earths wyndham: Friday Food Trip: TWG Tea Manila ? Sandiestar

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Friday Food Trip: TWG Tea Manila ? Sandiestar

I finally got to try TWG Tea (dubbed the finest luxury tea brand in the world), established in Singapore back in 2007. TWG is short for The Wellness Group, known for having the largest tea collection in the world! Their Manila store has about 450 tea selections at any one time!

Here?s a small portion of the dining area. Really comfortable, old-fashioned seats, and crisp, white table tops to match the china.

I took a little field trip around the restaurant while waiting for the food. Check out their wide range of products! They have everything from tea to sweets to tea pots.

More about the mouth-watering macarons later. Of course I wouldn?t have left the place without trying a few!

For now, here?s a look at my lovely tea cup.

TWG?s isn?t very hollow so you can take your tea a little at a time. The 1837 incorporated into their branding is representative of the time when tea trade was formalized in Singapore.

How cute is their teapot? We got a pot of Caramel Tea (PhP195) to share. I liked the slightly sweet aftertaste of the tea. If you aren?t really into the stark bitter taste of tea, I would recommend this particular flavor. (Oh, hi!)

Sugar crystals are available for when you want to add more sweetness to your drink!

We started off dinner with a helping of TWG?s?Aviator Salad (PhP455) ? pan-seared chicken supreme,?Romaine lettuce, garlic croutons, fresh Parmesan shavings topped with a poached egg and a touch of seaweed tossed in a light spiced sauce infused with Comptoir des Indes Tea.??

This was a very good salad, if not a little overpriced. I liked how the ingredients came together with the help of the tangy sauce. Serving size is good for 2-3 persons if you have other dishes to share.

Here?s their?Sautee of Beef (PhP585) ? braised beef ragout served with Burgubdy red wine sauce infused with Singapore Breakfast Tea, shallots and bouquet garnish accompanied with steamed?potatoes and baby carrots.

This was essentially mechado, for those who are familiar with the Pinoy dish. It probably had a more upscale taste to it, but it was, at the end of the day, plain old mechado. Haha!

The beef was great to pair with dinner rolls, which were served to us as if straight out of the oven. You can ask for more, if you like. (I did. HAHA)

And my favorite part of dinner: dessert! TWG?s tea-infused macarons are my new favorites now! I like that they aren?t crumbly and overpowering at all. So delightful with a warm cup of tea!

We got the following flavors (priced at PhP50 a piece):?Camelot Tea and Praline,?Napoleon Tea and Caramel,?Earl Grey Fortune and Chocolate, and?Lemon Bush Tea.?

Other flavors include: 1837 Black Tea and Blackcurrant,?Moroccan Mint Tea,?Bain de Roses Tea, and?Grand Wedding Tea, Passion Fruit and Coconut. Cannot wait to try those!

And here?s me with my?Napoleon Tea and Caramel?macaron, my favorite of the bunch. Our server referred to it as a salted caramel treat, and that?s exactly what it was!

I would give this dinner three of five superstars. I?m convinced you can get the same quality food cheaper someplace else. It?s just the macarons I would keep coming back for in this particular line-up.

I would, however, like to try out any of their Tea Time Set Menus, described as follows:

1837 (Php325) -?TWG Tea from their extensive tea list, served hot or iced. Choice of 2 freshly baked scones or muffins served with TWG Tea jelly and whipped cream or?1 patisserie from their trolley.

Chic (PhP500)?-?TWG Tea from their extensive tea list, served hot or iced. A petite selection of three finger sandwiches ? Vegetarian Set, Royal, Set, Imperial Set.?Choice of 2 freshly baked scones or muffins served with TWG Tea jelly and whipped cream or 1 patisserie from their trolley.

Fortune (PhP650) -?TWG Tea from their extensive tea list, served hot or iced. A choice of warm toasted sandwich ? TWG Tea Croque Monsieur, TWG Tea Croque Provence, TWG?Tea Croque Imperial. Choice of 2 freshly baked scones or muffins served with TWG Tea jelly and whipped cream or 1 patisserie from their rolley. A choice of 3 macarons.

Perhaps?my TWG Tea Manila experience would?ve been more enjoyable had I come in for the tea and pastries alone. But there?s always a next time, right? So?I?m gonna go all McArthur on you, TWG Tea Manila! I will be back!

Check out related blog posts:

TWG Tea Manila?|?G/F Greenbelt 5, Legazpi St, Legazpi Village, Makati City