I really don’t like coffee, but I enjoy the coffee shop atmosphere. Most places have chai. That is my drink of choice – hot or cold depending on the weather. So I rate the chai according to my taste parameters. My favorite until about two weeks ago has been Lost Bean in The Hive. Then on my son’s birthday weekend in Valencia, I found my favorite at a little place in Old Town Newhall called Honu Coffee. Its their own special blend with just the right amount of sweet, lots of flavor.

Since I won’t be spending much time that far out of Orange County, I can always go to Moongoat Coffee where they also make their own blend of chai – a little bit sweet –  with a little bit of tang.

Green tea macha at Blue Bottle in Lido Village is an OK substitute for not serving chai. Hola Adios, a new coffee shop on Virginia Place in Costa Mesa is working on their chai blend. In the meantime, their Decaf Vanilla Latte tastes pretty darn good to someone who does not like coffee. Plus it has a quaint and cozy atmosphere and lots of fun souvenirs. Much thought and preparation was put into this cool little coffee shop. This might now be my go to place, especially when owner Ryan comes up with his chai blend.

The Other Thing –  My budget tells me that for the next few months, meeting my friends for coffee/chai will probably be the order of the day.