Singaporean brewed TWG Tea is known as the region’s most sophisticated and discerning purveyor of tea. The new TWG Tea Salon and Boutique in Jakarta’s Plaza Senayan brings their expertise and superlative afternoon tea service to Indonesia.
The black and yellow TWG Tea logo features the year 1837 sitting atop those three big letters. While one could certainly be forgiven for thinking that was the year of the company’s founding, it actually refers to the date Singapore’s first Chamber of Commerce was founded, which made the trade post city state into a center of the then burgeoning international tea trade. TWG, which stands for The Wellness Group, was actually founded in 2008, but it has quickly gained a reputation for tea sourcing, production and presentation that makes it seem like they have been steeped in the business for centuries.
Many a Jakartan has gone to Singapore and raved about the TWG Tea Salons and Boutiques contained in such iconic Little Red Dot spots as Takashimaya, ION Orchard and Marina Bay Sands, so it was only natural that the company should open a venue in Indonesia’s capital. Located on the first floor of Plaza Senayan, the latest TWG Tea Salon and Boutique offers an incredible selection of rare and boutique teas from all over the world, as well as an ideal setting and culinary creations with which to enjoy them.
Jakarta’s first TWG Tea Salon and Boutique features an astonishing 450 different kinds of tea, including celebrated fine harvest teas and exclusive tea blends from across the globe. TWG Tea has experts travel to every tea producing country in the world, and they not only pick the finest harvest from each country’s crop, they also create their own artisanal blends, with added ingredients such as dried fruits and spices to enhance their flavors.
With so many different varieties on hand, it is very easy to get confused, with innumerable variations of white, black, green and red tea beckoning from boxes and containers with enchanting artistic designs pulling the eye in every direction. Fortunately the Boutique’s well-trained staff is on hand to answer any question you might have – they can not only tell you the derivation and flavor notes for every tea in the house, they can also direct you to a variety you will no doubt enjoy. Among the most popular and celebrated in the TWG Tea collection is the signature 1837 Black Tea and perenial favourite Silver Moon Tea, a blend of green teas accented with a grand berry and vanilla bouquet.
The elegant Plaza Senayan location, like other TWG Tea outlets, features decor that hearkens back to a 19th century vision of sophistication and refinement. Hand-crafted glass walls, bronze fittings, Italian marble floors, crystal lamps and antique mirror all help to give the impression of stepping back into a more civilized age. The venue features distinctive decor such as hardwood countertops, elegant hand-painted tea tins and brass weighing scales, while the tea room is accented with fine bone china, crisp linens and vases of brightly coloured exotic plants.
All of it comes together to create a perfect setting for not only enjoying TWG Tea’s rarefied offerings, but also the cuisine created specifically to complement it. TWG calls its culinary offerings “tea gastronomy,” having found clever ways to incorporate tea flavorings into just about every item in the menu. Of course the most famous pairing of food and tea is the traditional afternoon tea set, and on this front TWG doesn’t disappoint. The salon offers a number of sets, each one featuring a different selection of exquisite sandwiches, each with their own tea-inflected flavors, such as Chicken with Comptoir des Indes Tea infused crème fraîche or Cucumber paired with a cream cheese infused with Earl Grey Fortune. The sets also come with a selection of freshly baked scones and muffins, which are accompanied by whipped cream and tea jellies.
There is also a list of ala carte menu items that are only available during afternoon tea time, such as a variety of classic sandwiches such as their delicious take on the croque monsieur, topped with turkey ham and melted gruyere, which comes with a side of salad dressed with a vinaigrette infused with 1837 Green Tea.
Of course there are also a selection of beautiful sweets and pastries, most impressive of which might be their tea macarons, each of the crispy almond biscuit featuring a soft creamy centre infused with one of their signature teas flavours.
The food, like everything else here, has the ultimate goal of highlighting the star of the show — the tea — which is brewed with the utmost delicacy. The leaves are actually removed from the teapot before serving and a cotton tea filter is used to infuse the tea according to the suggested steeping time for each type. This is to ensure that the tea’s flavor reaches its maximum potential while remaining consistent in every cup. Every pot of tea is made using specially purified water that has been filtered multiple times. The bespoke tea cups are made wider and shallower than the usual in order to maximize the aromatic qualities of each tea.
For tea lovers, it simply doesn’t get better than finding your perfect blend, having it brewed into its ideal state, and sipping it alongside bites of food cooked expressly for that purpose. The next best thing is to take home some of their superlative tea for yourself.
(www.twgtea.com)
