Chai Shai @ Chai Break

Tea is very much the thing I thrive on. It is to me what water is for fishes. So I just couldn’t miss out when Thinkquisitive invited me over for an evening of food tasting at Chai Break, at their recently launched outlet at Kankurgachi.

Well, actually….

Their Signature Italian Papad

What better way to refresh yourself after the long day at office than by a cup of steaming Kesar Tea ?  As I sat sipping my poison, with some Italian papad to nibble on (yes that’s their speciality- it’s a cross between a pizza and a papad if you ask me) Saroj Solomon, their City Head had an informal chat with us. He explained what Chai Break is all about, and the reason behind their innovative décor at the new outlet. I have been to their outlets at Salt Lake and at Chowringhee, and yes I could see the difference. It had a distinct tone of vibrant colors, to add punch to the otherwise wooden finish-  that would have an appeal across all age groups. Thankfully it had separate smoking and non-smoking zones- I don’t always feel in the mood for that hookah- though that’s also a must try, if you are into it. They have a variety of flavours to offer, and the things come in all sizes.

I was browsing through the menu, deciding on what to order, when Saroj come to my rescue. “Why don’t you try our signature Mushroom Duplex ?” Well, why not ?

And I did not repent it either- the mushrooms had been crumb fried, and stuffed with cheese and jalapenos- it was one of the best dishes of the evening.

A glance through the menu revealed that they had some nice coolers too, if you are not in the mood for something hot.  I tried out their Lemon Iced tea and the Kit Kat Shake. The latter comes highly recommended if you love a sweet punch to your drinks!

Sweetheart- A Sinful Concoction of Strawberry, Orea and Vanilla Ice Cream

Kit Kat Shake

Enough of liquids. It was time for some rude food. And boy ! Don’t go by the name- they have some nice dishes up their sleeves when it comes to sumptuous eating. I had the Penne Pasta, Risotto in Pesto Sauce and the Sphaghetti Aglio Olio. The Pasta was great as usual, but the risotto according to me could have been better.

Sphaghetti Aglio Oio

Penne Pasta

And to end it all, I ordered the Chocolate Brownie, with ice cream. I had ingested a bit more than I should have, and by the time it was served, I raised up my arms in protest! Enough Eaten!

So if you are planning to have some mean bites while sipping on your tea, or smoking the Seesha, this is the place to be. They would be serving a breakfast platter starting next week, I was told- that would include eggs among the otherwise all vegetarian menu. I tasted the non-veg breakfast platter- and yes, it’s definitely worth a try!

Cost for two: Rs. 800 plus taxes

Their Pizzas are freshly made, and have a light crust

Non Veg Breakfast Platter

Archya, in his own words, is the trying-to-be-global bangali babu, who is attempting to carve out a niche for himself in blogosphere, having had mixed results in Medicine Practice. In short, a struggling artist.

Other related articles by him :
The Times of India Tea Trail
The 1KG Burger Challenge