Scooping sweet memories

CHENNAI: For most Chennaiites, the memories of eating piping hot bajjis, spicy fish fry from the numerous stalls on Marina shapes the narratives of their childhood days. Because food is not just a matter of sustenance, but an aspect of life that spells one’s moods, emotions and motivations. It engages many senses and sensibilities, the deliciousness of which unfolds when every bite comes with a story.

Crispy dosais from The Woodland hotel (T Nagar), endless jugs of sambar at Ratna Cafe (Triplicane), the aromatic rosemilk from Kalathi Stall (Mylapore) and many such — over time, as we nourished our faith in their foods, they acquired symbolism and shaped the context of our lives. One such familiarity of flavour had us sniffing the bustling streets of Royapuram to melt our pandemic- induced worries in one of the city’s best mango icecreams.

When you are here, don’t be deceived by the nondescript look of the 250-sq-ft, no-frills C Kunhiraman General Stores. Located opposite the Royapuram Railway station — just below the Royapuram bridge on North Terminus Road — this provision store has an exceptional capacity to create frozen but happy memories.

Started in 1925 by C Kunhiraman, a native of Calicut, the ice-creams here, have since then, melted many a heart. After his demise, it was run by his wife Narayani till it was eventually taken over by his three sons — CK Baskaran, CK Vasu and CK Prabhakaran. Two years ago, the third generation owners — cousins Akilesh Baskaran and Laksmi Sunil — took over the reins.

Mango matters
“Until two weeks ago, we charged only `30 for 150 ml icecream. After the lockdown, however, when we reopened, we increased the price to `40, as sales were affected. Our customers ordered only essential items to be picked up by Swiggy and Zomato during the lockdown,” shares Akilesh. Having weathered the test of time and a pandemic, the shop has patrons, from nooks and crannies of the city and world, from as early as 6 am to savour the signature frozen dessert — the mango-ice-cream.

What is it that makes generations of people swear by Kunhiraman’s mango ice-cream despite having plenty of other options? “Well, it’s the quantity, quality and pricing,” notes Akilesh. Remaining tightlipped about the ingredients that go into their ice-cream, he gives us a glimpse into its history. “The story goes that our grandfather Kunhiraman was experimenting with multiple flavours based on suggestions from the Anglo-Indian community that used to live in this area.

Mango turned out to be the best of the lot. It’s a family recipe and even I’m equipped to prepare it in the absence of the staff. While mango may be a seasonal fruit, we use the pulp of a specific variety that gives the richness to taste,” he explains. Unlike softies or gelatos, this ice-cream, served in paper cups, isn’t soft or smooth. It’s a hard icecream, as he calls it, and melts instantly in heat. “We don’t add preservatives or colours. In fact, selling softy has more profit margins than selling mango ice-cream. So, money is clearly not our priority. We use five litres of milk, which turns to four litres of ice-cream when frozen,” reveals Akilesh.

Sweet testimonials
Attributing all the appreciation to his loyal clientele, particularly the Anglo-Indian community, he says, “The Anglo-Indian community loved splurging frequent the shop and each one would buy five-six ice-creams while also taking some as parcel. We even sold canned seafood that was loved by the community.” Taking a trip further down memory lane, Akilesh opens up about the love that the community had for his grandfather.

So much so that they always had time to sit down for a chat with him. “We didn’t have the bridge here back then, so the pavement in front of the shop used to be wider. The harbour wasn’t built either and the beach was a few metres away. People would buy ice-creams and go for a walk or chat with my grandpa on a bench (those days it was a wooden cot) outside the shop,” he reminisces. Then and now, it’s the wordof- mouth that has kept the shop sufficiently successful. “Recently, we’ve been having 70-80 per cent of first-time customers and it’s heartwarming.

But regulars always pay a visit even if they have migrated to other countries or pockets of the city. I have patrons from Australia, the USA and New Zealand, who come here whenever they visit India for a vacation. They bring their foreign friends along too,” beams Akilesh, adding that Sundays are busy as customers make it a point to make a Sundate to Kunhiraman after attending their Church masses. One such regular is Durai Raju P, who has been a Royapuram resident for half a century. “My siblings and I would take a peek at the shop every time we passed by it in our car.

On alternate days, after school, we would make it a point to come and try out lemon and grape juices, and mango ice-creams. It’s a ritual even now to bring extended family members and friends who visit home. The items used to be priced between 15 and 25 paisa and we thoroughly enjoyed them. I’m amazed by how the quality and taste remains the same. This has become Royapuram’s Kunhiraman store. One cannot come to this side of the city and return without relishing the ice-cream,” he insists. Meanwhile, Akilesh has made a promise to himself — to never compromise on quality.

“Patrons have been requesting us to collaborate with delivery partners, we will have to mull over it. We are open for expansions, but slowly. There will be some renovations down the line and we plan to give the shop a facelift. We also introduced the billing system, installed CCTV and added new products to our list. Our grandfather and father may have been old-school, but we want to experiment with all possible options to take this mango ice-cream to a larger audience,” he shares.

Besides scooping the popular ice-cream, the store also has room for other specialities like mutton samosa, chicken biryani, grape juice, mango milk and bread. In an era of freakshakes and sophisticated flavour mashups, it is memories such as these of the mango ice-cream at Kunhiraman that builds our appetite for nostalgic trips. The shop is closed on Fridays.

Address: N Terminus Rd, Chetty Thottam, Royapuram, Chennai-600013.
For details, call: 25904889/9840227859

IN THE FAMILY
The shop was started in 1925 by C Kunhiraman, a native of Calicut. After his demise, it was run by his wife Narayani till it was eventually taken over by his three sons. Two years ago, cousins Akilesh Baskaran and Laksmi Sunil — took over the reins.