Mangalore Tea Shop

Mangalore Tea Shop is in Sector 44, specifically in Lalaji Market which is part of Chalera Village. We are tucked away in Gali Number 3. It is not a very wide street, so it feels quite cozy but also a bit cramped when the delivery bikes try to squeeze past. We start the stove very early, usually around five or six, because the market workers need their first cup before they start unloading trucks. The walls are a bit stained from the steam over the years, but that is just how a tea shop looks. We don't have any fancy chairs, just some old stools and maybe a crate if it gets really full. We make the tea with plenty of ginger and cardamom when it's cold outside. People from the village come in to talk about the local news or complain about the electricity bills. It is a loud place with lots of shouting and laughing. We also keep some biscuits and small snacks in jars on the counter. Gali Number 3 is easy to find once you get into the main market area of Chalera. We don't close until late at night when the last of the shops nearby finally shut their shutters. It is a lot of standing, but the tea keeps us going too. Most days the milk delivery comes late and we have to wait, but the customers are usually patient enough for a good cup.