While James Bond hates tea (he calls it mud and the cause of the downfall of the British empire), tea has its share of followers. Life, the universe and everything is discussed over endless cups of tea and samosas at college canteens, chaya kadas and Irani cafés. And it is this buzz Tata Cha seeks to recreate in its cafés with warm wood and brightly- pattered fabric interiors.
While the flagship Tata Cha café is the one in Indiranagar, we chose the cosy Church Street outlet for its location — you can get off the metro and take a break from browsing at the lovely book stores with several cups of tea and snacks.
While meeting friends for tea can be all about conversations, cracking some insurmountable problem or silly jokes and steaming hot gossip, the hot beverage and super snacks are not ignored. The bajjis, bonda, and the mysteriously-titled b.omlette in the canteen (it took me a while to figure out it was bread-omelet) and the tea was the fuel and fire for world-changing discussions.
As we settled into the café, watching the world busily swing by, we took a look at the menu. I like my tea kadak (strong) and piping hot. So it was ginger kadak cha with gud (jaggery) — always nice to go for healthy options. The tea was all it promised with the ginger hitting the right notes as did the masala kadak cha with gud.
The tea menu is extensive with milk, black, green and iced teas. Those who do not care for tea,like James Bond and Jack Reacher, need not feel excluded as there is filter coffee and hot chocolate. There are also milk shakes, slushes and fizzy drinks. We tried the tangy tamarind, which lived up to its name in fizzy glory.
The food menu is divided into dunkers, snacks, hearty meals and all-day breakfasts. The dunkers including cinnamon or masala rusks are to be dunked in your cuppa. And the methi khari was a brilliant flaky addition to the cha.
Snacks include cutlet and cake (elaichi and fruit). We tried the chakhri samosa (in a fun pinwheel shape), bun maskafied (toasted bun, crisp with butter and sugar) and the old happy favourite, the cream roll. How many bakeries have I scoured looking for this roll of pastry filled with sugar and cream? Biting into the cream roll was a like a bite of happy memories.
Comfort food such as khichri (with a twist of course) and kulcha featured in fab foods. We tried the dal pakwan. The Sindhi speciality of chana dal and crisp flat puris was a savoury delight. From the all-day breakfast menu we chose the poha, where the Indori poha danced a tango with spicy misal topped with crisp, fried farsan.
After Indiranagar and Church Street, two kiosks at Mantri mall and RMZ Eco World, the fifth café will be launching soon in Koramangala.
Tata Cha
28, G-005, City Centre, 4, Church St, Bengaluru
Ambience: Fun
Hits: Cream roll, bun maskafied
Meal for 2: ₹ 400