Freshly brewed: Tis the time to talk tea!

To residents of the capital, Tea Tok has exciting and delightful beverages to offer.

ISLAMABAD: Think there aren’t enough tea joints the city? If you happen to adhere to this school of thought, a new tea house on the block demands that take your sweet time exploring its offerings to satiate the inner foodie in you. Tea Tok, an American brand operating under the umbrella of GN Foods, opened its doors to the capital this weekend.

The compact café-cum-eatery serves an assortment of hot and cold beverages such as iced teas, tea infusions, smoothies, tisanes and sidelines of bite-sized “savouries” such as popcorn chicken to go with the blend. The items on the menu are decently priced, with beverages falling within the Rs300-400 range.



Located within the same enclosed space as Tutti Frutti Frozen Yogurt in Jinnah Super Market, this addition to the fro-yo experience heralds good news for health food enthusiasts.

Served in a large paper cup, the caramel coffee is definitely worth a try. With just the right amount of syrup and a smooth dollop of cream mixed in with the distinct aroma of caffeine, it brings something refreshingly new to the table.

“This coffee is really sweet, but I like that since I have a sweet tooth,” said Mina, a guest, while sipping from her cup at the launch event. She added that the coffee brew reminded her of coffee in the United States, something she was experiencing in the country for the first time.

The coconut smoothie comes in a thicker, grainier texture, with suspended chunky jelly-like rings at the bottom of the cup whipped up in the richness of coconut milk.

The lychee smoothie is served with a delectable fruit cocktail topping. The steaming-hot almond tea has a rich flavour while still retaining the lightness that tea is supposed to have.

Dr Naeem Niazi, owner of the franchise, said the idea was to have frozen yogurt, tea and coffee under the same roof while still focusing on keeping the ingredients pure. In order to maximise on the snacking experience, he added, they will soon be introducing bakery items from the international chain, O’ My Buns!

Published in The Express Tribune, January 6^th, 2014.