CHAI FROM DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES
Andante (califa & Oregon chai, p average)
Aquarela (concerning French vanilla taste at first except the more I drank the better it got. It was very spice-y so it made for a stronger flavor but nice thicker consistency, points for location. $7.38)
Base (new place on Broadway, listen I already knew something suspicious was going on behind the counter when it was taking him too long and he was cursing at himself, but this is probably the most insane looking chai I’ve ever been handed)
Birdies ($7, mild, lots of liquid, looks cheap, light color, tastes milky, fine, more sweet milk than anything)
Bluestone Lane(Sweet, oatey, cinnamon on top, disorganized chaos inside, barista on phone, lowkey just milk?)
Bottega Louis (yes I’ve had chai from here before, but I never reviewed it. It’s solid. It’s oatley and I think the tazo chai concentrate. Sweet, kind of spicy, nostalgic tasting- $7.32 for a 12oz however, is sacrilege.)
Cafe Balzac (steamed kalifia and Trader Joe’s concentrate, honestly I appreciate the foam and cinnamon on top. Very very milky, the only spice I’m getting is from the cinnamon on top. Whatever.)
Café Dulce (a little thicker in a sweet way, darker in color, the cinnamon in it tastes more like a cinnamon candy, also doesn’t really taste like much?)
Cafe integral ($6.85 for 12oz, it had califia and the chai came from a jug, there was a little sweetener too. Sweet and mild chai)
Cafe Ora (Cinnamon-ey, not sweet, kind of cardboard taste- probably better if I got it sweetened but my control is plain iced chai so gotta keep it consistent)
Cafe persona ($7.94, giving tiger chai vibes so far- this is like 20 ounces. Bonus points for the good lid. Pretty sweet but not bad tho, mild cinnamon flavor, but that’s about it for tastes. And then coming back again there’s a weird musty cardboard taste. It’s like a thin woodsy licorice taste. This had a bad ice ratio too, so much liquid I got a bit nauseous)
Cafe WG -international tower (tiger chai… but like milkier so it just tasted like sweet French vanilla oat milk)
Capital one cafe (you know what it was actually p gas, very standard, solid chai, next time will add cinnamon but I felt like I was apart of a special club and for $3.43? Bitch byeeeeee. I’m there.)
Chimney coffee (watery but flavor isn’t diluted, kind of seems like steeped chai tea and then cut w oat milk. Sweet but that’s the only residual flavor, none of the spices really last long and whichever sweetener they use kinda has a steviaish aftertaste…not worth $7.12, I also just don’t trust straw lids w straws- it’s 2024 people!)
Civil (orangey color, minor figures oat milk, lightly sweetened, mild ginger taste, cinnamon gum after taste)
Clark street bakery ($7.72, points for cinnamon on top. Sweet and cinnamon-ey, solid amount of flavor too, it’s not diluted or super strong. There’s a nice kick to it and I feel like I’m able to pick each spice in their concentrate. Very satisfied- Would come back.)
Cognoscenti (weird ass vibe in store, super sweet and cinnamon-y but in like a cinnamon candy way also kind of tastes like black licorice, $6.75)
Corner bakery (this will be with soy milk and not oat, the lady thought I was trying to order a regular latte like three times also this was $8 and I already know it’s gonna be far below mid. It’s like a thicker version of tiger chai and sweet. Doesn’t have any type of flavor whatsoever.)-
Concierge coffee (I was so hype to try this bc it just opened but it was a chaotic mess of hipsters and their untrained dogs in there. The barista was learning and they were measuring every ingredient and they pulled their shots into a metal condiment cup which ? (They make shot glasses for a reason !) my chai was 50% milk and 50% chai concentrate which was concerning but somehow still was not a super strong flavor. Chai was fine $7 for 12oz, I’ll go back bc it was pretty inside and because I was so caught up on what was happening inside I couldn’t properly assess my chai)
Cow cafe (slightly watery (just not super creamy/milky) a little cinnamon, a little black licorice vibe (a tiny tiny bit), I wouldn’t go out of my way to get it again)
Dalian cafe (sweet and thicker, almost chocolatey but the spice flavor is familiar so I think it’s a concentrate I’ve tried before. $6.02- not mad. Syrupy sweet not strong spice flavor)
Duchess ? (Milky, lightly sweet, light, cinnamon flavor, solid, live the lid and the ice)
Dunkin’ Donuts (sorry to the dunkinators but I honestly never wanted to step foot in a Dunkin’ Donuts but for the sake of the experiment I showed up. Her house was it a while, but the presentation is actually pretty solid. Looks very unassuming I don’t know why I thought it would look like ridiculous or something. Milky and thicker, has a very bizarre plastic aftertaste. The only flavors I’m picking up on is a very mild sugary cinnamon/pumpkin. Most definitely not the best, but also not the worst. It ended up making my tummy hurt so I threw away halfway through)
Earthbar (listen this is the mud water chai shit so it’s supposed to be like weird and healthy. It’s gritty and it has like a Stevia, sweetener taste to it. I don’t think the hemp milk that it’s mixed with is doing any favors but it’s not as terrible as I thought. I can see where the chai flavor is coming from but I definitely wouldn’t order a chai and like WANT to get this.)
EarthBean coffee (initial impression is that it’s a little pale however it clearly was like a house made concentrate and the menus said that they use minor figures so like bonus points it’s also 16 ounces for $6.65, syrupy sweet, thin, weird metallic taste. What is the most bizarre chai I’ve tasted) The blood chai
Eighttop (discover this way with Alexia on a walk and I’m wanting to go back since, $5.70 for 16 ounces. It is Khalifa and the masala Whole Foods chai so doesn’t taste like anything crazy very standard)
Empaffee cafe pop-up (chai was a powder but it seems like it was just a bunch of spices rather than tiger chai. Trustful color, doesn’t taste like much and has a slight coffee taste. Honestly not the worst but not worth $6.50 and I tipped him bc it was a one man show. DO NOT fw the sediment and clumps at the bottom)
Fear not coffee (I have been so excited to try this place and it’s a really sick open layout, chai was only $5 too. It’s a clothing brand called Fearless’ little spin off. It looks like they do events and production in here. Chai itself is a little thin, so the flavor isn’t really there, but there’s a nice spice. bonus points for cinnamon on top and the good strawless lid.)
Franks Coffee (third time is the charm, they’re playing the Beatles so bonus for ambience, they use koatji oat milk? Never heard of that but we will try, it’s seemingly their own concentrate- $6.25 - wait they’re literally scammers using califia but they’re advertising the koatji, I’m seeing seeds and tasting seeds, sweet, nice ice ratio, not really tasting any spices, a bit thinner. It’s enjoyable but it just doesn’t taste like chai? I literally can’t pick up on any distinguishable flavors)
Foundation coffee (literally popped out of no where but it’s so nice and fresh and clean inside, lady is very nice and only $5.50- it said rishi chai on the menu and the colo kind of has purple-ish undertones. Good size and good lid. It’s pretty milky tbh, not much flavor but it’s kind of sweet in a fruity way which is kind of bizarre)
G & B coffee (true chai spice, no cinnamon, casually sweet, gingery spice, slightly darker color, $7.25 for cup to not be filled all the way)
Go get em tiger (thin but nice froth, good spice and I would say mostly cardamommy. $7.25 meh)
Heavy water coffee (not sweet at all, which for a one time is really nice because I won’t get nauseous. There’s also a really nice natural spice if I wanted, swear I would definitely add like a pump of vanilla but I really like this and this is somewhere where I would definitely bring Alexia. good beverage and ice ratio as well. Bonus points for froth on top and using minor figures.
Hilltop(it was like $9 or something fucking stupid but it was literally tazo tea that was milky and annihilated w cinnamon powder. Will not return or recommend)
Hygge bakery in South Park (nasty gross thick sugary tiger chai, threw away)
Ideology coffee (good, not great, tastes kinda diluted and seemingly from a box)
Ilcaffe (milky, they use masala chai- not as good as I remember)
Kumquat coffee (spiced water, not very sweet, strong nutmeg taste)
L.A. Cafe (I honestly have come here before and have been meaning to try their coffee but I just learned that they only have hot chai which honestly is fine. I’m expecting it to be trash tbh, it was $4.33 and they had torani syrups but- update it’s lowk giving starbs )
Laveta (have been here before but it’s been a while, lots of cinnamon on top and kind of an artificial cinnamon candy flavor to the chai itself, good lid, the amount of flavor is solid- not too diluted or too strong- I just don’t know if it’s a good flavor is all. It just tastes like a chai candy)
Lucky coffee (this is like the third time I’ve tried to get coffee from here and it’s actually open this time so my review will be a little skewed because it’s not the first try. I’ve consumed today but I had to take advantage of the opportunity. $6.50 w chewy ice. This one is also pretty sweet, it’s thicker and has a unique flavor that I can’t quite pinpoint. It isn’t super flavorful but there’s a spice I’m picking up on. Might have to come back and try this again to get an unbiased review.)
Madman (tbh not mad, good flavor I just wish it was a bit creamier but that’s more on the oatmilk than anything. Don’t know how I feel about the bits of plastic in my drink but cest la vie)
Memory look (this was advertised as a ginger chai and it definitely has that ginger spice but because they use minor figures which is kind of a thinner oat milk the syrup penis of the concentrate is really present which I don’t love. Nice kick in the back of the throat, don’t love- wouldn’t get again. Appreciate the spice but I fear that’s all I like about it.)
Ministry of coffee ($7.67, guy is chill- they use minor figures so respect (idek if I like minor figures but my family buys in bulk from them so I just like to show loyalty) cinnamon on top and a lil foam, the color is scaring me. I hear it might be tiger Chai now that I think about it, I think he was a powder which is never ever a good sign, smell is proving me right, it’s tiger chai. There’s like a layer of something at the bottom that looks like sugar just kind of crazy work, but yeah you already know how I feel about this.)
Nice coffee (milky, cinnamon is definitely the more noticeable flavor, but there are some underlying of nutmeg, thinner consistency. A tiny little spice that hits the throat. However, points for ambience and their seasonal vegan pastry. It was like a black currant croissant with brownie was insane except lowkey points taken off for the banana bread that doesn’t taste like banana)
Okayama Kubo (the darkest Chai I’ve ever been handed, fuck ass lid, it was like drinking a sandbox. There was so much great spice. Truly unfortunate because the flavor itself was actually pretty solid)
Peregrines coffee -inside Bank of America building ($5.85, 12oz, sweet but thin, not super spicy but an ever so slight stale cinnamon aftertaste in the back of throat)
Reset coffee ($7.17, guy made nice conversation, this is also just sweet milk- literally just a tame version of corner bakery. There’s like no actual flavor)
Silverback of Rwanda (said they serve Peet’s so I’m scared and they use torani syrups so idk how this is gonna go. $6.57, it looks promising but he showed me the jug of concentrate. they use and I think it’s that stuff from Whole Foods with the black cap. It’s milky w like a barely there flavor:/)
Surfboy ($6.50, they use minor and a concentrate from the jug, I’m pretty sure it’s the one they sell Whole Foods. So it’s a little thin but it’s not insanely sweet and has a solid flavor. So it isn’t the best thing ever but I would go back for the Customer Service.)
Sweet lady Jane DTLA (their chai is a powder which is never a good sign so I got a matcha. The color of the powder wasn’t promising but it’s honestly fine, their brownie bites are what I came here for)
Tierra Mia(it was a tea bag, probably would’ve been better if I let it steep)
Tilt (have been wanting to try since forever, really solid, I really like it, definitely would return just for this! Good amount of liquid – not too much ice. There was a sweet and a spicy option and I got the spicy and it really isn’t spicy at all. Good color, not too intense the flavor mildly sweet overall I think this is the best I’ve had)
Urli bird (it’s like half restaurant half cafe, neat open space, $6.30, looks very dark but isn’t really strong? Doesn’t really have a chai tea flavor, just a mild sweetness. I’ll have a sip and taste something but it somehow immediately goes away) (some finishing thoughts - love the hair in my chai)
Velo coffee (don’t even have it yet and I see that he just scooped a powder, RED FUCKING FLAG, $6.60, they use califia, if this shit is tiger chai mama is gonna be mad. Update: It’s tiger chai.)
Verve (used Chico chai? yikes, cardamom water, have the nasty tongue fuck lids, guy took forever and everything is settled all nasty at the bottom)
Virtu coffee (thin, very sweet, added like an extra oz of sweetener, weak chai flavor, bonus points for minor figures milk and cinnamon on top but took a while and was like 7.25)
Zinc cafe and market in the arts district (little solo date vibe, I was sus of this chai as soon as he placed it down and I just KNEW it would be tiger chai reminiscent and I was correct bc I always am and I’ve never been wrong before! It’s basically tiger chai but w a stronger taste of nutmeg I think it is? It’s like cinnamon but nutty, hazelnut ish. Moral of the story is that it’s not good.)
6XS (new little local spot, I think they’re also trying to be a furniture store, which is a little confusing, but the chai is definitely a bit thicker and has a spice that kind of kicks you in the back of the throat, tastes like the chai that started my chai journey (the stuff from ionie))