In the crowded lane of Seetammadhara, the Bombay Kulfi store would be hard to miss. Standing amidst pharmacies and electronic stores, the recently-opened outlet stands out for its vibrant colours and quirky decor.
From being a street-side quick grab to having outlets specially dedicated to it, kulfi has come a long way. Over the years, the city has seen multiple outlets opening up to satisfy the kulfi cravings of the residents. The recent addition to this is the Bombay Kulfi. It was on one of the business trips to Chennai when N Nishikanth, owner of the outlet, tasted the Bombay Kulfi and decided to get the franchise for Visakhapatnam.
“There are the Rajasthani kulfi carts in the city. However, over the years their number has started reducing. After that, there hasn’t been much options for kulfi in the city,” he says.
With the temperatures in the city not frequently dipping below 20 degrees Celsius, kulfi is a good way to keep it cool. A dessert that gained popularity for its simplicity and milky flavour, today comes in myriad varieties. From the regular flavours like malai, gulkand and badam pista to exotic ones like salted caramel, paan masala and strawberry lychee, the outlet has it all.
“We opened the store on November 23 and have received an overwhelming response. The conventional malai kulfi is a favourite among the patrons. Apart from that, most of the people prefer sitaphal and badam pista,” he added.
Giving it an old-school look, the sitting arrangement has benches made of wooden planks which complement well with the bright yellow walls of the outlet. Behind the counter on a huge blackboard are the listings of available flavours. The outlet offers more than 20 varieties of kulfis which is a mix of traditional and experimental flavours. One can have either the iconic conical kulfi or have slices of them, chopped and served in paper plates.
Spoilt with choices, I begin with the guava kulfi slice. After slicing it into small squares, the pieces are sprinkled with chilli powder and salt. The guava is an instant favourite with the real taste of the fruit and a creamy, milky and spicy flavour. For those who cannot make up their mind, Rangeela would be the go-to thing. The Rangeela kulfi is made of four flavours.
Apart from kulfis the outlet also offers natural ice-cream. “Unlike kulfi, the natural ice creams do not have malai in them. They are made of just fruits and milk giving it a much fruity flavour,” he says.
Overwhelmed with the response to the first outlet, Nishikant is planning to expand to Rushikonda, Beach Road and Gajuwaka by next summer. Bombay Kulfi is a Coimbatore-based kulfi chain that has outlets in over 45 cities across the country.
Another outlet that experiments with the traditional kulfi is the MVP-based Kulifiholics that has been making in-roads in the appetite and the hearts of the city’s residents. With quirky decor that includes a huge flex which traces the history of kulfi from the Mughal era to its popularity in major Indian cities, the store has been dishing out various flavours of kulfi — jelly king, coffee walnut. Apart from this the outlet also serves several fresh fruit kulfis like mango, sitaphal, tender coconut, strawberry banana and paan.