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Located in West Village, Chalait’s
natural tone and colour brings life back
to what once was a colourless corner
of Christopher and 7 Avenue. Michelle
Gardner and her fiancé, the owners, were
familiar faces in New York coffee industry
before they decided to open their own
shop. Michelle discovered exquisite qual-
ity Japanese Matcha during her travel and
she didn’t hesitate to bring the premium
produce back home for New Yorkers to
experience. The quality of the Matcha is
enhanced by traditional tea making tools
imported from Japan, but Matcha isn’t just
the only tea offered here as you can also
find quality tea brands like “In Pursuit of
Tea”.
Since tea should be enjoyed every-
where, Chalait offers its own brand of
Matcha as well as tea equipment for home
brew. And don’t worry if you aren’t sure
how to properly brew a quality cup of tea,
Michelle and the staffs are always eager to

provide recipe and technique for a great On the coffee side, Chalait of-
tea! In addition to Matcha in a cup, you fers Counter Culture coffee from South
shouldn’t miss Chalait’s homemade Mat- America and Africa brewed expertly by
cha yoghurt! Anthony Grourke. Anthony believes cof-
Specialising in both tea and coffee, fee is a play on chemistry, that’s why the
Chalait has a tea corner sitting side by side amount of coffee used varies on the time
its coffee corner and you can see every of day, and Chalait has it all figured out for
step of the brew. You might learn a few the best result in your cup, for example,
things about tea from the descriptions the perfect amount for a dose of coffee in
written on the tin tea box while waiting the morning is 15.2 grams.
for your order. Michelle paid a lot of attention to
the detail for a small shop. As the shop
is designed by a Swedish designer, it uses
simple form and light hues with uses of
wood and metal that reflect Scandinavian
style. The light grey marble top counter
contrasts the light wooden body, but more
importantly, coffee counter is 10 cm lower
than regular counter. Without large coffee
machine blocking the view behind the bar,
customers and barista has a clear view of
one another, making it more pleasurable
for a chat. The corner location also allows
lots of natural light through the shop’s
large glass wall, so the space feels bright,
breezy, and spacious even if it is packed.
Behind the beverage menu board is a space
for hiding equipment, glasses, and tools
tidily out of the customer’s sight.

Writer : Switchaya Yingseree
switchaya.y@gmail.com
www.byswitchy.com
Interior Architect lives in Manhattan.
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