Nothing brings more joy to tired pedestrians than the sight of a chawalla — walking towards them with his aluminium kettle full of piping hot bhnaarer cha. The thriving upscale cafe culture in the city hasn’t really been able to replace the joy of locating some laal cha in a bhaanr — when you need it the most — be it at bus stands, local trains, addas, or protest rallies.
A new Salt Lake joint named Chaawala captures the spirit of this age-old love affair. Located right beside Gate Number 1 of the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre, the brand is owned by Subham and Aatreyee Dutta. They specialise in premium leaf teas and their menu lines up a number of exotic teas and beloved classics.
The brand is owned by Subham and Aatreyee Dutta (above)
One of their most exotic options is the moonlight tea. The leaves for thin-bodied teas are withered and processed under moonlight. The yellow-coloured variant can be costly, but has a floral aroma that lingers for hours.
A staff member brewing tea for customers
The breezy, approachable set-up of Chaawala has already created a buzz among the locals, especially youngsters. “They come and spend hours with a cup of tea. They sing to the tune of a ukulele (it’s available at the store), gossip and even read books. The whole place is full of people in the evenings. Besides youngsters, many elderly people also drop in for their favourite cup of tea,” says Aatreyee Dutta.
The shop opens from around 2.30pm to 3pm and closes around 9pm.
A cup of regular tea costs Rs 20. However, some tisanes can cost you up to Rs 200. Loose tea leaves are priced from Rs 600 per kg.“We also sell tea leaves here and this is an aspect our customers love, because at times, when we have a great cup of tea, we can’t immediately buy a bag of the same leaves. On the other hand, when we get a hold of good quality tea leaves there is hardly a chance to taste them there. At Chaawala, you can sip the tea before you take it home,” says Subham Dutta.
Besides tea, you’ll also spot homemade cookies, brownies and cookies from Nahoum’s. Before the Pujas, the Duttas plan to introduce some more eatables on the menu.
An evening adda session at Chaawala
Chaawala may well be a whole new kind of neighbourhood tea shop — one with an Instagram page, outdoor parasol umbrellas and chic glass teaware. But, the adda and togetherness customers find there isn’t new at all.
