Champagne focus for high tea
Blame F Scott Fitzgerald. It was the American novelist who claimed ‘‘too much of anything is bad, but too much Champagne is just right’’. It’s a sentiment the four-strong patisserie team at the InterContinental Wellington have taken to heart for this year’s Wellington on a Plate.
Its Champagne High Tea features French bubbles in a number of the delectable goodies, including Champagne panna cotta, jelly, macarons and cupcakes, a light-as-air caramel eclair bursting with a Champagne filling, and even Champagne ham sliders.
Daniel Hedges, InterContinental Wellington’s marketing and communications executive, says the Champagne concept was a no-brainer, given Wellington on a Plate’s 10th anniversary theme – a party.
‘‘When we think party, we think Champagne,’’ says Hedges. ‘‘So our team had a great time coming up with ideas for the high tea.
‘‘They particularly enjoyed creating the Champagne jelly and the macaron/cupcake cream filling which is super light and fluffy on the palate, thanks to the Champagne.’’
There are other creative splashes on the threetiered high tea cake stand, including a chocolate and raspberry popping candy lollipop and salted caramel popcorn.
But purists will also be in high tea heaven with scones slathered in clotted cream and strawberry jam, opera cake and cheesecake, along with a range of savoury goodies, such as smoked salmon and cream cheese bagels, and classic cucumber sandwiches.
Along with a glass of Veuve Clicquot, coffee and hot chocolate are also available at the $69-a-person event. There are two sittings a day – from 11.30am1.30pm and 2.30pm-4.30pm until August 26.
The InterContinental’s Chameleon Restaurant is also getting in on the Wellington on a Plate act with An Award-winning Pairing – from August 15-18, for $165 a person. Chameleon’s chef de cuisine Paul Limacher will be joined by chef Kenny Trinh of Adelaide’s InterContinental Hotel’s famed Shiki Japanese restaurant to bring guests a five-course degustation menu that combines the best of Japanese and Kiwi cuisines, paired with local wines.
Hedges says it’s the first time the hotel has brought over a chef from its sister hotel and they’re excited about what will emerge from the kitchen.
He couldn’t reveal if beef would make an appearance but there’s a fair chance it might, given Chameleon recently won New Zealand’s Best Beef Dish at the Silver Fern Farm Awards for the second year in a row, along with the Emerging Chef of the Year Award for Patrick Pope-Moody.
Get your Bollywood on
Celebrate Wellington on a Plate’s 10th birthday Indian style with a Temple Celebration, hosted by Nalini Baruch of Wairarapa’s Lot 8 boutique olive oil company.
Pop on your sari or salwa kameez and arrive at the ‘‘temple door’’ (aka Oriental Bay’s Copthorne Hotel) for canapes and drinks while a tabla player provides background music.
A Thali dinner will follow, to the soundtrack of a DJ specialising in Bollywood music.
Baruch promises something out of the ordinary – five dishes not commonly found on restaurant menus from the five main regions of India, all matched with Martinborough wines.
Live music and dancing will follow before dessert, which will include gelato made especially for the event by Gelissimo using Indian spices.
All guests will be given a ‘‘prasad’’ – a small temple offering – to take home.
A Temple Celebration takes place on Friday from 7pm until 11.30pm, and tickets are $120.