A very jolly tea-infused meal
Luxury tea brand TWG introduces a brand new festive set menu to celebrate the wonders of tea and Christmas.
FOUNDED just nine years ago, luxury Singaporean tea brand TWG Tea has grown in leaps and bounds. The company now boasts over 800 teas (one of the largest collections in the world) as well as retail outlets and tea salons all over the world, from Bangkok to Shanghai, and Malaysia.
The brand prides itself on its vast collections of tea and tea paraphernalia, so it’s hardly surprising that the menu at its tea salons derive inspiration from tea.
This festive season, the tea mania is taken a step further as the TWG salons in Malaysia are rolling out a three-course festive set menu, priced at RM98 for an appetiser, main course, dessert and a choice of hot or iced TWG tea. There is also the option of selecting just a main course and tea, which is priced at RM68.
The festive menu will be available at TWG Tea in Pavilion and The Gardens Mall in Kuala Lumpur and TWG Tea Gurney Paragon in Penang from Dec 1 to 31.
TWG’s festive menu was introduced last year in Malaysia and proved to be quite a hit, which is why it has made a triumphant return this year. All the main courses have been changed this time around, although the appetisers, like the cured salmon timbale and winter squash soup are making their sophomore appearance.
“We had good feedback for last year’s one. Usually our customer base is looking for high tea, but when we introduced the Christmas menu, people really liked that they got to have three courses and sit down to a full meal,” says TWG Malaysia brand manager Wouter Schepers.
Everything on the menu is infused with tea, albeit in a subtle sense, so you’ll feel it (or rather, taste it) lurking in the background of your palate.
“The tea infusion always looks very strong on the menu, but we usually keep it quite light – it’s in the dressing or the sauce or the dashi broth, for example. So it’s a light infusion to accompany but not really to overpower. It creates a nice story as well, with a Christmas theme,” says Schepers.
To begin your three-course meal, try the cured salmon timbale, which is made up of smoky Russiann tea-cured salmon with avocado, pomegranate and sweet mango, dressed with aromatic salsa and topped with amaranth cress and focaccia toast.
This is a light, flavourful offering that sets the tone for the meal ahead – the salmon has a touch of smokiness from the tea and the mango and pomegranates really do a wondrous job of jazzing up the entire offering. The tea lingers in the background, letting the salmon play the starring role in this concoction, so you can really taste the flavours of the fish while appreciating the added depths that the tea brings to the table.
For main course, ther’s chicken supreme (pan-seared chicken breast stuffed with prawn mousse), black cod with dashi or herb-