Chats over chai

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While most of us like to have tea at home, the humble drink is no longer confined to JNU addas, dhabas and a handful of popular roadside chaiwallas. The brewed beverage has a place of its own in the cafeterias today. From the usual Darjeelings, masalas and lemons, sip on exotica with mango, basil or various flavoured teas as tea lounges in the city welcome you.

If you’re a regular at Defence Colony, don’t miss tea options at Mochas. After Cha Bar at Oxford Bookstore earned itself the reputation of starting the trend of chai bars in the city, Mochas followed suit and introduced various chai options. A place that was just another hookah adda for youngsters, soon turned out to be a popular chai time hub. Here you can find flavours like Moroccan Mint tea and cinnamon tea with apple.
“My friends and I have tried their masala and cutting tea. It’s a relaxed place to sit and just sip hookah and enjoy your tea in a relaxed ambience. I like the one in Ambience Mall outlet more than the one in Defence Colony. Their fruit teas are worth trying,” says Richa Nathani, a student.
Tea culture has always been popular in our city. What’s changing are preferences. While kadak chai on the roadside still remains the most popular option, exotic blends are a hit too. “Light tea or green teas, are becoming a trend all across. Apart from that, if you go to purani Dilli, you will also find some sweet chais like pain kum chai, and a good chai to end the day after dinner called sulaimani (now called hot lemon tea) and not to forget the malai market chai,” says Felix Daniel, who works with Dunkin Donuts.
At Kunzum in Hauz Khas, you’ll find everything from masala chai to a variety of lemon teas. “Our most popular tea is Kashmiri kahwa. The culture of conversations over tea has really picked up in the capital. I still feel that masala chai is not so popular in Delhi as our guests go for more exotic blends than the usual tea,” says Ajay Jain from Kunzum Travel Café.
While Elma’s oozes the same character as various other chai bars in the capital, what makes this one different is it’s options which they proudly claim “can’t be found easily in Delhi.” This tea room in Hauz Khas Village is quite popular for its cookie trays with fresh breads, tarts and sandwiches. The teas available are — black, green, jasmine and other floral infusions and the chocolate, cheese and butter that come from Europe.
Yet another place is JNU’s Ganga Dhaba. “Having tea at Ganga dhaba, inside JNU campus is an experience in itself. The huge campus premise, with its greenery and thick foliage sets up a soothing ambience. At Ganga dhaba you can just sit on the rocks and have tea with bread rolls or parathas, out in the open air. Tea and food are exceptionally good and reasonably priced. The Dhaba is open till 2.30 am and keeps bustling with young crowd,” says Shireen, media manager, S&S India.