TWG is steeped in success

THAIS WERE of course drinking variants of tea long before the name Thailand ever occurred to anyone, but the concept of loafing among strangers over a cup of Earl Grey or Darjeeling, with scones and cake in hand – “in the English manner” – has only caught on recently with the arrival in Bangkok of swank tearooms. Now it’s trendy, and it’s booming.

You need the financial wherewithal and the leisure hours to indulge, but the time and money spent does pay dividends. Tea, like wine, can vary greatly in taste and flavour, even between two types of tea from the same plantation, and the pleasure can be intoxicating in a way that wine can’t match.

It comes as little surprise that Singapore-based TWG has now opened a third tea salon in the Thai capital – at the EmQuartier mall. Obviously its branches at the Emporium and Siam Paragon are already steeped in success. 

TWG retains the initials of its original name, The Wellness Group, a firm established in 1837 in Singapore when the island was still a British colony and already a major trading hub. The company letterhead might have contracted, yet its trade in leisurely luxury has only expanded, as seen in these exquisite salons.

They deal in tea primarily – lots of it, more than 400 blends – but they also offer full meals, keeping the tearooms open and available for all-day dining. Tea understandably, sometimes unexpectedly, finds its way into many of the food items, with tea-infused salads, main dishes, pastries and even the cocktails. 

The new salon at the EmQuartier covers 300 square metres, all European elegance – dark marble floor, wood panelling, and shelves laden with the TWG range of teas in yellow tins. 

The main dining area seats 50 people, the terrace another 15, and the balcony fits a cosy company of six. 

Here as elsewhere, TWG co-founder and tea master Taha Bouqdib conceives the menu, beginning with the TWG Tea Salad (Bt590). 

Among this appetiser’s greenery there are foie gras terrine, smoked salmon (infused with Earl Grey Gentlemen tea), herb-roasted Roma tomatoes and chopped French beans mixed with sun-dried tomatoes, rendered tart in vinaigrette that’s made with the 1837 Green Tea. This salad with a couple of slices of toast is quite filling in itself, and the 1837 Green Tea has a lovely aftertaste of black currant and caramel.

For his Eggs Benedict (Bt330), Bouqdib puts a pair of poached eggs on toasted English muffins with a choice of smoked salmon or turkey ham, all drizzled in heavenly hollandaise sauce emboldened by Earl Grey Gentlemen tea, a robust Ceylon with a citrusy aroma. Some of the leaves are also sprinkled over the eggs.

Moving into the main courses, the Wagyu Burger (Bt400) is grilled beef on a bun with lettuce, tomato and Emmental cheese topped with horseradish mayonnaise. It comes with matchstick potatoes tossed with green tea Gyokuro Samurai tea powder and more of that 1837 Green Tea vinaigrette. 

The Hokkaido Scallops (Bt640) are pan-seared, partnered with herbed, sauteed spinach and topped with crispy chunks of potato and a cream sauce infused with White Knight tea, which carries the fragrance of orchids. 

A wonderfully refreshing dessert, Passion Panna Cotta (Bt230), combines two blends of tea – red Vanilla Bourbon from South Africa and sweet TWG Vanilla – that seem to encourage the pungency of the passion-fruit sauce. 

Chocolate Lava (Bt260) is a warm chocolate fondant with light vanilla cream laced with Vanilla Bourbon tea and served with strawberry compote and a scoop of Vanilla Tea ice cream. 

Ordering coffee is not sacrilege by any means. In fact even the Tea Shake No 12 (Bt190) is bolstered by cracked coffee beans. It’s a frothy drink of milk and ice cream infused with Number 12 Tea.

 

 

THE WAY TO WELLNESS

>>The newest TWG Tea Salon & Boutique is on M floor in the Helix building at the EmQuartier on Sukhumvit Road. 

>>It’s open daily from 10 to 10. 

>>Book a table at (02) 003 6070.