Samay Chai — Restaurant in Austin

The food didn’t live up to all the hype people are talking about. I ordered pav bhaji and butter chicken. It was average taste missing a balance of the butter to the masala and salt and lime to the bhaji. Too chunky texture for my liking Definitely the service was super slow and need some refining. The same person taking orders was also handing out orders. I think they should have a separate person handing out the orders through the second window instead of people cutting in line asking to give them the status. The customer were also placing more order while cutting or adding more to the order they already placed! I guess you can take that out of the Indian community but the cashier should speak up and say I'm sorry, but you need to go to the back of the line and create a new order. It just delayed for people that were waiting already in line trying to place new orders. My order took 30 mins even though they were giving a little buzzers to let us know but people inside the truck were not taking the orders as they came in. I did speak to the management team/owner and hopefully things will change when it comes to service and cutting line. Overall I think it's a great location and great atmosphere for seating and having some chai with friends along with food. There was a parking garage near by and it's very dog friendly for Austin standards which I loved. It was next to a dog park and the River. They just need to add water bowls and treats like other establishments in Austin. Keep up the good work and hope...

Samay chai is fantastic all around! The food is on point, owner the nicest, and chai outta this world.

We ordered butter chicken which came with garlic roti on the side. The butter chicken was creamy and flavorful, the roti thin and perfect to devour it with!

It was my first time having vada pav and I'm sold! While I don't have anything to compare it to, I hope they're all this tasty. The bun was soft with chutneys on it, sprinkled with garlic crunch, and the aloo in the middle chunky and packed with flavor.

Also loved the dahi sev puri, which was drenched in dahi and satisfied my chaat cravings! The only thing that could've made this even better is tamarind chutney on top as well.

But the CHAI, Y'ALL. They have 3 flavors - rosemary, orange pistachio, and ginger cardamom. I love the creativity in flavors and I'll be back to try them all! I ordered the orange pistachio, which was magic in my mouth. The subtle favors came together perfectly and I could see the fresh orange shavings at the bottom when finished. It's chai szn, perfect for a chilly day!

We chatted with the owner for a while after our meal and he told us a little about the origin of the name. Samay is a romanticized word for "moment" in Hindi. It represents how chai creates reason for people to gather, to enjoy a moment together as they enjoy the beverage.

Excited to see the success of this food truck. Go...

Okay I’m gonna be vulnerable with y’all for a minute. I don’t share this with everyone because it’s a bit embarrassing as a South Asian. Okay here goes: I can’t handle spicy food anymore 😭.

Luckily I found this spot because they serve fully flavorful desi food, with a nice tempered level of spice that was perfect for me!

FOOD: Butter chicken was on point; vada pav was delectable; and the garlic roti was a refreshing change from the usual heavy naan places serve, plus it was included with the butter chicken. We also got the dahi sev puri which was good, though I will say a little more masala would strengthen the flavor.

CHAI: Orange pistachio chai was different but delish, and the ginger cardamom chai is truly classic and rightfully named. There will definitely be crowds here begging for steamy chai as the brutal Texas winter drops temps to the low 60s.

PEOPLE: Owners were super nice and even shared with us the story behind the name.

Overall if you want tasty Indian food with just the right level of spice, leave the TUMS at home and come check...