The other day my friend Lisa and I went on a coffee date at Chai Coffee Company in Surrey. It’s a cafe tucked away near the Scott Road SkyTrain Station with Indian flavours incorporated in their food menu. We tried a bit of everything and here are my thoughts.
Some of my favourite dishes there include the Chicken Veggie Sandwich, Bhurji Paratha and Paneer Sliders. Avocado guacamole and scrambled egg were added to the Chicken Veggie Sandwich for some creaminess to the sandwich. I liked the spices they used on the chicken and vegetables. Bhurji Paratha looked simple, basically scrambled egg with the flaky flatbread, but they packed a lot of flavours in the scramble. If I had it as a breakfast wrap, I would be set for the day and would be so happy! As for the Paneer Sliders, again the use of Indian spices really made it stand out. I didn’t even miss the meat as I was eating this.
Lisa loves Avocado Toast so we tried theirs here as well. The seasoning of the avo guac is the same as what they use in the sandwich so it’s flavourful. The sunny-side egg was a nice touch but it was a bit overcooked for my liking. The side of fried shallot gives it some crunch.
They also have other fun dishes like Peanut Masala Chaat and Maggi noodles. I chose the classic Just Maggi because I’ve never had the Maggi instant noodles before. I only know Maggi sauce as the condiment but I never realized there’s also instant noodles and that it’s very popular in Indian food culture. The flavours of the Maggi noodles were good, savoury with a bit of a kick to it. You can also upgrade it here by adding veggies or chicken, or further customize it with a szechuan sauce. The Peanut Masala Chaat is like a spiced peanut snack. It may feel out of place since it’s a cafe but the mint mixed with spices reminds me of gol gappa and that’s a refreshing flavour profile I adore.
Since this is a cafe, of course we have to talk about the drinks too. I ordered a Latte and it was good. Their barista Ronie has many years of experience — he skillfully wrote my name on my latte which I thought was a pleasant surprise. Lisa is a matcha fan so she opted for an Iced Matcha with oat milk. Matcha Strawberry Latte is super popular in Vancouver right now, but here they suggest to add raspberry instead. The extra tartness was actually quite nice.
By the way, I like that you can customize the spicy level of a lot of the food items so if you can’t handle the heat, you can ask for less. We had them all at the regular level and it’s just right for us and very tasty.
Lastly, we were tempted by the Rasmalai Eggless Cake Jar. The traditional Indian dessert rasmalai was layered between eggless cake. I was worried it would be too sweet but it wasn’t, and the flavours were quite fragrant. With the layering this became more airy and light.
Interior/Vibe
The interior is beautifully designed. High ceiling, spacious, with a decent amount of seats and tables. It’s great for coffee meet-ups or a lunch stop, or bring your work here for a couple of hours. It’s literally steps away from the SkyTrain station so you can easily pick up a beverage here or even food to-go at the start or the end of your journey.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I really enjoyed my visit at Chai Coffee Company. I find their menu very intriguing. I would definitely order the Chicken Veggie Sandwich and Bhurji Paratha again. I would love to try the chili cheese toast, other sliders, and the french toasts the next time I go. They have sundae on the menu, too. I also noticed they have a bigger tea/chai menu than most other cafes, so I would love to give those a try as well.
Chai Coffee Company
11088 126a St #100, Surrey, BC
chaicoffeeco.ca
Disclaimer: This visit was complimentary but the opinions are entirely my own.
VanFoodies.com 
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