I recently visited Satya Chai Lounge on Karangahape Road with my family on a Wednesday evening after an exhibition opening at a local gallery.
It’s in the heart of the arts district so a great way to continue the night with friends for a round of drinks and shared communal food.
Satya Chai Lounge is the brainchild of Sammy Akuthota whose family has owned and run the Satya restaurants for many years. Sammy is behind this Chai Lounge and another in Sandringham, that is well worth a visit, as well as the “World Famous in Central Auckland” Hyderabad Hotel pop-up in Ponsonby a year or so back. The Akuthota family are deeply entrenched in their local communities and have even been offering free Christmas meals to anyone that needs them at their Satya restaurants for the past eleven years. These are good people doing good things.
Upon arrival I was immediately struck by the atmosphere that was warm and welcoming and felt as though we had been transported to another time and place. The extensive drinks list made it hard to choose, but it felt apt to try the ‘cashew iced chai’ drink at a chai lounge. It was beautifully aromatic and was so good it hardly lasted five minutes!
Satya Chai Lounge specialises in Indian street food - sharing plates and communal grazing. We ordered a selection of dishes off the menu, all of which except one were vegan or could be made so. We began with the dahi puri, which although was not listed as vegan, was able to be made so by swapping the yoghurt for a flavour punch of tamarind chutney. These little bite sized nibbles had the perfect balance of crunch and deliciousness, savoured rather quickly by us all.
If you like fried food you’ll love what’s on offer here. We decided, in the interests of thorough research, to order every possible dish that was vegan - ‘onion baji’, ‘idly fry’, ‘cabbage 65’, ‘mushroom magic’ and ‘curry flower’. All were deeply indulgent with beautiful spices and aromatics, but we all felt the ‘curry flower’ stood out. Described as ‘spiced cauliflower flash fried’, this dish did not disappoint. The cauliflower was beautifully cooked and practically melted in our mouths, creating a burst of caramelised goodness. We collectively agreed that the ‘vege dumplings manchurian’ were our favourite. These tasty little morsels packed flavour, crunch and chew into each and every bite but would possibly order two of these next time - one wasn’t really enough.
The environment sets the scene for a lovely date night as well; the low lighting and candles scattered throughout the rug filled room make it the perfect atmosphere for a more intimate night out with one’s significant other. Definitely recommended. (Sofia Roger Williams)
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