Sencha Lunchstore in Alkmaar

TLDR: avoid this place if you know food.

Powdered and artificially sweetened (not mentioned on the menu) dirty chai for 4,95 is just scamming your customers. Especially for vega(n) places where chai tea is always a staple. Well not at Sencha.
For such a high price I expect at the very least some properly brewed tea, not some add water to powder instant crap. I can buy that in the supermarket.

The cappuccino (free of charge) I got instead was just bad, especially seeing they have a proper machine. Maybe the barista had an off day or something, it tasted like he used the coffee puck from the previous order. Now after revising my review I'm wondering if the barista purposely made me a bad coffee as he seemed offended I didn't like his chai scam.

The caramel shortbread was nice but I think the shortbread was just crumbled cookies and it was cold and therefore rockhard so definitely not freshly made that day. It was taken out of the (regular and therefore too cold) fridge not long before as it had condensed water on it.

The cashier/barista asked my wife if she did enjoy the powdered chai with an undertone that was....you know...unfriendly. Very unprofessional behaviour.

This place came recommended but as a former hospitality pro I had a bad experience. Seeing the (lack of) quality in food myself and in other reviews about old pie and not enough ginger/mint in tea it seems this place doesn't have actual professional cooks/baristas just people playing restaurant and trying to earn cash. Fine for the average Joe, but if you know food, better to avoid this place...