How Did Roadside Chai Become a Thing in Islamabad?

According to rough estimates, Pakistan is home to over 233 million people. Over 70 languages are spoken in this cross-cultural country that is a home for more than 6 ethnicities all united under one flag. If anything is common between these individuals, it’s their unconditional love for chai.

It doesn’t matter if you are in Karachi or Kashmir, as long as you have a cup of chai and good company it seems like all the worries of life will fade away automatically.

I will not be shocked if I find chai running through the veins of Pakistanis instead of blood. Are you someone who doesn’t understand why Pakistanis love chai so much? Think about it.

Sad? Have a cup of chai.

Homesick? Have a cup of chai?

Severe Sunday/Monday blues? Common on, chai.

Sick? Could there be any other medicine better than chai?

Chilly weather? Pakoray and a cup of Karak chai.

You name it. Chai cannot just not go with anything. From silly conversations at dhabas to important board meetings at the office, chai has been with us through thick and thin. Chai has seen all, it has literally been a part of all.

Chai is the Only Socially Acceptable Drug!

People can’t start their day without a cup of chai and some people can’t end their day without a cup of amazing chai. And it’s understandable. Totally relatable too. Who can? I don’t think I can ever get along with people who don’t love chai. It’s like they don’t love anything. Speculate it. If somebody can’t love chai, how can they love anything or anyone else? It’s like rejecting a piece of diamond and settling for artificial jewelry. Who does that?

Roadside chai has always been a thing. I don’t remember a time when it wasn’t a thing. I have lived in Islamabad all my life and I remember meeting my friends over chai when we were literally kids. The only difference is that now chai is considered fancy in Islamabad. With so many roadside dhabas, people are now enjoying their preferred chai just the way they like it. Interestingly, with so many variations of chai, it’s hard for people to not like chai.

Being a chai connoisseur, I love cardamom tea the most. I now understand that people don’t just hate elaici; they just hate elaichi in biryani. If you are someone who wants chai to hit right in feels, have a cup of karak chai. If you want to feel at home, have doodh-patti.

As people as, when there’s a will, there is a way. People often complain about not having chai in summers but for someone like me, I can’t stay away from chai. So I prefer chilled tea or iced tea in the summers. It’s a perfect mood enhancer.

Top Chai Places In Islamabad that You Shouldn’t Miss!

Chai is love, chai is life. Chai makes everything all right.

If you are from Islamabad, there are a bunch of chai places you should definitely try out. They include:

• Chikachino (F-7)
• Madka Chai (F-7)
• Chai O’ Clock (F-7)
• Nukar Pe Tukar (F-7)
• Quetta Tea n Teas (F-10, I-8, and several other locations)
• Chai Mehfil (F-6)
• Chai Hub (F-6)
• Chai Pani and Co. (F-7)