"GONE are the days when people just order vanilla and chocolate ice cream," declares Kenneth Leong Chi Keat boldly, adding: "The enjoyment of ice cream has dramatically evolved over the years. Nowadays, people are very adventurous."
The well-built 46-year-old proprietor of L'unico Gelateria in Damansara Jaya is seated opposite me in the spacious ice cream parlour, whilst his mild-mannered, slender wife, May Low Lee Kuan is busy tending to the gelato counter. Not long after, she ambles over, bringing with her a variety of flavours for me to sample.
"To date, I've created over 300 flavours," shares Leong, pride unmistakable in his voice, before adding regretfully: "Unfortunately, we can only display 24 flavours here. Personally, I'm old school and still prefer vanilla."
A fond smile crosses his face when he confides softly: "It reminds me of my childhood." I duly learn that Leong grew up in Petaling Street, Kuala Lumpur, before relocating to Setapak at the age of 21.
Recalls Leong: "Back then, eating ice cream was reserved for special occasions. My family weren't well-to-do so we had limited opportunities for such treats. But I do remember that they used to take me to Swensen's for ice cream on my birthdays."
Continuing, he shares: "Swensen's formed my early impression of what an ice cream parlour was. Of course, later, plenty of other ice cream brands came into the market. But back then, when my parents took me out for ice cream, there was only vanilla. I guess that explains why vanilla remains my favourite flavour."
His wife, Low, shares a similar sentiment about ice cream. Pipes in the 40-year-old Serdang native: "I used to buy ice cream at the playground from the man on a motorbike. Every time I went to the playground with my friends, I'd get money from my parents to buy ice cream. So going to the playground meant an ice cream treat. Whenever my parents passed me money to buy ice cream, I felt their love for me in that gesture."
FORAY INTO GELATO
"Here, we want people to have something new and tasty," explains Leong, when asked to elaborate further on his offerings. Adding, he says: "But the emphasis will be on Asian flavours with Italian textures. I've created Asian gelato flavours such as sambal petai, chilli crab, and Manuka honey ginseng. Malaysians actually like stronger and intense flavours."
The affable proprietor shares that his fascination with gelato began a few years ago. Smiling, he recalls: "Back then, I weighed 120kg and felt lethargic all the time. I needed to adopt a healthy lifestyle so I cut all unhealthy food and went on a diet. I stopped eating carbohydrates and sugary foods."
A sudden chuckle escapes when he admits: "But I couldn't stop eating ice cream. I ate it three or four times a week. But to my surprise, I didn't find any spike in my sugar level and my weight remained the same."
Continuing, he says: "I soon discovered that I was actually eating gelato instead of ice cream. And this triggered my curiosity. I went to Singapore to learn about gelato-making from someone who owned a gelato cafe. Subsequently, I left for Italy, specifically Bologna, Florence, and Venice, to further my learning from different masters about gelato-making."
Once he was satisfied that he was ready, Leong decided to bring his knowledge back to Malaysia and offer Malaysians the chance to savour the exquisite world of gelato.
SETTING UP SHOP
While Leong was a successful trader in imported fashion apparel and Low was previously employed in the making and selling of school uniforms, neither of these prepared them for what it would take to run an F&B establishment.
Expression earnest, Leong confides that despite the fact that he was making a good living from trading, it wasn't long before competition began to set in. He soon realised that he wanted to move into an arena where he'd be able to create something, which no one else would be able to easily reproduce or replicate.
His wife was his first choice for a (business) partner. This business presented the perfect opportunity for her to pursue her many interests. Explains Low: "Firstly, I like children. I've always wanted to go into a business that's closely related to children. Secondly, I like doing charity. Here, we donate our gelato to several children's homes in the Klang Valley. Finally, I want to bring happiness to people. Ice cream seldom brings sadness. So, in a way this business is perfect!"
Having opened L'unico Gelateria in July 2020, the entrepreneur says: "Yes, it was during the Covid-19 pandemic, in the middle of the Movement Control Order (MCO) period. We'd arrived from Italy into a Malaysia under lockdown. We were confined to the house. When they allowed us to open up, we decided to look for a place for our business."
Her husband chips in: "Initially, I wanted to open my business in Damansara Uptown. But when viewing properties in that area, I had difficulties finding a parking spot. It made me wonder what my customers would think and feel about this challenge whenever they want to come to my shop."
Grinning, he adds: "Ice cream is supposed to be a stress reliever, but trying to find a parking spot (in Uptown) will stress my customers out! So, I decided to find a place with ample parking – and here we are!"
Asked to recall their early days in the business, Leong admits that it was a rocky start for the couple. Sheepishly, he concedes: "We didn't have much experience in F&B (food and beverage). We were new to this line and made many mistakes. In addition, we were caught in the middle of a pandemic. Fortunately, we were able to sail through that difficult phase, with all its restrictions and ever-changing regulations. We were moving furniture back and forth several times!"
When giving up crossed his mind, his wife was his pillar of strength. Glancing at Low, he recalls: "She said to me, 'When you're 3 years old with no teeth, you can eat ice cream. When you're 85 years old with no teeth, you can still eat ice cream. We won't go wrong with this business.'"
Nodding at the recollection, Low says: "Ice cream is for every occasion. When you're happy or unhappy, you can eat ice cream. It doesn't matter if your life is long or short. The most important thing is to be happy. When your life comes to an end, you cannot bring material things with you, only your memories."
Her husband concurs, his head too bobbing enthusiastically. "We want to change the mindset that ice cream is only for children. Gelato can be eaten by everyone. We make 'boozy' types of gelatos, and we also custom-make flavours for diabetics, such as the sugar-free whey protein series. We understand that some people are less fortunate, health-wise, but they shouldn't be deprived of the nice things too."
Low agrees wholeheartedly, adding: "We focus on healthy living. Real gelato is low in fat and high in protein. A big scoop here contains less than 100 calories. If you're health-conscious, you can take a scoop of gelato instead of rice. It's about maintaining a balance."
COUPLE SYNERGY
What's it like working with your spouse, I couldn't help asking the genial duo. Smiling, Leong's the first to reply: "It's very interesting. We have our differences, but we agree to disagree. It's important to respect each other, and ensure that unresolved issues don't turn into major issues. I can't be with someone who agrees with everything I say. Of course, it makes life easier, but you need someone to be your check and balance."
His wife only gets directly involved in the production side when it comes to measurement of ingredients for the gelato production. Adds Low: "To make gelato, the measurements and calculations have to be accurate. My husband passes me the ingredients, I measure them, and then pass back to him. He does a final check before mixing everything in the gelato machine. This is how we work together."
The division of roles and responsibilities plays on their respective strengths which in turn results in a good synergy. While Leong handles the production and business development side, Low manages customer service and administration.
But if there's one thing they couldn't see eye-to-eye on initially, it was the chilli crab-flavoured gelato. Elaborating with a smile, Leong shares: "My wife asked me why I insisted on this flavour. I told her that we shouldn't be competing with others who are doing the same thing. It's important to create our own customer base and stand out."
And this probably explains the name 'L'unico', which means "the only one" in Italian. "We're known as the first gelateria to have this chilli crab flavour, which is now our signature gelato flavour."
Noticing that I'm enthusiastically tucking into my Musang King durian gelato, Leong beams before telling me that they only use natural ingredients here. "But, no matter how good your product is, not everyone will like it. Some want it sweeter, while others want the sugar to be toned down. To be honest, the sugar level in our gelato is much lower compared to normal ice cream."
Nodding, Low chimes in: "Remember when we were young and our mothers would tell us to finish our ice cream quickly before it starts melting? Real gelato doesn't melt so quickly."
As the minutes tick and I realise I'd soon need to wrap up our chat, I ask the couple if there are any downsides to this business. A pause to reflect and then Leong replies: "We love what we do. It's about passion and commitment. This is something that we can share with Malaysians."
Continuing, he concludes: "There's no restriction on race or age when it comes to enjoying gelato. It's about creating happy memories, treasured sweet memories from your childhood maybe."
I nod in understanding. My eyes trail to the words scrawled on the wall that really seem to encapsulate what L'unico is dedicated to — "SCOOPING HAPPINESS TO YOU."
L'unico Gelateria
Where: 21 Jalan SS22/11, Damansara Jaya, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Operation Hours: Opens daily (except Mondays), from 12pm to 8pm.
