I don’t usually like going out on my days off because I just want to be a hermit, but last Saturday (one of the rare occasions where I actually had a weekend off!) I decided to get out of my shell and hang out with C.

After walking around for a bit, we stopped by for tea at a small cafe/kiosk called Cha Tra Mue, which specialises in Thai tea. Apparently it is a popular brand in Thailand ‘Since 1945’ as it’s signage says.

Small, open-concept space with wooden chairs and tables as well as some cosy couches. They have limited items on their menu and only serve drinks, so if you want a nibble I suggest you go to Just Pie next door.

I like how they’ve fitted cabinets in their counter to maximise on the small shop space. Rows and rows of tea boxes are kept in cabinets, which were also for sale.

I think the machine broke down or something because they took a good 15 minutes to prepare two cups of tea. I ordered their signature Thai Milk Tea (Cha-Yen), which comes in hot and iced versions. The ‘hot’ portion was crazy small imo.

I have never tried Thai Milk Tea before, so when I lifted the lid I was surprised to see that it was a distinctive tone of orange and not a light, milky brown (it’s not very visible in the above pic but I can assure you it looks like they put colouring in it) Cha-Yen is made from strongly brewed black tea added with orange blossom water, star anise, crushed tamarind seeds and orange food colouring (hence the colour). It tastes similar to our local teh tarik but sweeter as they add sugar and condensed milk.  You can also taste a slight hint of the spices. I wouldn’t recommend it for diabetics, because the stuff is really sweet. I kind of like it though.

Carmen had a hot Lemon Tea, which was okay. They also serve drinks like Assam Black Tea, Thai black coffee, Oolong tea and milk green tea.

Not hard to miss kiosk cafe, since it sits in the middle of the shopping mall just opposite the ice-skating rink.

Teas that you can buy and make at home.

Cha Tra Mue Number One Brand Original Thai Tea Since 1945

F-K-8B, First Floor, IOI City Mall, Lebuh IRO, IOI Resort City, 62502 Putrajaya, Sepang, Selangor.

Business Hours: 10AM-10PM