The greatly anticipated Chaiiwala Dundee finally opened its doors to the public early Monday afternoon.
Promising to serve up a taste from the East, Chaiiwala is an Indian street food takeaway and tearoom that specialises in a range of drinks and food inspired by everyday items that you enjoy with a twist.
After opening their first store in Leicester in 2015, the company currently operates 40 outlets across the UK, with Dundee now part of their rapid growth plan both across the country and abroad.
Having tried Chaiiwala in other locations including Leicester and London I was very excited to see the brand open in Dundee.
Heading down yesterday, I was hopeful the food would be as nice as it had been at the other locations.
Upon entering the venue on Reform Street I was blinded by lights and bright signs and surrounded by foliage as a staff member behind the counter greeted me with a smile.
My base diet is Indian food so Chaiiwala is like a dream come true for many like myself who want to enjoy that taste of home.
The order:
Verdict: Samosa burger
Starting off with the samosa burger, this is something that I would usually make at home as a snack along with a cup of tea.
I was both intrigued and sceptical of what it would taste like. My first impression was although it looked nice, it wasn’t the prettiest burger I have taken a picture of and it started breaking up in my hands as I handled it.
My view changed, however, when I had a bite and tasted the soft roll that surrounded a crispy samosa, crunchy onion, carrot and cabbage coleslaw.
With the addition of a tangy tamarind sauce, this was one of the tastiest samosa burgers I have tried, and with a filling of potatoes and peas inside the samosa, it was an entirely vegetarian offering.
Presentation: 4/5
Taste: 5/5
Verdict: Masala chips
Next up was the masala chips which had the option of adding cheese, so obviously I did just that.
I’ve made these at home countless times so I new exactly what to expect – hot, tangy chips coated in a mixture of ketchup, chilli powder, salt and vinegar.
The chips themselves were quite soft due to the sauce mixture on top, and although I usually like my chips quite crispy I enjoyed the texture of them.
I liked the flavours of the chips with them being quite sticky and sweet, but I felt they needed to be spicier for me to really enjoy them.
Brand manager Inaayat Kassim told me there is an option to add extra chilli to your chips, so I will definitely be doing that next time I am in.
Presentation: 5/5
Taste: 4/5
Verdict: Gulab jamun cheesecake
I am not a massive cheesecake fan but Inaayat told me this dessert was a personal favourite of his, describing it as “beautiful”, so I had to give it a go.
The cheesecake slice had an entire gulab jamun in the middle of it.
For anyone who doesn’t know, gulab jamun is an Indian dessert of fried balls made with milk solids and semolina which are then soaked in an aromatic syrup spiced with green cardamom, rose water and saffron.
Upon tasting it, I found myself enjoying the flavour. However the Gulab jamun is only at the back of the cheesecake and not the entire way through.
The biscuit base had a bite to it and the cheesecake top was creamy and sweet.
When I did eventually get a bite of the gulab jamun, I felt the cream cheese flavour overpowered the taste and so although it was nice, it didn’t really remind me of the Indian dessert I know and love.
Presentation: 3.5/5
Taste: 4/5
Verdict: Karak chai
Last but certainly not least was the karak chai which Chaiiwala is famous for and is the most popular item on the menu.
The sweet Indian tea is made using a blend of fermented black tea leaves, ginger and spices such as black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, fennel and cloves and is cooked into milk, water and sugar to give a strong tea.
I loved the cup design and with the added flap, it was perfect for drinking on the go.
Moving onto the flavour, this tea was the perfect balance of spices to sweetness. It wasn’t too sweet and I was able to taste the spices that thankfully didn’t overpower the drink.
This has to be my item and I will certainly be returning very regularly for more of this tea.
Presentation: 5/5
Taste: 5/5
Information
Chaiiwala is open from 9am to 11pm, seven days a week
Address: 42-44 Reform Street, Dundee, DD1 1RT
T: 01382 397040
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