This gelateria in Chennai offers local and seasonal flavour with a scoop of nostalgia

You are familiar with Chennai’s iconic Mylapore filter coffee and Kalathi rose milk. Now, try them frozen at an inventive new gelateria that exults in local flavours with a scoop of nostalgia

When Deepika Prabhu and her husband Prabhu Rathinam were living in Oman, they made a lot of friends. Their social circle expanded further as Deepika began catering desserts for various celebrations.

“Prabhu had always wanted to venture into the business of dessserts, and when we were back in Chennai for good in 2019, we began to plan it and our dream began to take shape in spite of the pandemic. As we wanted to stand out from the rest, we focused on Italian gelato, but with a local twist,” says Deepika.

So the couple launched Afters, a gelato bar, in Thiruvanmiyur.

“When we put together the menu, we focused on local flavours that invoke memories. We also decided to include Omani halwa gelato on our menu, and Deepika painstakingly recreated that taste,’ says Prabhu.

Deepika’s Omani halwa gelato includes almond, cashew, pistachios, saffron, cardamom and rose, in an attempt to make it taste similar to the real thing. Her local Chennai touch comes from seasonal fruits, like mango and nungu (ice apple) flavoured gelato. The later has a distinct flavor of the fruit, and feels as refreshing as eating fresh nungu. Custard apple and jamoon gelato are next on her list.

And then there are the Chennai touches Prabhu has come up with, such as rose milk and filter coffee gelato. Iconic Kalathi Store Rose Milk was a significant part of Prabhu’s school life, as he grew up in Mylapore. No wonder he offers a gelato named after Kalathi store, from where he sourced the rose syrup. “Being a Mylapore boy, I can't help but go in for a filter coffee flavor in gelato,” he chuckles, and goes on to say, “All these flavors evokes a sense of belonging, a sense of nostalgia, and I am sure everyone who grew up here would also have that connect.”

This compact dessert bar, tucked away in a lane removed from the dust and din in Thiruvanmiyur since July 2021, has a seating capacity of 15. It also offers a selection of baked goodies and dessert jars. While Deepika has put together the menu, they have an in-house baker who makes brownies and cookies. Try your gelato with their waffles, which are made to order. Besides the local flavours, kiwi-coconut and salted pistachio with pomegranate are their popular with customers. And for cheesecake lovers, try the mango cheese cake.