Home is where the chai is

Move over, vanilla chai, chai latte and dirty chai. The old chai like we always knew it, is new again.

With a mushrooming of chai outlets in Sydney and Melbourne, the desi cuppa could soon be giving coffee a run for its money as a hot beverage option.

Freshly brewed over a stove with milk (there’s not an espresso machine in sight), with different spices thrown in to evoke different moods, and with sugar if you prefer, the chai varieties at these new retailers are comforting and uplifting. And thoroughly warming, given the icy blasts we’ve been having lately.

As every chai lover knows, good chai is not just a beverage but an emotion – it’s nostalgia in every cup.

Home is where the chai is.

A MbI ’ S Ch AI bAR , PENNANt hILLS , SYDNEY

List your favourite chai spice, and you’ll find it at Ambi’s. Ginger. Pepper. Lemongrass. Cardamom. Ajwain. Fennel. Take your pick.

Or you would like to try haldi dood, a perfect winter after-dinner drink, rarely found on a restaurant menu. Called ‘Turmeric Chai with no Tea’ over here, it is milk brewed with ginger, turmeric, and spices.

Ambi’s Chai Bar is less than three years old but is fast becoming quite the late evening hangout spot for locals in Sydney’s North Shore.

The look – noir and dramatic – attracts you immediately, and the eclectic music and low lights add to its atmosphere as a ‘bar’ rather than a restaurant.

“That was the intent from the get-go,” proprietor Ambi Thind told Indian Link.

“The experience here is more like wine tasting, as I introduce the chais to those who are coming to it anew. I’ll get them to start with something gentle, and then move them up.”

In terms of the décor, Ambi reveals it is an amalgam of early influences. “I’ve recreated the feel of the corner shop in Africa where I grew up; the ‘cha di hatti’ in Punjab, and the shebeens (illicit drinking clubs) that were dark and noisy and smoky.”

The chai of course, has to be authentic. “We can’t filter-make it, and we won’t use urns. We’ll take time to make our teas, so don’t expect your chai in a hurry. We want you to sit back, relax, reflect, gossip, flirt…”

And yet, Ambi is not averse to trying a new thing or two with his chais. Like adding chocolate.

Or trying oatmilk, which he resisted like a true-blue Punjab da puttar because “it’s just not authentic!” He ultimately gave in because his staff insisted a plantbased option was needed. Brewed with gud (jaggery), fennel and ginger, Ambi’s oatmilk tea has become a runaway hit.

“It creates a sense of nostalgia, taking you back to the cold wintry mornings in Punjab. It’s mineral rich and unprocessed, and therefore earthy. It was worth it for the effort that went into the R&D – we learnt how to eliminate the water completely, and not to boil, but just bring it to a bubble.”

Ambi’s has ten staff currently, all of them young folk that the boss likes to call ‘spice girls and spice guys’. They’re mostly non-Indian but are all ardent chai lovers. They contribute to the hip factor of the place, such as adding a Chai-mpionship Wall, reggae nights, and events such as Ugly Xmas sweater contests.

Ambi himself comes to chai after a storied career – in the British Army serving in Europe, beef and dairy farming in Africa, playing hockey across the globe, and currently running an empire of educational institutions with centres in NSW, QLD and Dubai.

Talk to him and he’ll tell you a yarn about being inspired to open Ambi’s Chai Bar by a women’s hockey team that he coached in Pennant Hills.

Sit back and enjoy your Indian tea here; maybe tuck into some Indo-African fusion food – how about Chole and chaull? Or the Haraka wrap?

You’ll leave knowing you’ll be back.

Ch AI Sh AI CA fé, fItzROY, MEL bOURNE

Owner-operators Riddhima Sachdeva and Sahil Kapoor, both tea connoisseurs, offer you 22 different varieties of chai to pick from – including the classic masala, kadak, sweet cinnamon and vanilla almond.

The live brewing of chai, as well as the grinding of spices in the traditional style in mortar and pestle, brings in a touch of theatre for new customers and tourists. It also advertises the fact that each cup is handmade fresh, and no premixes are used.

“Our teas come straight from the estates in India,” Riddhima told Indian Link. “The produce is preservative-free and is grown in healthy soil with sustainable farming methods. I’m proud to say we are giving a helping hand to small growers based in India.”

Besides the Indian tea, Chai Shai serves cold brew liquors in various flavours including rose, hibiscus, jasmine and passionfruit. Brewed for over 16 hours, these are served with traditional Indian snacks.

DROPOU t Ch AIwALA , E LIz A bE th St, MEL bOURNE

A Melbourne-based chai store providing authentic style blends in a takeaway range, Dropout Chaiwala (or DCW) serves chai in eight different flavours – classic cutting chai, cardamom, masala, ginger, lemongrass, saffron and its exclusive ‘Mystery chai’.

No prizes for guessing how the company got its name: CEO Sanjith Konda famously dropped out of his last semester of business studies to start the venture with three mates Arun, Sushma and Preetham.

“I was looking to meet current market needs, especially in the international student space,” Sanjith told Indian Link. “A chai café sounded like a great idea – not just because we missed authentic Indian chai, but also as we needed a space outside uni where we could meet like-minded others.”

Of course he was also inspired by his own mum’s chai.

And so, rather than give modern twists to the native Indian beverage, the goal became to keep the product original. “This has worked well, given our bestseller is Masala chai. We make it with star anise, pepper, clove and cardamom.”

Like all their chais, this one is refreshing as well as healthy.

“Customers tell us the chai reminds them of home,” Sanjith smiled. “It’s their kind of Starbucks!”

DCW has partnered with student organisations and other social start-up groups.

“The plan is to disrupt the beverage market in Australia with our range of Desi Chai,” Sanjith said.

For you and your pooch a petfriendly workplace may seem a no-brainer. More of us are facing pet separation anxiety than ever before. Dog ownership surged with pandemic lockdowns and working from home. Now, with the boundaries between work and home already so blurred, shouldn’t every inclusive, caring employer embrace an open-doggy-door policy?

What’s the harm? After all, isn’t there a growing body of research showing the benefits of pets in the workplaces?

Maybe. Yes, pets certainly can bring benefits to the workplace. These include reducing stress and improving social interaction and job satisfaction.

But the same studies showing benefits, and that most people support pet-friendly workplace, also highlight the risks, hazards and concerns that must be considered for a pet-friendly workplace to be inclusive, equitable and sustainable.

DOgS AREN’t fOR EvERYONE

Not everyone loves dogs. Some people just don’t like them, and a small percentage fear them – a condition called cynophobia.

A commonly reported number of how many this affects is 5% of the population, but this is likely US-specific, with rates differing by country and culture. Global studies suggest about 3.8% have a lifetime animal phobia (2% of men, 5.4% of women), including dogs and cats.

About 10–20% of the global population are allergic to dogs or cats. This rate is increasing.

But 100% of workers have a right to feel safe and not have their health compromised at work.

This doesn’t automatically rule out a pet-friendly policy, but it does require exploring and addressing all these issues adequately.

EqUIt Y MAttERS

Does everyone get to bring their pet to work?

If the boss can because they have a separate office but those sharing a open-plan space can’t, it’s likely to cause resentment.

The time spent petting, feeding or taking a dog for toilet breaks may also stoke negative feelings among some colleagues. What about those with other types of pets? Some cats also suffer separation anxiety. Parrots (budgerigars, cockatiels, conures and others) also form strong attachments to humans and can become highly stressed when left alone.

Getting to work is also an equity issue.

In many countries a pet-friendly workplace will require driving to work, because only registered assistance animals are allowed on public transport and in public spaces. It’s unfair if the only workers able to take advantage of a pet-friendly workplaces are those who can drive.

whAt’S IN It fOR thE DOg?

Even though most dog owners want to take their dog to work, it’s very important to ask if that really is in your pet’s best interest. Yes, dogs are a highly social species; and yes, your dog likes to be around you. But, like humans, not every dog is a people person. For some dogs home is their safe space. Even with their “human” they may be stressed away from it. Dogs, being sensitive to human emotions, may well feel stressed by your workplace if it also stresses you. the presence of other dogs.

O workers have been considered, and whether the policy favours some at the expense of others. suitable for both human and animal wellbeing and hygiene. Though dogs’ space needs vary enormously, even the smallest dog needs space out of walkways and kick zones – being under a desk is not really suitable – as well as ready access to water bowls and outdoor toileting areas. standards of behaviour – both human and animal. This may include requiring proof of proper socialisation, such as a certificate of basic obedience.

A workplace therefore needs to consider multiple factors to make a pet-friendly policy work.

It needs procedures mapping out all contingencies. Owners should be responsible for cleaning up after their dogs and ensuring they do not cause disruption. But whose insurance will cover potential animal or human injuries, or damage to property? Do workers’ compensation policies cover animal-related incidents?

hOw tO MAkE pet-friendly work

It may seem we’re focusing on barriers to workplaces being dog-friendly. But assessing and addressing all the risks makes the likelihood of success much greater.

A useful document to help work through all the issues is the Pets at Work Took it (funded by pet food maker Mars Petc are) which covers things from making a case to senior management to how to create a workplace pet policy.

Another useful document is the comprehensive list of risks, responsibilities

South Australia. This article was originally

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