Although I love summer and I’m sad it’s over, there’s a part of me that gets really excited every September. The idea of a new academic year, a fresh start and new beginnings. I also love that I can start to wrap up in warm, snuggly clothes and warm my hands up with a cup of hot chocolate! This year however, I’m going to be switching my hot chocolate for a warm, spiced cup of chai which I’ve recently become a very huge fan of (I’m sure you already know about my chai obsession from my post about Chaiiwala)! So when Pamban, a chai and coffee house invited me down for a masterclass… I was super excited!
Image taken from Pamban’s website.
Pamban is located in Camden and serves up traditionally brewed chai, specialty organic coffee and delicious eats from India and Sri Lanka, all of which are halal!
The masterclass began with Pamban’s lovely founders – Aruna and Mayhul, telling us about their love for chai and coffee and what made them decide to open Pamban. They then served us some delicious welcome drinks along with mutton and chicken rolls.
FALOODA & JAGGERY MILKSHAKE
Look how cute they are!!
Both drinks were delicious but my favourite was the jaggery milkshake – it was sweet, creamy and had a slightly thick consistency. I can’t wait to return to get a full sized cup next time!
HOUSE CHAI, KARAK & ROSE CHAI
I enjoyed all three, but my favourite was the rose chai. It had an amazing aroma and flavours of ginger and clove which were strong but really enjoyable.
MUTTON & CHICKEN ROLLS
The mutton and chicken rolls were crispy and tasty, and were perfect to snack on with our chai.
MAKING COFFEE
The next part of the masterclass consisted of us learning how to brew the perfect cup of coffee as well as trying out some latte art! Coffee is Aruna’s specialty and although he made it look easy, I learnt just how complex it is to make the perfect cup! Who would have thought the changing temperature of a room affects coffee beans and its extraction? Pamban keep an eye out for this everyday and make adjustments to ensure their coffee recipe is perfect!
Sandra, the head barista then allowed us to try out some latte art! We were all pretty bad at this (lol) but I was still proud of my attempt!
MAKING CHAI
Next stop was the chai station – Mayhul’s specialty. At Pamban they grind all of their spices themselves and use great quality ingredients.
My friend Monia and I went head to head with two other people at the masterclass to see who could make the best chai. We had to pick our own spices to create our own bespoke chai!
We added cinnamon, cloves, star anise and cardamom! I think our recipe was pretty good…
I had so much fun doing this and you can guess who won… just call us the chai queens!! If you want to watch the video of us in action – click here for my Instagram profile!
The evening ended with a fabulous cup of chai (by me and Monia 😉 ), a team picture and a lovely goody bag with delicious barfi inside!
I had a great time and I would highly recommend going to Pamban – especially for their chai and coffee masterclass. It’s fun, informative and a great way to meet new people. Pamban definitely fill a gap in the market as they specialise in both chai and coffee. It’s often the case that you go to a cafe with either good coffee or good tea and not both… but they have everyone covered! And if you’re not a chai or coffee person, don’t worry because you can opt for their jaggery milkshake which I can guarantee you’ll love!
Thanks Aruna and Mayhul for a great evening!
The next chai and coffee masterclass is on Tuesday 3rd October. You can book tickets here.
Find Pamban here:
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