'I ate a comforting masala for less than £6 at a Cambridge café that opened one year ago'
The best meals satisfy your taste buds at the same time as silencing your growling stomach. They leave you feeling full of flavour as well as food.
Sometimes, you must choose one or the other: fancy restaurants serve three pieces of ravioli in the centre of an otherwise empty plate, or huge buffets entice you until you realise nothing tastes great. When I spotted the low prices of some dishes at Chaiiology, I wondered whether they might be slightly lacking in either quality or quantity.
The cafe had been on my radar since it opened on Mill Road in Cambridge last August. It is one of five locations under the Chaiiology chain across the UK, all of which profess to being ‘Kings of Tandoori Chaii’.
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I wanted to test out this drink, of course, but I was also drawn by the menu's ‘street food’ section. These dishes include keema matar, a spiced dish with ground beef or lamb; haleem, a slow cooked stew typically made with slow-cooked meat and lentils; and butter chicken.
These meals are priced between £5.25 and £9.25, which sets Chaiiology apart from many food spots in Cambridge where £15 is the starting point. I chose one of the two cheapest options, channa masala with two parathas, and along with a £3.65 iced karak chaii.
In the five minutes or so before my meal arrived, I caught a bit of the stilted-but-sweet conversation between the pair in front of me, who were clearly on an early date. The low lighting and minimalistic decor at Chaiiology – with leaves trailing from the ceiling and framing circular mirrors on the walls – made it a decent spot for a Tinder meetup.
I was soon enticed away from my nosy listening by the spiced aroma of my masala. The chickpeas were perfectly cooked, with a slight bite without being tough.
The spices were warming, with a welcome chilli kick and a hint of cinnamon, while the two parathas resembled puff pastry with their golden, flaky exterior – but were lovely and soft in the middle.
My iced karak chaii had a caramel sweetness but it also had depth, with comforting spices and a hint of cardamom. I was surprised to find a decent portion for such a low price, and the two parathas in particular left me feeling full.
While my drink was lovely, I have not tried enough chaii to comment on whether this Mill Road cafe fulfils its claim to be king of tandoori chaii. I can say, however, that it offers tasty, comforting and impressively affordable food.