[Photo: Kathy YL Chan]

There's your everyday chai, and then there's Podunk's Cardamom And Black Pepper Chai. It's chai intensified. Elspeth Treadwell, the proprietor of Podunk, takes her signature blend of chai and mixes in a healthy, bold dose of black pepper and plenty of cardamon for fragrance and flavor.

This is not a cup you'll want to take to go. Set aside an hour to linger in the tiny East Village tea shop with your own pitcher of cream and sugar and endless refills of hot water for your tea. Take note: Podunk's menu prices all chai drinks at $15 a pot, but that's meant for two people. If you're drinking solo, just ask for a single pot of chai, which is $7.50.

Podunk

231 East 5th Street, New York, NY 10003 (map)
212-677-7722

About the author: Originally from Honolulu, Kathy YL Chan writes A Passion For Food, where she chronicles her eats and travels adventures between Hawai'i, New York and beyond.