At Capitol Hill Station, Cha Chak changes the balance on Thai tea

Behind the Cha Chak counter above Capitol Hill Station, making tea looks a lot like pulling espresso. Servers pour hot tea back and forth between two metal pitchers held wide apart, repeating the motion until the liquid turns frothy and smooth. It is cha chak, the hand-pulled tea style common in southern Thailand and Malaysia. Owner Montida Lertkiatsakul compares the process to steaming milk for a latte. It is not about the dairy, she explains, but about working air into the liquid to create texture. That aeration carries a brew designed to taste fundamentally different from syrupy takeout versions. Usually the Thai iced tea tends to have a lot of milk taste, Lertkiatsakul said. Her recipe changes that balance. Cha Chak blends several strong black teas to keep the flavor bold and significantly less sweet, finishing with a slight bitterness. The green tea skips matcha powder for a green tea base scented with jasmine. Coconut milk is available as a dairy alternative, along with caffein