.

“Korea has this flower cafe culture; they have small, cute spaces where they have books, flowers and cafes. You can pick up a book, grab a bite, look at flowers and just spend as much time as you want. That is where this idea came from,” explains Rathi Jafer, director, InKo Centre (The Indo-Korean Cultural and Information Centre). InKo already had this space and Rathi was keen to turn it into “something that extends and connects through our senses”. “A hangout where people could connect with everything we have to offer,” she adds.

Chef Cheruba of Barra and Bean Cafe
| Photo Credit:
Johan Sathyadas

The 15-seater cafe — with indoor and outdoor seating — is run by Chef Cheruba Nelson, who is also associated with Ciacco on Anna Salai, and does a show on Sun TV titled Top Cooku Dupe Cooku. The cafe does Korean-inspired food and bakes. “For example, we have chiffon cake. Is it authentic? No, but because Koreans really enjoy their fruits, we add lots of seasonal fruits and cream — thereby adding a Korean touch,” says Cheruba. The menu also features gochujang chicken quiche, Hokkaido toast, kimchi and egg toast, Hokkaido milk gelato with a honey comb on top, green tea, corn tea, Americano, piccolo… the most popular however is the iced matcha made with oatmilk. “We’ve noticed in Korea, they really like flavoured milk, so we have banana milk, melon milk, strawberry milk and citron passion fruit-ade and strawberry-ade with a scoop of sorbet,” says Cheruba, adding that they open as early at 8am and are exploring healthier options for breakfast.

The flower shop occupies one side of the room; one gets the feel of sitting in a garden. There are roses, orchids, tulips, sunflowers, and flowers I’ve never seen before. But Jayanthi Ravichandran, who started Flower Power, is there to acquaint you with the blooms. Jayanthi had a flower business in London and started this brand there, decades ago. In 2017, she decided to bring her flower shop to Chennai and set up in Besant Nagar and Akkarai.

Korean gifts at the craft centre
| Photo Credit:
Johan Sathyadas

While flowers are imported from Holland, South Africa, etc., Jayanthi also sources from local horticulturists in Udhagamandalam, Bengaluru, parts of Kerala, Bengal and Assam. Preethi, who is part of Flower Power is an encyclopaedia of all things flower and foliage related, and takes me through the vibrant display. She pulls out a lilac rose, and says, “This is called Ocean Song; and this pinkish orange rose with a peach undertone is named Kahala, oh, and this white with a tinge of cream is Vendela,” she explains animatedly. There are also toffee coloured roses and a variety named Cherry Brandy where the leaves are dual-toned — orange outside and yellow on the inside. “Koreans love roses,” says Preethi. Here, they also make Korean style bouquets. In Korean floristry there is an emphasis on negative spaces, they also follow a monochromatic style where different shades of one colour are put together, and they use lot of natural twigs and barks, she says. Even the packaging is different. “At Flower Brew, the plan is to host workshops on flowers for home, playing with floral arrangements, Korean style arrangements, and also floristry as a career,” says Jayanthi.

Flowers from Flower Power
| Photo Credit:
Johan Sathyadas

Rathi then leads us to Pure Han, a new spot within the premises, that is dedicated to Korean skincare (with brands like Nuskin, Beauty of Joseon, Innisfree, and Serenu and also offers skincare consultancy and a 30-minute skin ritual that uses K-products and galvanic devices), crafts, gifts and souvenirs (like bookmarks, wine stoppers), and traditional wrapping styles like boujagi that uses silk cloth. “The Korean community in Auroville does this. We’ve got some of them to come as tutors and teach these skills at workshops,” says Rathi.

As I leave, Preethi resurfaces, to show me the Signature plant (Clusia rosea) from Indonesia that has now made InKo Centre its home. “There’s a belief that you can write your wish on one of the leaves and it could come true. Or you could just write a message on these succulent leaves. And when you come back here later, it’ll still be there,” she smiles.

InKo Centre is located at 18, Adyar Club Gate Road, Raja Annamalaipuram. For details, call: 044 24361224