Satya Spice and Chai Shop - a charmer

Early-ish on a Wednesday morning finds me in Sandringham. My feet took me to Satya Spice and Chai Shop, hidden through the narrowest of doors sandwiched between Satya Restaurant and a vege shop.

Walking down the dimly lit corridor, it feels like I have discovered a secret (despite having had great press lately!). Old coffee sacks line the walls and hang from the ceilings and the seats are wooden - mostly cushioned wooden crates.

The chai shop looks like it would be a great place to hang out after work as they have an extensive beer and wine selection and most of the food is better suited to later in the day. Their small food menu  are all Indian street style snacks and look perfect to munch on with a beer or as a light lunch (or morning tea, at a stretch!).

Being only 10:10 am, I was their first customer of the day and I ordered what seemed to be morning tea kind of fare: masala chai and kurryaage (spiced fried chicken). I tried to guess the spices used in the Chai and could only distinguish pepper, cardamom, ginger and cinnamon behind the sweetness of the condensed milk. The actual spices are a guarded secret I think, because the lovely owner would only tell me that it is a masala mix. Oh the mystery! 

I enjoyed a protein filled morning tea snack of kurryaage - their take on the famous Japanese karaage, fried chicken. With bags of flavour, it was spicy, lightly crispy and good value at $15.

By the time I left, a couple of other other customers had come and gone. The aromatic spices warmed my belly and kept it happy for quite a while after. I'm glad that I finally made it here and I'll be back again to try some more Indian street style snacks.

Satya Spice And Chai Shop
515 Sandringham Road
Sandringham
Auckland

Open from 10:00 am