Chai Shai means ‘tea and more’ so you can tell just by the name that it isn’t going to be your normal Jalfrezi and poppadom Indian restaurant experience. And it isn’t. Far from it in fact. It’s refreshingly brilliant! From the outside, Chai Shai is beautiful; dark and deep blue painted walls with a wooden sign really set it apart from its neighbors. They also have the nicest logo and typography I’ve seen in a long time. I really love their branding. The restaurant looks tiny from the curb, and it is, but it looks really welcoming. They have 3 wooden plant pots just under the window with some herbs and spices in them. Inside has two tables and a well stocked open glass fridge with all of their pakoras and samosas. The smell is so good as you enter I couldn’t wait to tuck in! I was there for lunch and had the lunch box meal. It came with a really nice spiced rice, a chick pea curry, samosa and a pakora. The rice was perfect. It had just enough flavour without over powering the chick peak curry — which was also beautiful! I’d normally always go for a meat dish, but it wasn’t an option. But I wasn’t fussed while I was tucking in. It was spicy enough to take a break every now and again, but so tasty I couldn’t stop eating. The samosa and pakoras were both fantastic and you can tell these guys have A LOT of practice in making them. I spoke to the owners for a while and their passion for Bristol and for giving something back to the community was inspiring. They were a lovely couple to chat to. They’ve only be open for 12 weeks and with their love for cooking amazing food and their love for Bristol, they’re sure to do well. Definitely one of my favourite eating experiences in Bristol for a while. I can’t wait to go back!
