Chai Qahwah Lounge (Authentic cafe) 1310 Middle Country Road, Selden, NY 11784

"This cafe is great for both refreshing food and atmosphere. It's a nice mood booster on a tiring day. The dine-in ordering system is pretty cool. Everything I tried had delicious and unique flavors! The caramel chocolate chai was quite comforting. The sweets offer a surprise with every bite. The owner is very kind and sincere in his service. May Allah bless his wonderful work. I hope to try more items soon :')"

"Everything about this place was exceptional. Food 5/5 Service 5/5 Atmosphere 5/5 We started with shami bun kabab, and we ended with shami bun kabab (2 to go!) In between, we had Chinese chicken chowmein, paratha with omelet, almond milk (forgot menu name), mango flavored bubble tea, ice cream in bowl, and some other items. We played the ludo while we waited for the food. The fact that we had to take our shoes off was really awesome, especially when the next step was on clean and beautiful carpets. Overall, it was an awesome experience. I'm definitely going back very soon."

"I'll start with the positives. This place has lovely décor, featuring traditional Middle Eastern and Turkish elements, including floor seating. It was also very clean. However, the service and food left much to be desired. First, the server handed us crumpled napkins with crumbs in them, which was quite off-putting. I included a photo. We ordered a masala chai, Kashmiri chai, cardamom milk, a croissant with omelette, a paratha with omelette, and kunefe. The croissant sandwich was average; the eggs needed more salt, and they didn't have a salt shaker (strange for a restaurant), so they brought us salt in a tiny sauce container. The paratha was burnt in some places, making it unpalatable, even though it had potential. The cardamom milk was just okay, a bit too sweet for my taste. My mom found the masala chai to taste very artificial and inauthentic. She said she couldn't finish it. The most disappointing items were the Kashmiri chai and kunefe. As a Kashmiri, I make noon chai regularly, and it takes over an hour with specific green tea leaves and aerating procedure to achieve its distinct flavor and maroon color. The Kashmiri chai here tasted like pink-dyed, overly sweetened milk with artificial flavorings. It lacked the authentic salty and green tea taste and instead had a perfume-like flavor, which I found quite disrespectful to our culture. I couldn't even drink more than a few sips of it. As for the kunefe, the menu describes it as a traditional Arab dessert made with kataifi pastry, sugar syrup, cheese, clotted cream, and pistachio. What we received had no cream or cheese filling; it resembled vermicelli noodles drenched in sugar syrup. I couldn't take more than two bites without feeling nauseous. The owner explained this was the Turkish version, which supposedly doesn't include cheese. However, this wasn't mentioned on the menu, and every Turkish restaurant I've been to, including those in Istanbul, serves kunefe with cheese. Additionally, the menu is confusing with its random assortment of dishes. If the restaurant aims to be a Middle Eastern/Turkish café, why are there Chinese chow mein noodles on the menu?"

"The place has really good vibe, it’s really clean. They also have board games so it’s perfect for a group. We had chai and samosas and they were really nice. We’ll be back soon. The owner is really nice too and you can tell that it’s his passion project."

"I am truly so happy to see a place like this open in Suffolk County! Really hoping this plays stays! The drinks were absolutely amazing and the options were great. We got the very special cardamom iced milk with pistachios, organic matcha latte, and Moroccan mint tea. We also got the cold baklava as dessert. The staff were super nice and hospitable. He even gave us extra baklava’s, and made sure our drinks were perfect to our liking. The aesthetics of this place deserves its own paragraph. I absolutely love the middle eastern style, and decor. It’s an amazing place where you can bring your friends to have a nice chat and drink tea, coffee, and more. They also were serving shawarma when I went, even though I did not get a chance to have it they may add small appetizer like food to the menu. They have games onsite for you to play while you’re lounging with friends. It’s extremely clean and I like that they ask you to take off your shoes before you enter the seating area for further cleanliness. The lamps and the lights were beautiful as well. Truly enjoyed it, and I hope this place becomes even more popular after Ramadan once everyone is able to come hang out with friends all throughout the day. I’m not sure if they will keep the hours this late but as of March 2024 they are open until midnight."