NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

Fighting for her life: Restaurateur and owner of popular Auckland Malaysian banana leaf eatery critical after fall

Lincoln Tan
By Lincoln Tan
Multimedia Journalist·NZ Herald·
25 Jan, 2022 10:30 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Yougeswari Subramaniam had been running Santhiya's for 31 years. Photo / Dean Purcell

Yougeswari Subramaniam had been running Santhiya's for 31 years. Photo / Dean Purcell

A popular restaurateur who pioneered Malaysian South Indian-style banana leaf curry rice meals in Auckland is fighting for her life after a fall last Friday left her paralysed with critical injuries.

Yougeswari Subramaniam, 61, remains in intensive care at Middlemore Hospital with complications because of a spinal injury and a family member says she has a "50-50 chance" of survival.

Her restaurant, Santhiya's, at the Mt Roskill end of Dominion Rd, is known for its all-you-can-eat banana leaf Sundays, and many in the Malaysian community regard her mee goreng as the best in town.

Yougeswari Subramaniam is fighting for her life after her fall, and is now in ICU at Middlemore Hospital. Photo / Supplied
Yougeswari Subramaniam is fighting for her life after her fall, and is now in ICU at Middlemore Hospital. Photo / Supplied

Subramaniam has been running Santhiya's, which she named after her daughter, for 31 years - first on Ellis Ave, before it moved to the current site in 2006.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

News of her accident shared on Chow Luck Club, a foodie group on Facebook, has reached nearly 11,000.

Financial support is also pouring in on a Givealittle page https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/santhiyasrestaurant?fbclid=IwAR3oM7JQl5eYphlzBHW-xjbckx2-gEODCzIcr-gWC9STCcxE7-kJKUY_7CI set up by a family friend Yogi Kumar.

"Yougeswari Subramaniam experienced a dramatic change of personal circumstances after she severely injured her neck as a result of a fall," Kumar wrote.

"Aunty is now paralysed and due to the challenging circumstances, Santhiya's restaurant is permanently closed. Aunty is well known for her jovial personality, amazing food and great hospitality."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Masillan Veejian, son of Youges Subramaniam who owns the popular Santhiya's, says the restaurant was her life. Photo / Dean Purcell
Masillan Veejian, son of Youges Subramaniam who owns the popular Santhiya's, says the restaurant was her life. Photo / Dean Purcell

Her son Masillan Veejian, 27, said the family are still in shock and coming to terms with what happened.

"Everything was normal on Friday, and then Mum came home, had a fall in the house and now we are faced with this horrifying chance that we could lose her.

"On Friday she was unresponsive after her fall and had to be resuscitated by the paramedics."

Veejian said the restaurant was her life, and she would spend up to 12 hours every day there.

After 31 years, Santhiya's is now permanently closed. Photo / Dean Purcell
After 31 years, Santhiya's is now permanently closed. Photo / Dean Purcell

"Mum named her business after my sister Santhiya, and the restaurant was like her baby too, really," Veejian said.

"She is a firm believer that food brings happiness, comfort and even cure homesickness, that's why she puts so much into what she does. Judging by the words of support and comments we've seen, Mum seems to be right."

With the sudden closure of the business and with no possibility of his mother getting back to work, a big worry for the family is what to do with it.

The business is now up for sale.

The restaurant's traditional South Indian-inspired Malaysian dishes were from recipes passed down from generation to generation within Subramaniam's family.

Masillan Veejian says he will miss seeing his mom in Santhiya's kitchen. Photo / Dean Purcell
Masillan Veejian says he will miss seeing his mom in Santhiya's kitchen. Photo / Dean Purcell

Veejian said that as a result of the fall, Subramaniam was now paralysed from the chest down and was suffering from low heart rate and breathing difficulties.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Mum is coherent, but that is the painful part, to see that she's able to talk but can't move any part of her body," he said.

"It's also heartbreaking to see her feeling so mentally down. She is a people person, and now she can't see anyone or even have the ability of using the mobile phone to call someone."

Veejian said his father was the only designated visitor, and Subramaniam was expected to be in the hospital for at least six weeks.

Real estate agent Prasanna Kumar, who has been a customer for 20 years, is shocked by the sudden closure and news of what happened.

"Aunty's cooking is fantastic and she is well known for her mee goreng, nasi lemak, banana leaf meals and lots more," he said.

"Most of all she cooks with so much love and feeding so many satisfied customers."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Kay Kay said on Facebook that she "went numb" when she heard the news.

"When I arrived in NZ 2009 alone, she was the first restaurant I called for help and without fail she guided me, whom to see and what to do," Kay Kay said.

With the help of her daughter Santhiya, Subramaniam wrote on her Facebook page: "After 31 years Santhiya's will be closing for good. Thank you to everyone for your support and being part of this adventure with me.

"I love you all."

Save

    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

New Zealand
|Updated

'Moving quite quickly': Fresh bout of wild weather to sweep across top of North Island

New Zealand

Have you seen Brett? Police search for missing Upper Hutt man

Wellington

Chung’s campaign group loses candidate amid email scandal


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

'Moving quite quickly': Fresh bout of wild weather to sweep across top of North Island
New Zealand
|Updated

'Moving quite quickly': Fresh bout of wild weather to sweep across top of North Island

Heavy rain watches have been issued for Northland and Auckland from early tomorrow.

16 Jul 09:13 AM
Have you seen Brett? Police search for missing Upper Hutt man
New Zealand

Have you seen Brett? Police search for missing Upper Hutt man

16 Jul 08:37 AM
Chung’s campaign group loses candidate amid email scandal
Wellington

Chung’s campaign group loses candidate amid email scandal

16 Jul 08:10 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP