At Ninan’s Restaurant in YMCA Esplanade, time stands still

A lot has been described about how in Chennai, or Madras as some still lovingly call it, time steps aside and lets people have a peep into its history. From alluring monuments to restaurants serving iconic dishes, Ninan’s Restaurant at YMCA Esplanade fits the bill. Here people are left satisfied with delicious caramel custard and lip-smacking biryani, along with a history lesson.

Nestled in the decades-old YMCA (Young Men’s Christian Association) Esplanade is Ninan’s Restaurant, an old mystic hotel that gives off the vibe of old Madras charm and simplicity. Replacing the first Iranian hotel in the city in 1956, K.A. Ninan embarked on the journey of providing homely food to people of all walks of life at a minimal price.

In a conversation with The Hindu, Alexander Ninan, his son, shares the history of the establishment. “My father, K.A. Ninan, had come to Chennai in 1933 and joined Spencer’s. He was put in charge of running Connemara Hotel in Madras, the West End in Bangalore, and the Savoy in Ooty. In 1950, my father met R.V. Rajan, the first Indian Dean of Madras Medical College, who asked him if he would be interested in taking over the contract for the canteen at MMC,” he says.

Bought from a Parsi

“We were into the catering business. We used to cater at events and weddings. For this, my father wanted office space. A Parsi, who was running the Iranian hotel, quit the business and my father bought this place in 1956. We have been here ever since,” recalls Mr. Ninan. “I finished CA and was working when my father asked me whether I would join him in this business. I have always wanted to work in this field and I could not say no. So, in 1980, I joined this business,” he adds.

The restaurant is steeped in generational heritage, where the staff members share a profound connection with the establishment as their parents were also the integral members of the team. “The present head chef’s father was also the head chef back in the day. I grew up with these boys. I am at home here,” explains Tarun Alexander, who has been supporting his father in the business for the last three-four years.

The same taste

The taste of the food has remained consistent, customers say, and Mr. Ninan and Mr. Tarun take immense pride in that. “After eating a meal here, customers do not report stomach issues, and that is one of our biggest achievements,” Mr. Tarun says.

Mr. Ninan says the brand of oil that was bought by his father in 1950 is still being used. Even the medium of cooking has not changed. “We don’t want to change anything, because if we do, the entire taste will be gone,” he says.

The minute you enter Ninan’s, time stops and you get a glimpse into how Madras was back in the day. Waiters in blue turban, white uniform, and blue cummerband zip past the crowd, carrying dishes like chicken rice, fish curry, biryani, and caramel custard, the signature dish.

Eminent personalities such as Nehru, President Nasser of Egypt, and the Archbishop of Canterbury have dined here in the past, history says.

Radhika Devi from Avadi is coming here after five years. “My father is a High Court judge and my brother is a lawyer. They used to come here for lunch. That is how I got to know about the restaurant. Now, I’m visiting here with my husband and daughter only for caramel custard. Its taste has remained the same over the years,” she says.

“This is the first time I’m coming here. I got to know about the place from social media. I really liked the caramel custard,” says another visitor.

Mostly lunch items are served. The restaurant is closed on Sundays.

The oldest branch

Bustling with young lawyers and judges, NSC Bose Road also houses another spectacular piece of history. YMCA Esplanade, established in 1890, is the oldest branch of Madras YMCA. It was established by David McConaughy of the U.S. The building was constructed in Jaina-Jaipur architectural style by G.S.T. Harding.

The work began in 1895, and was completed, thanks to a donation of $40,000 by John Wanamaker, the then Post-Master General of the U.S. It is said that it was the first building in Madras to be erected at the request of Governor Arthur Havelock. It was opened in 1900.

College of Physical Education

YMCA established its first College of Physical Education here, with Harry Crowe Buck as director of physical education in 1920. He coached the Indian team and was its trainer at the Paris Summer Olympics in 1924. Visiting Madras in 1915, M.K. Gandhi gave a speech at the McConaughy Hall in the complex. On August 15, 1928, Music Academy was inaugurated in the same hall by C.P. Ramaswami Iyer. Fashioned with red sandstone and intricate jaali works, the building serves as a poignant reminder of Madras’s yesteryears, painting a nostalgic portrait of the city’s history and communal harmony.