Experiments,Emotions,Experiences with food: The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf

There are several coffee brands and cafes but what makes CBTL a cut above the rest.? Read on..

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (CBTL) is the biggest private specialty coffee and tea retailer in USA. In their own words they select "only the one percent of finest Arabica coffee beans and finest hand plucked whole leaf teas". They are based in Los Angeles and opened their first cafe in Brentwood, California in 1963. Since then they has spread across 900 international locations and started operations in India in 2008. They started their first outlet in Bangalore last year and recently opened another lounge in Phoenix Market City.

2013 being their 50th Year, they have commenced year long celebrations with their new menu with a variety of gourmet bites and healthy options. They have also unveiled a new logo for this occasion that literally shows their passion for tea and coffee.Definitely CBTL leaves a high mark in the way it treats its customers.

I had been to Phoenix cafe for a review and was floored by its warmth and coziness. You can choose a corner, order your elixir and feel comfy. Whether you go alone or with a group you will love it. While you are there, you can go through the 'Tea Guide' & 'Coffee Guide' and understand what you've ordered or about to. Each guide gives you insight about the art of brewing coffee and tea and even the background of tealeaf and coffee bean used in the cafe.

The menu tells us about classic coffee and teas and there is an impressive line of Indian tea as well. Otherwise they import their coffee bean and tealeaf from US. So be assured that you are getting the same taste as your counterpart in Israel or US or any other CBTL cafes across the world.

Me being a tea person, I went for Tropical Passion Tea Latte and also tried the Genmaicha Green Tea. The former was combination of Ceylon tea,passion fruit & guava flavor along with marigold flowers. It was perfect for a rainy day. Genmaicha Green Tea on the other hand had delicate Sencha tea with toasted rice and puffed rice. Now this is a tea which everybody wont appreciate. The aroma of toasted rice and puffed rice might be a little too strong but don't worry, they have a wonderful list and you can definitely find your favourite one among them.

Along with this you can really have a look into the bites options which is very tempting. I tried few items such as the soft chewy granola bars along with grab n go paneer tikka sandwich and penne arrabiata. The sandwich (or all Grab N Go Sandwiches) comes with store made potato wafers and a salad and is definitely a winner. The pasta sauces are all homemade and are definitely a cut above the rest.

The operations Manager at CBTL, Mr Zameer claimed that they even have a vegetarian caesar salad to cater to Indian tastebuds. And yes, it was definitely a refreshing salad.

Did You know:

CBTL is the first one to launch ice blended drinks. An ice blended drink is made fresh for every order and has their speciality coffee/tea extract blended with custom made ice cubes and speciality flavouring resulting in smoother,richer and creamier drink but still with the full bodied flavour of tea/coffee. In other words its not just coffee shaken/stirred/poured over ice.

And now do you really want to know what is my elixir at CBTL?

It was refreshing Fruit infusion ice blended Tea with Swedish Berries.

Herbal & Fruit Tea Infusions are naturally caffeine free and are made with large pieces of dried fruit with fruit flavours added. These are best alternative to regular tea or coffee. Talking about my elixir, Swedish berries tea mix is a blend of hibiscus,raisins and mixed berries with natural fruity flavour and a sweet,fragrant aroma.

I can't describe to you the refreshing taste of this. I went for another one and am still yearning for more. Also recommended is Caramel ice blended which is now on my waiting list.

All this makes CBTL a cut above the rest. The location and the excellent ambiance are just part of it. Also to be mentioned is the 'coffee to go' containers a speciality of CBTL. All beverages and snacks in CBTL are halal and kosher certified. Only filtered water is used to brew tea and coffee.The ice cubes used in "ice blended" drinks are custom made for CBTL.The menu has desi options also to cater to various taste. The wi-fi /internet is free in CBTL lounges as well.

No wonder they won the "Best Cafe Award - Gold" at in India International Coffee Festival , 2012.

So what are you waiting for.? Do visit CBTL and enjoy a loooooooong Coffee/Tea Break

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