Mumbai Street Food at Satya Chai Lounge in Auckland

The easily missed “Satya, Spice & Chai Shop” board on the entrance led us inside a dark alleyway decorated with hanging empty beer cans into a small courtyard. The first thing that came to mind while standing in the middle of it was sanctuary.

The covered courtyard was beautifully decorated, well lit with sunlight during the day and yellow lamps in the evening. It felt like I had stepped inside a portal that transported us from the hustle and bustle of Sandringham, Auckland’s Little India, to a completely different place.

Quiet and peaceful.

A tray filled with small glasses of Chai placed on the table brought me back to reality. We were inside Satya Chai Lounge, an unassuming Indian cafe, for an afternoon of chai and Mumbai street food.

“Their chai is good, but you can’t find a better-tasting chai than the ones you get on the roadside in India, the one serving big lorry drivers”, Mary told us as we sipped our chai.

Well, I have yet to try Indian roadside chai (hoping Fafa will take the hint and let me try the next time we are in India), but I do agree with Mary, Satya Chai Lounge’s chai was delicious—a beautiful (home) blend of spices and milk. My thoughts trailed about whether it was worth doing an Auckland Chai Crawl post like the one I did for Melbourne.

Eventually, the promised Mumbai street snacks were served. This time it was Onion Bhaji ( sliced onions coated in a spiced batter and fried) and Veg Manchurian (chopped vegetable balls tossed with ginger, garlic and chilly, coated with batter and fried).

These bite-size vegan-friendly snacks elevated the whole chill and chai in the afternoon experience.

Satya Chai Lounge was not so crowded then, but this eatery became a lively cafe in the evening, serving an extensive collection of craft beers.

With friendly staff (Kamesh, the manager, changed the glass cup to a clay pot cup and added a Parle G biscuit upon request from Mary, who wanted to give us a peek of the “real chai” experience), delicious snacks and a perfect ambience, Satya Chai Lounge hit the trifecta of a great speakeasy. I am definitely coming back the next time I come to Auckland.

Address: Satya Chai Lounge - 515 Sandringham Road, Sandringham, Auckland, NZ.

Ps. You can also buy their chai blend to bring back home. I resisted because I had a year’s worth supply of chai waiting for me back in Melbourne.

Satya Chai Lounge is ☕☕☕☕☕/5 stars. Best chai stall in Auckland.

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