Sree Balaji Ice Cream
Brothers Manoharan and Chandrasekaran set up the shop in 1980. “People who visit the shop tell me that the taste is still the same as it was 30-40 years back,” says Sasi Kumar, one of the partners. Offering one flavour a day, the store provides eight flavours. “We have a timetable. On Sundays we alternate between pineapple and pistachio,” he adds. Earlier priced at 75 paise a cone, now it is `25. The other products available here are cup ice cream at `15 and 250 g in a bowl, served for family, at `80. They also sell takeaway ice creams at an additional cost of `5.
Time: Daily, 10 am-10 pm. Visit: 3, Paper Mills Road, Jagannathan Colony, Perambur, Chennai:600011
Vinu’s Igloo
A few years ago, ice cream was seen as a luxury. I intended to make it easily available to commoners,” says Vinoth V of Vinu’s Igloo, an ice cream parlour started in 1995 in West Mambalam. The USP of the store is their pricing. Initially sold for `1, their smaller cones are now being sold at `2. They offer eight different flavours but chocolate, vanilla, pistachio, strawberry and butterscotch are in demand. If customers like the flavour, they can buy a larger one for `50. Vinoth is all set to launch eight more branches and introduce stick ice cream by the end of the month.
Time: Daily, 10 am to 12 am. Visit: 35, Thambiah Road, AGS Colony, West Mambalam, Chennai:600033
SV Bakery
Started as a small business in 2000 by Rajan Kumar, SV Sweets Bakers and Icecreams in Chromepet is popular for its signature soft-serve. “Every day we change the flavours. This is done randomly and we don’t have a fixed day for a flavour. Currently, we serve six to seven flavours like mango, strawberry, blackcurrant, pistachio, chocolate and butterscotch,” says Rajan.
Serving the third generation of customers, he says, “We use 100% pure milk to make our soft serve. Since we don’t add water our ice creams are rich and creamy.” With pure offerings, the soft serve costs `20 for all flavours and the choco-dip from `30.
Time: Daily, 7 am to 9 pm Visit: 47, Radha Nagar Main Road, Chromepet, Chennai:600044
Snofield
SET up in 1982, Snofield in Gopalapuram offers sundaes, faloodas and cakes. Their summer specials include fruit salads with ice cream, pistachio and fruit ice cream faloodas, and their prime ingredient mango. Every dessert on the menu can be customised with mango. “The customers make their combinations of sundaes, faloodas, and fruit salads with mangoes during this season,” shares Ashok from Snofield. Their sundaes, especially Tall Beauty which comprises vanilla and chocolate ice cream, choco sponge cake, chocolate sauce and nuts have been popular since its establishment. “It’s been 40 years and generations of families have been our customers. We have people bringing their grandchildren here saying, I used to have ice cream here in the old days,” shares Ashok. Their summer plan is to add more flavours to the menu.
Time: Daily, 11 am to 11 pm. Visit: Amaravathi Complex, 1, Cathedral Road, Gopalapuram, Chennai:600086
Inputs by: Meghana Sree R, PS Niranjana, Sonu M Kothari