The Sundari Touch

THE Photo Credits : Roshan Siddharth SUNDARI Sundari Akka and the world that flock to her foodTouch

Chennai’s climatic has been so erratic this past few weeks that it is practically been impossible to decide whether to go out or not. But, as a person that craves food and never misses to eat on whatever the occasion, climate is no obstacle. And so, on a gloomy Sunday afternoon, I set out to meet one person who had become so famous thanks to the tens of YouTube videos and the thousands that strongly recommend her food. It made me wonder whether it truly could be that good, considering the scathing reviews that smaller establishments get on platforms.

I navigated my vehicle in the direction of the Marina late in the afternoon, looking for a food outlet, picturing more of a restaurant like establishment or at the least a fancy food truck. After parking, what an art it is, I ran a search on maps to see where exactly the eatery is and it pointed me to a location where it was impossible to have any sort of physical structure. Curious, I set out in the direction, and boy… was that long from where I parked. As I got closer and asked a few people around they seemed to gleam at the name of the shop itself. And what stood there mildly threw me away. Two metal boxes that could have easily doubled as Petty Kadais, 3-4 tarpaulin sheets between and behind them. Plastic stools and a folding table. And a middle aged woman promptly directing her workers and customers alike to cook and eat simultaneously. Meet Sundari Akka. Your average Tamil woman, making her living by doing what she does best: feeding everyone to their hearts content. The entire set up and the crowd that came threw me back and bought me closer to find out what lay in there. I approached Akka carefully, lest I disturb her flow of things and introduced myself. “First saapdu pa, apparampaesalam.” (Grab a bite first and then we can talk) she said. Well, great!

Asking what’s special there, I ordered Aameal and a catch of the day fry. I sat next to a bunch of friends who came there for their weekly meet. And struck a conversation with them. “We have been coming here for 3-5 years. Nothing can beat Akka’s kai manam” says one as the other goes “eat the fish and you’ll know”. Without a thought I dug into my plate. Remember that scene from Ratatouille where the critic is shocked with the food on his plate? That was me. The food is pure Tamil cuisine at its best and it was mouth-watering. This could have been one of the recipes that were just handed out verbatim or from a mother’s cookbook and could not be found anywhere and there it was with Sundari Akka.

The men that sat with me finished their hunt for the day and had a jolly laugh talking to Akka. One even sang to her “Sundari neeyum” from Michael Madana Kamarajan with the lyrics praising her food. They asked me to take a photo of them with her and carried on with their day. And then she came to me, “All Okay?” she asked. With a mouth full of food I sputtered “amazing”, not just the food, her personality too. “It’s all divine grace. And the love of the people. The guy that sang to me is the son of a famous singer himself. And for people of that stature to come and eat here, means that I am blessed. It’s overwhelming” she says. “I came to Chennai somewhere around 1976. I hail from Pondicherry, but came here in search of a better life and meeting MGR.” And has it been, I asked. “Certainly” she exclaims. “I met MGR the year, gave him a garland of notes. I married my Morai-paiyan (betrothed cousin) in 1984. We have two children. And life has been wonderful. He used to work labour. And I started this to support my husband in fending for us. The first attempt was around 1988 - 1988. It was a small street food stall. And since then it has been an uphill journey.” She narrates. I pondered on about the name of the shop. “This Sundari Akka Kadai is a pseudonym. I named my shop ‘Kanavur Unavagam’, inspired by the first miracle of Christ, after certain changes happened in my life. But since everyone called it that and after all the internet shebang it stuck.” In between all this she managed to serve over 50 customers, talk to people that came and went, ask people how the food was, pick up Swiggy orders and instruct people for the next batch of food. Her energy was addictive and overwhelming to take at the same time. “I have to run around for me. Who else will? My day starts at 4/5 in the morning and ends a 10”, she says casually. And I have to be on my toes, because if I had slacked one bit, Sundari Akka wouldn’t be Sundari Akka”. And it shows. The number of youtubers, public awards and online mentions that she has to her name was not any internet sensation.

At mere 50 Rs for a meal and costs 100-120 rupees max for fish fry, calamari, prawns and other sides, it is baffling that she does her business with such conviction and dedication ina world that taunts people to become millionaires overnight.“We are fine with what we have. My profit margin is 10 rupees. And that’s okay. I feed hundreds of hungry stomachs a day. And their satisfaction is what I wish for” she goes on when asked about her pricing, “Many people came to me offering crores for franchising my business. But I turned them down. Yes, running a big outlet and living the dream will look and seem great, but I sleep at peace at night and that’s what matters.”

Every person that came there and had food made it a point to tell her that the food was good and that it really lives upto the hype. And she returned their compliment with a wholesome thank you. “The sea food is fresh, the vegetables are handpicked, the oil I use is groundnut oil and water is mineral water. There is no adultery. And it is important because the product I serve is food and if I cheat here, I don’t think ill ever be forgiven” she exclaims in a moment of drama to a customer who asked her how she manages to keep the food, taste and quality a constant.

Sundari Akka is a person of dreams. Her demeanor, control of life and hardworking spirit is nothing like you’d see everyday. You would probably miss her if you saw her on the street or on the train. But she is there hustling like not many in the world. I asked her about her dreams. “My husband died a few years ago. I offer free food to the poor on his anniversary. My children are educated, one helps me run the business. Ive done what I want. But if there was a dream it would be to open a vegetarian restaurant. And im sure ill get to that” she smiles. Taking her leave, I wondered how vathakuzhambu and potato fry would be from her, with the taste of rfish gravy in my mouth. SundariAkka is a truly inspiring person, but her food is to die for. Happy and content, the day moved on.