Standing tall at one of the most popular food streets of Bengaluru – 12th Main, Indiranagar– is the flagship café of ‘Chaayos’. A relatively new tea café chain in the city, the brand has two more outlets located at Phoenix MarketCity and Park Square Mall.
Known for its signature ‘Meri Wali Chai’, where one can choose their own ingredients and curate a cuppa just the way they like it, ‘Chaayos’ is fast turning out to be a
paradise for all tea lovers. ‘Hari Mirch’ and ‘Aam Papad’ are two most popular add-ons.
Spread across a 2,200 square foot area, each café has a unique concept and is designed keeping in mind a theme inspired by local elements. The cafe in Indiranagar has both outdoor and indoor seating and is designed around the theme of books and rains — great accompaniments to chai. These elements are highlighted through the light fixtures, accent walls and book shelves. The ambience has a cosy feel, thanks to the wooden interiors and the warm lights.
We visited this place on a cold Bengaluru day, not expecting much. But I am glad, I was with someone who is fond of both food and chai — there is a lot to try, so make sure you take someone who is a true-blue tea fan.
We started out with ‘Palak Patta Crispies’. Every bite of this crispy treat burst with flavour. A modernised version of the humble Indian chaat, the twist of jalapenos and tamarind chutney took us by surprise. Though the crispies taste good without any dips, try it out with the mayo they provide.
To accompany the crispies, I asked for an ‘Aam panna ice tea’. Though I was skeptical at first, but after a sip, I became a fan. There is no sweetness of a regular ‘aam panna’ drink but just a hint of it infused in the tea, making it smooth and refreshing.
We were told that ‘Sulemani’ and ‘Honey ginger’ are two of the winter favourites, along with ‘Gur wali chai’.
Though our previous experiences with ‘Honey ginger’ tea weren’t pleasing considering that often the two ingredients overpower each other, this tea was mellow and did its job of soothing us. The ‘Sulemani’, however, was average in taste.
While we tasted a few of their teas, we also asked for the good old ‘Bun Omelette’. It was comforting, simple and soft. However, it was a bit bland and could have benefitted from some more spice. The freshness of the bun could be felt in every bite.
A personal favourite was the ‘Loaded chicken keema open paratha’. Though a little oily, the chicken was well cooked and flavourful. The paratha was soft, and you don’t have to struggle to bite into it. It can be a meal on its own.
We also tasted the ‘Samosa matar chaat’. It was crispy, rightly spiced and quite filling. However, the tamarind sauce was overpowering, leaving no space to enjoy the samosa’s taste. It was too sweet for my palate. One might get bored with it after a point because of the monotonous flavour profile.
We, being cheese lovers, were very excited to taste the ‘Chilli cheese toast’ but weren’t too impressed with the dish. The mayo put us off and it wasn’t ‘chilli cheese’ enough. However, the bread was well-toasted.
If you want to try out one of the lemonades, we recommend the ‘Modinagar shikanji’. It was refreshing and can make for a good summer drink. We tried the ‘Peach ice tea’ but felt it was too sweet and flavour of the peach, very light.
Chaayos is located at 789/B, 12th Main Road, Indiranagar.