Chaayos launches in Bengaluru with unusual options like Shahi Chai and Aam Papad Chai

It's popular in Mumbai, New Delhi and Chandigarh and now, Chaayos, the tea chain with the tagline ‘meri wali chai’ comes to Bengaluru with a flagship store in Indira Nagar and five other outlets across the city.

Unlike most run-of-the-mill food chains that keep everything basic, Chaayos attempts to cater to different palates with its extensive menu. The brand also claims to offer 80,000 ways to make tea. It was these promises that lured us to their location in Indira Nagar.

Mix and match
The tea menu proved to be quite interesting because of its three different sections — Indian Chai, Choose Your Chai - Meri Wali Chai and Chai-Unchai. We first sampled the Shahi Chai from the Indian Chai selection. This was a thick and creamy brew topped with almonds. The innovative concoction impressed us with its rich flavours and the crunchy almonds added nuttiness to the tea — which was quite unusual. From the same section, we also sampled the Baarish Wali Chai. The sharp flavours of ginger and lemongrass made it the perfect cup of tea for the cold evening.

Next, we sampled the Chaayos signature Aam Papad Chai. This drink is more like a warm tangy brew of aam papad (sweet jelly bars made with dried mango pulp), with a hint of tea. From the Choose Your Chai - the Meri Wali Chai section, we opted for the Desi Chai Doodh Kum with Hari Mirchi.
This was an interesting experiment that was slightly spicy and aromatic.

Quick fix
While we were tasting the teas, we tried some of the snacks from the menu. The Paneer Bhurji Bun with a creamy layer of paneer bhurji over a soft bun made in-house, was delicious and the perfect portion size. We then tasted the Egg White Chaat and Samosa Matar Chaat.

Made with boiled egg whites, tomato, onion and green coriander chutney, this was a healthy snack. The Samosa Matar Chaat had the familiar flavours of garam masala and chaat masala.

From desserts, we opted for the Moong Dal Halwa. Served in a kulhad (earthen cup) this lentil dessert cooked in ghee was delicious. With such different brews and snacks, some familiar and some unusual, Chaayos offers something for every tea lover.

Rs 400 for two. At Indira Nagar

ayeshatabassum@newindianexpress.com
@aishatax