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Chaayos has been a go-to franchise for refreshing teas and quick bites complementing those teas. A breeze of fresh air as opposed to the cafes that have mushroomed all over the city, pertaining to its counterpart and the caffeinated beverage.
My visit to the outlet located in Moments Mall, Kirti Nagar came about as a consequence of an invite for the exclusive Tasting of their New Food Menu, extended to me by their Social Media Team. A welcome gesture considering they reached out to Food Bloggers/Reviewers/Social Media Influencers directly on Zomato.
This outlet is located on the Ground level inside Moments Mall and is the first thing you notice if you enter from Ground level. (as opposed to the Parking level from where you take the elevator). It is an open setting, not a stand-alone store, i.e. not walled, having two rows of tables with four chairs each.
Had a word with the Manager, Mr. Krishna, upon arriving at the outlet and he greeted me with a pleasant smile. Before beginning, we were duly informed of the fact that the Lattice (Veg/Chicken) and Upma were snacks which were 'Coming Soon', also prominently mentioned on their menu. We begun the meal with their Thandi Chai (Tea Frappe) that is blended and comes in four flavors - Cinnamon, Saunf, Elaichi, and Masala - accompanied by Pakora Basket, Bun Omelette and Chicken Loaded Cheese Max.
The Chicken Loaded Cheese Max was cut in half and had chicken sausage pieces layered with melted cheese. True to its name, Loaded Cheese Max. The snacks were served with dips as accompaniments.
I could see the crushed powder of Saunf or Masala in both variants of Thandi Chai, however Elaichi sank down to the bottom, it seemed. Nonetheless, all the drinks were refreshingly flavorful and made for a good start to the tasting session.
The Bun Omelette was good too, layered with pieces of onion on a steaming hot omelette. The Pakora Basket boasted of a variety of Mirchi, Methi, Onion, Paneer, and Alu Pakoras, and it also had generous amounts of sprinkled chilly. Literally too hot to handle! The Tea Frappe served as a quick savior and go-along, as I generally prefer chilly on the least side. Suggested them to ask for preference of sprinkling less/more/no chilly since not all patrons may prefer it. Apart from that, their food preparations come pre-made, have just to be heated, so the quantity of chilly in food cannot be altered as such, but the Pakora Basket has it explicitly sprinkled, so that can be varied.
Next up was a round of hot teas - namely Pahadi Chai (Kashmiri Kahwa), Aam Papad Chai, and Sab Kuch Chai (Tulsi, Adrak, Elaichi, Saunf, Laung, Cinnamon, Masala, Kali Mirch, Mint, Ajwain, Moti Elaichi, Hari Mirch - all add-ons). Try the Sab Kuch Chai if you like your tea strong.
With these, they have the Veg Loaded Cheese Max, Kadhai Paneer Wrap, and Kadhai Chicken Wrap, accompanied by dips. The Wraps had generous fillings (Paneer/Chicken chunks, Capsicum slices, Onion slices, Sev Bhujia) while I liked the Chicken Loaded Cheese Max a bit better than its vegetarian counterpart.
Also had their signature Kulhad Chai, topped with Saffron, Chikoo shake (that had generous pieces of the fruit and not mere flavor) and Passion Fruit Iced Tea. Finished the meal with the least spicy food item - Spinach Corn Cheese Sandwich - and its quality and quantity (of corn and spinach in the filling) was quite good too.
My must-haves from the New (and existent) Menu and teas (to go along) would be:
Chicken Loaded Cheese Max
Pakora Basket (with less sprinkled chilly)
Kadhai Chicken Wrap
Spinach Corn Cheese Sandwich
Saunf Thandi Chai (Tea Frappe)
Chikoo Shake
Kulhad Chai
Sab Kuch Chai (if you prefer your tea on the stronger side)
All in all, a nice visit and a filling and flavorful meal was had. I'm sure, if the Lattice and Upma had arrived too, they would also have been appreciated on the flavor and presentation.
Visiting Chaayos again soon! :)
