‘Chai is the reason India got independence in 1947 : Mahatma Albus Dumbledore’
You can go to Starbucks and order your fancy lattes and iced americanos served by smelly Indianos, but I’d take a hot cup of thick, sweet chai at a roadside tapri anyday over that overpriced venti.
Being brought up by chai-addicted parents, I, like them, can’t make it through a day without a nice cuppa. I come from house where we keep 7 different types of tea leaves are kept in the kitchen, and thus, Manipal for me, was a nightmare. I’ll be honest, the tea here sucks. The flavor is off, it isn’t strong enough, it’s horrible to look at, and the deal breaker, it smells nothing like tea. I mean bro, do you even elaichi?
Enough ranting.
So Chai, I really need chai to survive Manipal, and you know what they say about wanting something bad enough, right? So today’s post is about the 3-4 places i deem worthy of my patronage.
Let’s see, I’ll start with egg factory:
Egg factory is a good option if you want to sit and chat and be surrounded by Manipal’s rich and hungry. Surrounded by ridiculously expensive oven baked thin crust pizzas and mushroom pasta, the joy of spending only 20 rupees for a nice cup of tea appeals to my perpetually broke self. The tea is good, but isn’t exactly remarkable. It’s strong, but there is no masala, and the ambience is it’s only saving grace.
ProTip : Makes for a very nice, but cheap date. Egg factory for chai.
Pandey ji : Every 10-10:30 break, or the 3-3:30 break, you’ll find a bunch of people, animatedly talking to each other beside Hotel Ashlesh’s seedy entrance, smoking away their BTs and eating chaat. (Read about pandeyji here) But the one thing that makes it different is the flavor and texture of their chai. Warm, thick and most importantly, infused with ginger, this tea is THE SHIZ if you’re sick and want a break between your classes.
Price : 10 Bucks.
ProTip : Chai and Samosa Chat don’t really go together, unless you’re at Pandeyji.
TC, @6 in the morning : Now this is undoubtedly the best chai I’ve had in Manipal and i say this for two reasons; Firstly, this is the strongest cup of tea I’ve purchased in Manipal for 10 bucks, and secondly, this little blue shanty is open only between 4-8 in the morning. Originally meant for truck and cab drivers, this was soon discovered by the insomniacs and the post-party zombies of Manipal..
This one is my favorite because for me, it’s full of memories. I’ve sat here with intelligent friends and had conversations about life, tennis and things that inspire me. (Avneesh, remember this?) . I’ve come here after some parties where we got bored of watching YouTube videos and finishing the leftover booze, (Pavithra gang, where are you?) I’ve even spent time here with some amazing people who’ve made me a better person.
I can sit here with my cup of hot, ginger tea (10 rupees), piping hot samosas, (10 rupees a pop, and pretty good) and even get Idly-chutney, but the most magical thing about this place is the the sunrise, and how the darkness of the night is engulfed by a new day.
That, and it’s just that the chai is just the right amount of sweet.
ProTip : Ask for regular tea when made to choose between sweet and regular, because sweet chai is basically sugar syrup.
Bonus : HiPoint 301, Mandavi Emrald 602, or Ideal C205.
TBH, there is no substitute to brewing a hot of cup of tea made by yourself or someone who you gets your chai fascination. So find your own Aman, Aaru or Nakul, and boil away.
brokefatandhungry 