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.
#3 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.
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 Lo/Cal’s chai. Overall, great level of spice and the espresso blended well.
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.
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.
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.
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!
