WOW! For one who really goes by reviews, I am SO glad that I gave Chaiiwala a chance. After hearing mixed reviews, I wasn’t sure if it’d be worth the drive and time, but I must say, from the ambiance to the customer service and then to the food, I will definitely be spreading the word and be visiting soon again.

For a cafe, everything was nailed and on point! The food portions and pricing of each item was reasonable! It was exactly as advertised - a nice cozy cafe where one can come in, chill and enjoy some nice street food and beverages.

For the food, I must say the Karachi Bun Kebab, fully loaded and Chicken Tikka in Naan was nice and warm when served, tasted fresh and had the perfect amount of sauce/chutney included where the cooks also did not cheap out with the ingredients that were added. From the various desserts tried, everything was on point and had its unique taste! All cheesecakes had either the perfect amount of sweetness, bitterness and/or tanginess. The middle portion of the cheesecakes were nice and light, not overpowering!

Despite the scrumptious taste, I would like to say a huge thank you to the owner and his employees - everyone was so respectful, knowledgeable and polite! When ordering, I was blown away by the cashiers respect and acknowledgement to food restrictions! She asked whether or nut allergies were an issue and wanted us to be aware of the nut inclusion in the dessert - I’d say this is very considerate of her even though she was extremely busy and there were customers behind me waiting to order. The food was also delivered in a timely manner. Also, during my visit today, I noticed and acknowledged a customer service act in regards to the buzzer ; I guess the employees had buzzed a buzzer for someone to pick up their food. Since the individual didn’t show up, a waitress was going around to each table to check whose buzzer went off to ensure they received their food on time and to prevent it from sitting at the front till/ getting cold. If I were this customer, I would for sure appreciate the waitress coming around to double check/provide a reminder. Oh and before I forget, during the visit today, when I initially ordered the chocolate cheesecake, I was given the incorrect cake. When I noticed that, I went back and brought it to the waitresses attention. Literally immediately, without hesitation the waitress apologized, acknowledged and stated it was her fault and said “do not worry about the cake, you can take the one I gave you plus the one you ordered” - I was taken aback - she could have easily apologized and replaced it, but instead, she stated it was her fault, provided the correct one and told me to take the incorrect one. I find that the customer service skills have really been driven into the employees here, which really made the experience worth it. Though some may think the drive to Abbotsford is far, I think its a reasonable drive and definitely worth the visit - just keep in mind it is a cafe, portions aren’t meant to be large, dinner sized portions.

I look forward to visiting the Abbotsford location again, as well as, the grand openings in Surrey!