Dirty Chais
Dirty Chais
I am on a mission to find the best dirty chai in the greater Los Angeles area. As for now, here’s what I’ve found so far.
Spice Levels
#1 Cafe de Leche
5000 York Blvd
Concentrate
This one topped it for me. I stopped in unexpectedly and the staff and cafe were so nice. A beautiful location and such a well balanced, warming chai. It was on the level of 4 and had such a creamy base.
#2 Lo/Cal Coffee
487 S Fairfax Ave
David Rio Powder
Lo/Cal’s chai is around a 2/3 on spice levels. I appreciate how mellow it is without being overpowering with sweetness. The espresso has a subtle bitterness too it that cuts the milk perfectly.
#5 Insomniac Cafe
100 California St
Powder
Such a tasty chai! This one was definitely coffee forward and had such a nice balance of spice and creaminess. I think I finished this one in about 20 minutes which is a record for me.
#6 Espresso Cielo
1431 Second St
Concentrate
This chai was at a 3 level of spice which is my current personal favorite level. However, it wasn’t as creamy as some chais. The barista here was so sweet! Overall, great level of spice and the espresso blended well.
#7 Super Domestic
8545 W Washington Blvd
House Syrup
This was a spice heavy one, coming in at about a 4.5 on the spice level. It was very creamy and had a wonderful taste, but it was hard to drink a lot of it at once. The taste was overall great and the drink had an overall orange appearance, similar to a Thai tea.
#8 Blue Daisy
7950 Melrose Ave
Concentrate
At first, I really liked this chai. It was not heavy on the spice though, coming in at around a 2 on the spice level. Towards the end of the drink, I began to taste a burnt espresso flavor that led to me not fully finishing.
#9 The Conservatory
10117 W Washington Blvd
Loose Leaf
I believe this chai was a loose leaf version which I tend to not enjoy as much. It leaned to the 4 and 5 levels of spice and overall was a bit more watered down than the other chais.
#10 Ponsonby Road
361 N La Cienega Blvd
Loose Leaf
Not sweet at all. It was at a 3 or 4 spice level but was very watery. I was a bit disappointed considering that this is considered one of the most loved chais in Los Angeles. The food was amazing!
I really loved the taste of this chai and the color was pretty good. The espresso and chai both had a great taste to them. This drink was a bit thicker and I am not sure why. That did not change the taste at all.
#3 Paradocs Coffee & Tea
1032 S Fairfax Ave
House Secret
First of all, this color is insane. I was a bit nervous at first because when I asked what type of chai they use he said “I don’t know but it’s good…” He was right about that. It was about a 1 spice level but the flavor was great.