Located on Allston Way, a short walk from UC Berkeley’s campus, Elaichi Co. is a cute and cozy spot to study or grab a refreshing drink with friends. This café specializes in South Asian flavors, offering chai as well as pastries. They recently released a new spring menu, which is what I, along with a few Spoon members, review in this article!
Elaichi is the Hindi and Urdu word for the spice cardamom, which is made from the seeds of several plants, originally from the Indian subcontinent and Indonesia. Elaichi Co. chose their name well: you will find this refreshing spice in most of their creations. As a cardamom fan who also recently wrote a recipe for a Matcha Banana Bread Latte, their new spring menu (and especially the Banana Chai Einspanner), immediately caught my attention.
We ordered 3 drinks: the Banana Chai Einspanner, the Roohafza Matcha, and the Iced Paan Latte. We also ordered their famous Elaichi Bun.
Banana Chai Einspanner – $7.25 (Small)
This drink was by far our favorite. It is made with a chai latte base, which is a blend of spices (mostly cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, star anise, and black pepper) and milk, to which a caramelized banana syrup and an espresso shot are added, then layered with a salted banana cream on top.
An Einspanner is basically a Viennese coffee drink made with espresso topped with whipped cream. Here, Elaichi Co. completely reinvents the flavors of their drink while keeping the same foundation: coffee and cream. The chai latte, banana syrup, and espresso serve as the base, finished with a creamy banana foam in place of the whipped cream.
The banana syrup makes this drink sweet and rich in flavor. Although it may be the most dominant note, you can still taste the chai spices as an aftertaste. If you love banana bread, this drink combines the best of it: a sweet banana and comforting caramel flavor, rounded by the warmth of chai spices and a salted cream on top that enhances all the flavors. It’s the perfect drink for a cold, rainy spring day, whether you’re seeking comfort during midterms or just treating yourself. Highly recommended!
Roohafza Matcha – $7.25 (Small)
Roohafza is a Hindi and Urdu word meaning “soul refresher.” Made with rose water and kewra (an essence or floral water extracted from the male flower of screwpine), it is a very popular floral syrup mostly found in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. It is also known as the “Summer Drink of the East.” Paired with matcha and milk, this drink takes matcha to a new level. The floral sweetness of the syrup embraces the earthy taste of the matcha, making this drink delicate and subtle. The only downside is that the drink becomes a bit watery as the ice melts. Nevertheless, I highly recommend this light and refreshing combination, especially for a warm spring day.
Iced Paan Latte – $8 (Small)
This drink was the one that caught my attention the most. A paan latte is made with blended betel leaves (paan), gulkand (rose petal jam), fennel, cardamom, cloves, sugar, vanilla, and milk (or coconut milk). This version was a bit different: made with espresso, coconut milk, and gulkand, so I expected a creamy and textured drink. Instead, the espresso flavor dominated, and the rose petal jam and coconut were harder to taste. That said, both subtly soften the bitterness of the espresso, making it refreshing and surprisingly sippable. The natural sweetness of this combination elevates rather than covers the espresso, and for that reason, I would still recommend it if you prefer less sweet drinks but still want that energy kick for a study session!
Elaichi bun – $5.5
All of Elaichi Co.’s pastries looked delicious, and we chose to get their most iconic one. The elaichi bun is a cardamom bun baked with cardamom butter, giving it a crunchy caramelized layer. If you love cardamom, you will not be disappointed. You can see, taste, and smell it in every bite, not just on top. The bun is also fluffy, pulls apart well, and is not too sweet. The texture reminded me of a babka, but with a crunchy top and a caramelized bottom. Amber, another Spoon member, and I highly recommend dipping it in the Banana Chai Einspanner because it makes the bun taste like banana bread.
Overall, Elaichi Co. is a great spot to study: there are outlets, free WiFi, good lighting, and bathrooms. Drinks are made within a few minutes, and the staff is super friendly and happy to answer any questions. The new spring menu is definitely worth trying, though keep in mind that the iced drinks can get watery as the ice melts and the items are a bit pricey. I would recommend asking for light ice or no ice at all. If you try one thing, make it the Banana Chai Einspanner, paired with the Elaichi bun. After all, chai and cardamom is what they are known for!