Kolkata Chai Co, NYC

I had never heard of Kolkata Chai Co before today.  I don't dislike chai, but it certainly isn't a drink I seek out in any way.  The business does have a few baked goods though, that actually are unique, but still, it had never entered my orbit.  Until today.  When a group at work had an event catered by them, with big jugs of chai and ... the aforementioned baked goods.  And of course they had leftovers. 

The baked goods lineup is tiny.  They have exactly 2 items.  The savory lineup is equally small, again, just two items, a kati roll or samosa.  The place really is a chai shop.  They have two locations in NYC.

Donut. $5.

"A soft and sweet cake donut with a traditional gulab jamun nestled in the middle, offering a delightful blend of flavors and textures."

The first item we had was the single kind of donut they carry.  The menu even just calls it "donut".  There were only a few left, and I had eyes for the bun instead, but I was intrigued by it, as it looked like a really dense moist cake that just happened to be in a ring shape, with lots of frosting/glaze, and then ... yes, in the center, a gulab jamun ball nestled on top.  After all, it kinda is just a donut hole I guess ...

I didn't get to try this as they went quickly and I was polite at taking just one item, but I did get some of the leftover frosting bits that remained behind after folks cut some of them up, and it was really quite good.  Super flavorful.  I tasted cardamom, pistachio, rosewater, all of it.  And that was just the glaze!  In retrospect, I do wish I'd been able to try this item for real.

Cardamom Bun. $5.

"A fragrant cardamom-infused sweet dough, baked to perfection with a tender, buttery texture."

But I went right for the cardamom bun.  It looked at first glance like any other cardamom bun, like a Swedish style one for example, except that it was clearly caramelized and way flakier, more of a laminated rather than simple yeasted dough.

It was very good.  The cardamom level in particular was impressive, it was strong but not over the top.  I suspect it would indeed pair exceptionally well with a cup of chai.  The construction was good, evenly rolled, tight roll.  Relatively moist inside, caramelized and crispy outside.  It wasn't too sweet, even with all the sugar on the exterior as the base dough wasn't very sweet.  I suspect it would go fantastically with a cup of chai.

I'm surprised this doesn't get more talked about, as it really was a top notch bun. I'd gladly have another.  4/5.