Birmingham’s Mi Chaii restaurant revitalising UK’s karak chai scene

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As befits a family establishment, we like to look after our customers, instead of merely serving them…

The karak chai scene across the country is such a competitive one that it takes something uniquely special to stand out from the crowd… something akin to Mi Chaii.

Unlike the vast majority that operate as fast food cafes more than anything else, Mi Chaii have successfully merged this chai concept with the traditional restaurant model to offer something far more.

And the restaurant in Birmingham’s famous Halal stretch of Ladypool Road, which has been included as part of FtLion’s Birmingham Food Tour 2022, encompasses the brand’s approach perfectly, with diners immediately welcomed by a waiter, before being taken to a table in what is a beautifully designed interior.

This 44-cover venue is a large and spacious one, with a striking turquoise-blue colour-scheme that’s offset by the hues of wooden brown and maroon-cushioned seats to deliver an aesthetically relaxed ambience.

The inspiration behind Mi Chaii is a personal one too, which goes back some 50 years to the arrival from the Indian subcontinent of the family-run restaurant’s father in 1964.

As such, much of their ecclectic menu is firmly rooted in familial tradition which, of course, includes the traditional ‘chaii’ enjoyed by the father, as well as items from their “family’s favourite selection”.

Mi Chaii is uniquely a chai-inspired restaurant, not a cafe

The love and attention on the part of Mi Chaii translates over to their dishes too, some of which you will simply not find on the menus of any of the other chai-oriented cafes out there.

Just take their pièce de résistance: an Afternoon Tea for two, where diners have plenty of choices to consider for their Savoury, Brunch, Dessert, Tea, and Chips selections that comprise this triple-tiered show-stopper.

And there’s plenty to choose from too including Pakoras, Masala Chips, Chicken Wrap for the top tier; Samosa, Chicken Tikka Sandwich, and Seekh Kebabs for the mid-tier; as well as Cheesecake and Shai Halwa for the bottom.

As a restaurant, however, Mi Chaii shines! Just take a look at their Main Meals, where you get to choose from the following five classic Indian dishes: Chicken Biryani, Chana Daal, Butter Chicken, Meat Keema with Peas, and the Deghi Gosht.

The Chicken Biryani, for instance, epitomises the meaning of the phrase ‘less is more’, with succulent pieces of boneless chicken and long-grained pilau rice cooked in their inhouse herbs and spices, before being topped with an omelette, and served with a creamy yoghurt or mint sauce.

Opening as they do from 8am, Mi Chaii offer a number of hearty all-day breakfasts, omelette dishes, and French toast too, out of which their scrumptious Desi Breakfast is available for just £7.49.

And what a meal it is too coming as it does with a delicately spiced Masala Omelette; Masala Beans; a bowl of Chana or Daal, with a touch of heat to them; a pair of either crispy Classic Rotis, Parathas, or Toasts; and finally Karak or Kashmiri Chaii to wash things down.

And if final proof was needed after all the above, then know that Mi Chaii even have a donut-making machine in their large kitchen.

One of the advantages, therefore, of visiting them, in opposition to any other chai cafes on Ladypool Road, is freshly-made donuts with plenty of toppings to choose from.

With restaurants in Bradford, Glasgow, and Ilford, this brand is revitalising the Halal food and drinks industry’s karak chai sector with an impressive concept.

As Mi Chaii puts it: “As befits a family establishment, we like to look after our customers, instead of merely serving them, and we see Mi Chaii as a place where family, friends, and even strangers, can sit together and be brought together over a cup of chaii.”

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Mi Chaii
353 Ladypool Rd, Balsall Heath, Birmingham B12 8LA.

T: +44 (0)121 820 2711 | W: @michaiiofficial | E: [email protected]

Opening Hours: Mon-Fri 08:00-00:00 | Sat-Sun 09:30-00:00