Depth 'N' Green
The energy vibes at this popular cafe in Mysuru
It is very rare that a place can be at the centre of a bustling yogic cosmos and yet evoke a calming, connecting and effervescent energy. We are talking about Depth 'N' Green, in the heart of Gokulam, Mysuru. A simple coffee shop can mean so many wonderful things : a quick pit stop for your morning fix, a mid day latte break, a smoothie craver’s delight, a go-to bread and bake house for those sweet cravings, a vegan abode and so much more. Small and simple but very popular is this all-veg cafe offering flavourful meals and beverages from salads, smoothies and even vegan thali’s.
We got talking to Hemant J. Khendilwal About how he took over the reins of the 8 year old place and how his son Keertannya, a trained chef, is taking over the cafe making it the hub-spot for food and culture. Excerpts from the interview :
Q. When did Depth 'N' Green open in Gokulam ?
Hemant.K : Well Depth & Green started about 8 years ago by my guru ji - Tarneiv Ji. About 2 years also, he had to leave the city and settle with his family abroad. That’s when I took over the reins here. My guru ji’s energy and aura can still be felt here. Probably maybe that is why this place does so well, connecting with people. It is all the good positive vibes.
Q: Why the name Depth 'N' Green ?
Hemant.K : As the name suggests, we work with the freshest of greens and ingredients across all our recipes. So there is basically a lot of depth in every aspect of our procuring as well as the cooking of the dishes. Also a lot of research is done on what ingredients will go into what kind of dishes and we work mostly with the freshest of greens, like our hot seller green smoothie which is a concoction of the freshest leaf greens that are healthy, nutritious and flavourful.
Q. What is the thing that draws people to your place the most ?
Hemant.K : I think it is just a place which exudes great vibes and a fun atmosphere of cheer and camaraderie. It is a great hangout place. Its nice to see people come and relax, sometimes even sit outside on the bench. Just be themselves, no pretence.
Q: Tell us how do you perceive art and how did you think of taking over this place ? What was your vision ?
Hemant.K: I am an artist myself, a fashion photographer https://portraitsbyhemantj.com/
So for me art is whimsical and I apply it in every facet of my life : food, baking, photography, restaurant management, everything. The idea taking over this place along with my son Keertannya was to explore culinary arts along with the vision of making this place a cultural melting pot. We occasionally have sitar sessions, some guests come and jam, play the guitar, sing hymns, spread joy all over. What more can we ask for.
Q: You mentioned you promote cultural performances and art. How do you facilitate it at the cafe ?
Hemant.K: We have a lot of artists visit us at the cafe so we thought why not take the opportunity and curate some intimate cultural gatherings like Indian Classical music evenings, sessions with flute artists, sitar evenings etc. At these events we would serve some hors d’oeuvres just to give people a slite taste of what they can look forward to at the cafe when they visit us.
Q: What would you say are your signatures ?
Hemant.K :
Our green smoothies
Breads (multi-grain and whole wheat)
Thali’s (gluten free)
Q: Any new things you will be adding to your range of retail products at your cafe ?
Hemant.K: We are known for our bread bakes so we are planning to launch our own flour which can be bought at the cafe itself, sometime soon.