Half Million are now doing a Karak Chai (@halfmillionuk) and we are very excited to try it. Half Million are a popular coffee shop hailing from Saudi Arabia. And their popularity is evident to see when you go to their Oxford street location. They absolutely love their high quality speciality coffee in Saudi Arabia and it is no surprise these guys do and have done so well. In this post we’ll be trying out their new drink and see if it lives up to their quality coffee.
The love for coffee in Saudi Arabia
Coffee shops and especially speciality coffee shops are uber popular in Saudi Arabia. They love their good quality coffee over there and you’ll struggle to find a speciality coffee shop in the country that isn’t frequented and loved by the locals. Half Million is one of those cafes. And thankfully for Londoners, they have come to the UK for us to taste their amazing coffee. They’re based in the heart of Oxford street, so a perfect location. It’s the perfect pre-shopping or mid-shopping drink stop.
The Middle Eastern Karak Chai
But if there’s a drink that can compete with coffee in Saudi Arabia, it’s the Karak Chai. If you’ve ever had Karak Chai in the Middle East, you’d know it just hits different. The options here in London just don’t come close. Karak means strong and chai means tea. So, it is strong tea. But not any old strong tea… strong tea with a number of spices. These spices give the drink an aromatic smell as well as taste. And truly it’s the perfect hot drink for any occasion. And it’s perfect for the crisp London weather. Originally, it is a drink that has come from India (therefore the spices), but arguably it has been made popular by the Middle East. And it is no surprise that this popularity in that part of the world has seen an equal rise in such shops in this part of the world (England).
Half Million’s Karak Chai
How was the new Karak chai from Half Million. This is no exaggeration, but I think this is the best Karak chai in the capital. It is the closest to what I’ve had in the Middle East. It’s aromatic, it’s comforting, it’s sweet, it’s strong in tea flavour too. It’s everything you want from a hot drink! Not to get all poetic on you guys, but winter has two sides: the cold, harsh and uncomfortable side and the cozy, comforting and heart warming side. The Karak is the latter side. This cup of Karak chai I had in the cold weekend in London felt like a comforting, heart warming and cozy hug in a cup! It satisfied my caffeine need, my aromatic spice desire and my sweet tooth all at the same time! Another amazing thing is that the drink is organically and ethically sourced. Can it get any better!?
Getting there
Nearest station: Leicester Square
Nearest mosque: Muslim World League Goodge Street (10 minute walk)
Parking: Ossulston Street – free evenings and weekends – plenty of parking spaces on Sundays – about 20-30 min walk from Soho/Chinatown, but it is just outside congestion zone
Google Maps link
