South Indian premium street food meets gaudy interior in Berlin’s Charlottenburg district
On the famous Kantstraße in Berlin’s Charlottenburg district, “Mr. Chai Wala” opened in early summer, adding a new highlight to Berlin’s culinary scene with its South Indian focus. The street food cuisine of southern India is served in the strikingly designed restaurant authentically and at the same time in premium quality. The interior is as vibrant as the colors of the spices used to create the incomparable taste of the dishes. Radiant royal blue meets bright pink and deep purple, sun and lemon yellow enter into a harmonious symbiosis under the ceiling in petrol – a homage to the color diversity of India, staged in a modern and urban way. Unusual eye-catchers such as original parts of an Air India airplane or pop art-like pictures with Indian motifs complement the design.
“With Mr. Chai Wala, we bring Berliners and all visitors closer to South Indian premium street food. Our unique and deliberately eye-catching modern interior and the selection of our dishes away from the classics better known in Germany is intended to show how diverse India is in culinary and cultural terms. Our chefs and also staff bring the authenticity that allows guests to dive deep into the world of South India,” says Vinotharan Inparajah who runs Mr. Chai Wala.
The colorful world and culture of India in stylish and colorful interiors
On the streets of major Indian cities, the “Chai Wala,” the traditional tea vendor, is an expression of Indian lifestyle and culture. The restaurant “Mr. Chai Wala” has brought this attitude towards life to Berlin in an appealing and fancy ambience. About 160sqm, seating for 95 people inside and 40 on the in-house terrace offer space for guests. The deco and seating are all stylish, extremely modern and yet cozy, which encourages you to stay. Many works of art adorn the restaurant’s colorful walls and the color palette of blue, yellow and pink is reflected everywhere, even in the logo. The wallpapers, artistically applied as partial coverings, adorn patterns with typical Indian motifs in pop art designs and equally bright colors, while the furniture is rather plain and in darker tones.
A pleasure trip through South Indian cuisine
The menu is eye-catching and colorful and reads like a best list of South Indian dishes. The star is the Tamil street food classic kothu, a dish of traditional bread roti, vegetables and optional meat, cooked with panache and sound on a hot steel plate in front of everyone. Mr. Chai Wala also treats guests to (vegan) variations of his signature dishes centered around dosas, soups, Southern biryani specialties, small savory and sweet delicacies to share, curries and salads. Crispy breads of various kinds come freshly prepared by the chef responsible only for them, from the original tandoori oven. The icing on the cake: aromatic and melt-in-the-mouth South Indian desserts.
The spicy and sweet delicacies are accompanied by spicy and unusual beverage creations, which are only available in the south of India. The restaurant’s excellently stocked bar, stylishly presented in bright blue shelves, whets the appetite for the alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages with signature drinks such as the Chai Wala Espresso Martini or the Chaichai Colada.
Location: Kantstrasse31, Corner of Schlüterstrasse (formerly Good Friends 2 – opposite of Good Friends and Standard Pizza)
Opening hours: Daily 12 to 00 a.m.