Singapore High Commissioner to India, Simon Wong, recently took to social media platform X to express his disappointment after having an overpriced cup of tea that he found tasteless at a renowned food outlet in Gurgaon. In his post, Wong mentioned that he paid ₹169 (inclusive of tax) for the drink at the Gurgaon café, which was served in a traditional kulhad (earthen cup) written ‘Chaayos’ on it.
Simon Wong called out the Gurgaon eatery by posting two photos on social media without mentioning the name of the café
Simon Wong shared two photos of the place on X. While one photo showed the cafe’s interior, another showed a traditional kulhad (earthen cup) in which the chai was served. He revealed that the cafeteria served him a cup of “tasteless” chai for Rs 169.
Simon Wong wrote,
The impossible happened. I just had a cup of tasteless #Chai in Gurgaon. Rs 169 with tax.🤦♂️🤦♂️HC Wong.
The impossible happened. I just had a cup of tasteless #Chai in Gurgaon. Rs 169 with tax.🤦♂️🤦♂️HC Wong. pic.twitter.com/PMVwnvUS2y
— Singapore in India (@SGinIndia) December 14, 2024
HC Wong’s viral post has garnered more than 766,000 views. His review of the Gurugram cafe led to several reactions from the netizens.
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Mr. Wong’s post also caught the attention of the founder of the chai chain Chaayos, Nitin Saluja who responded to it
Responding to the Singapore High Commissioner’s post, Saluja invited Wong to visit one of their outlets, saying,
“Hon’ble Mr Wong, in the name of deep India-SG friendship, I invite you for a cup of chai at a Chaayos near you. As we enjoy our chai, I’ll share our commitment to getting every chai right, including our no-questions-asked replacement policy!”
Hon’ble Mr Wong, I am Nitin, founder of Chaayos! In the name of deep India SG friendship, I invite you for a cup of Chai at a Chaayos near you! And as we enjoy our chai, i will share our commitment to get every chai right, including our no questions asked chai replacement policy!
— Nitin Saluja (@Salujanitin) December 14, 2024
Simon Wong expressed gratitude towards Nitin Saluja’s post and said that he tried to visit the shop after he found it as a recommendation when he “googled for best chai” near him. He replied,
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“Dear Mr @Salujanitin, It is very gracious of you. I was in sector 59 looking at factory land. I googled the best chai near me and found the shop. No shade intended. Thank you so much. HC Wong”
Dear Mr @Salujanitin, It is very gracious of you. I was in sector 59 looking at factory land. I googled best chai near me and found the shop. No shade intended.🙏🙏so much. HC Wong
— Singapore in India (@SGinIndia) December 14, 2024
Social media users reacted to HC Wong’s candid review, prompting a series of suggestions, invitations, and reviews. Many users pitied him for his disappointing experience. People suggested him to explore India’s roadside tea stalls for a more tasty and affordable chai experience.
One user suggested,
“Sir, you should try a normal tea stall. Overpriced cafés can’t capture the essence of real Indian chai.” Another wrote, “For ₹169, you could have treated 16 others to chai from a roadside vendor – without taxes and with far more flavour!”
Another user wrote,
“Sir, you should get a taste of real India. Chai tastes best from the roadside stalls. You & 16 others could have enjoyed a cuppa each, without taxes, in that amount”
Try this pic.twitter.com/Nbkk6GPlDy
— Professor (@Masterji_UPWale) December 14, 2024
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101 on Chai: never have it from an expensive outlet. Have it from the roadside thela. If possible, have it in kullad. These are different varieties: with ginger, Tulsi, or masala tea. You can ask the street vendor if he/she offers anything like that.
— Gursimran Kaur Bakshi (@1Simranbakshi) December 14, 2024
Everything is possible in India 🇮🇳
Tasty Chai for just ₹10 (including tax) at Chai Sutta Bar.
Welcome 🙏🏻— Anubhav Dubey (@tbhAnubhav) December 14, 2024
A very well, over hyped café outlet with day by day degrading quality.
— Robin Gupta 💯 (@CofounderRobin) December 16, 2024
Apologies for having Chaayos as Indian brand, it is ruining our chai legacy. Hope you didn’t try their Samosa or Poha. They would certainly make you feel irritated. Try road side ₹10 tea while being in Gurgaon or an Amruttulya while in & around Mumbai or Teatime in south India.
— Third Man 🔆 (@RainnMount) December 15, 2024
Sir you must try tea from a normal road side shop otherwise yewale gud wali chai is also very nice
— Anuj (@Anuj_utkala) December 14, 2024
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Come to my home sir. Will definitely serve you the best Handi and Kulhadi chai. pic.twitter.com/c4mHu7xwoZ
— Amim Ahmed (@Amim_Ahmed) December 14, 2024
Overwhelmed by the sweet gestures, Mr. Wong reacted to the invites with a thank you note
Reacting to the hospitality, Mr Wong said,
“The true beauty of India lies in her people. I am overwhelmed by the torrent of invitations to have a cup of the best homemade chai. I humbly thank you all.”
The true beauty of India lies in her people. I am overwhelmed by the torrent of invitations to have a cup of the best homemade #chai. I humbly thank you all. 🙏🙏HC Wong
— Singapore in India (@SGinIndia) December 14, 2024
It’s sad that he had a bad chai experience in India. What are your thoughts about Mr. Wong’s review of the cafe? Let us know in the comments.
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