Where to enjoy perfect tea pairings
Tea is a great drink to pair with desserts, but also savory bites. Here's how to get it right in Bangkok and beyond—without a scone or cucumber sandwich in sight.
Brought to you by Dilmah.8 years ago
1. The Memory Pairing
A lot of our flavor expectations come from memory. So if you're drinking Dilmah English Breakfast tea, you're probably thinking croissants or toast with marmalade. Go for it! Or shake things up just a tad, such as pairing that breakfast tea with honey toast, a similar taste profile but more suited for dessert.
Try it at:
Chiang Mai’s De May Coffee House, which serves its signature De May Honey Toast with Dilmah Exceptional Earl Grey.
1/F Rawee Waree Residence, Nimmanhaemin Soi 15, Chiang Mai, 053-212-400. Open daily 8-8pm. www.facebook.com/demaycoffeehouse
Bangkok’s Park Cuisine, which serves Dilmah Exceptional English Breakfast with its delicious croissants.
1/F, GPF Wittayu Tower, Wireless Rd., 02-689-6283. Open Mon-Fri 7am-7pm; Sat-Sun 8am-5pm
2. The Twin Pairing
You can also match food with teas that taste alike, such as berry flavored tea with a strawberry dessert. It adds a very subtle layer of depth to the flavors, but more importantly, it intensifies the food’s existing characteristics. It’s best to do this with flavors and aromas that aren’t too overpowering, though, so avoid doubling up on smokiness or acidity.
Try it at:
Bangkok’s Chickalicious, which serves Dilmah Exceptional Berry Sensation tea with a French vanilla tea panna cotta topped with fresh raspberries.
5/F, Central Embassy, 1031 Phloen Chit Rd., 02-160-5630. Open daily 10am-9pm. BTS Phloen Chit
Bangkok’s Charlie Brown, which serves Dilmah Exceptional Berry Sensation tea with its strawberry tart.
2/F, Mega Bangna, Bangna-Trad Rd. 02-105-2076. Open daily 10am-10pm
3. The Contrast Pairing
Tea has a tannic quality, so it can cut through rich, creamy food like a big puff pastry or a plate of ribs. That’s why the Chinese have been drinkng tea with food for centuries, whether it’s the highly fermented pu’erh tea to balance out a chunk of fatty pork belly or a lighter yellow tea to accompany duck.
Try it at:
Bangkok’s Charlie Brown, which serves the tannic Dilmah Perfect Ceylon tea with spinach and bacon quiche. Yum!
2/F, Mega Bangna, Bangna-Trad Rd. 02-105-2076. Open daily 10am-10pm
Chiang Mai’s Wanlamun, which serves the peppery and floral Dilmah Exceptional Rose with French Vanilla tea, with a set of sweet Thai desserts.
2/F, Central Festival, 99, Chiang Mai, 053-288-662. Open daily 11:30am-9:30pm
4. The Complementary Pairing
The most superior pairing, one could argue, is when two flavors combine with each other into a perfect symphony of multi-layered tastes. For example, a vanilla tea with a chocolate mousse. Almonds, for example, are known to pair incredibly well with peaches and apricots, or mint with chocolate. But there are many more.
Try it at:
Bangkok’s Park Cuisine, which serves Dilmah Exceptional Peppermint and English Toffee tea with Feuille d’Automne, a chocolate and meringue pastry.
1/F, GPF Wittayu Tower, Wireless Rd., 02-689-6283. Open Mon-Fri 7am-7pm; Sat-Sun 8am-5pm
Chiang Mai’s Fern Forest Cafe, which serves Dilmah Perfect Ceylon tea with young coconut cake pudding.
54/1 Singharaj Rd, Chiang Mai, 053-416-204. Open daily 8:30am-8:30pm. www.facebook.com/FernForestCafe
Return to Real Tea
Phuket’s Les Diables modernizes Britain’s teatime traditions with perfect pairings and a serious dose of creativity.
Thailand's winner for The Dilmah Real High Tea Challenge for Cafe/Restaurant, which is also invited to Home of Dilmah in Sri Lanka is Les Diables, Phuket, a devilishly delicious patisserie and restaurant in Phuket. Les Diables has created two highly original and very different menus to take tea pairing into the 21st century. The Thai High Tea comes with tantalizing bites that clearly reference local cuisine in thoroughly modernized formats: Passion Sorbet with Coconut Ice, Spicy Pork Curry Puffs, Larb Gai Rolls with Raita Dip, Green Tea Brulee Shots and many more dishes designed to pair perfectly with Dilmah Berry Sensation or Dilmah Rose. The English High Tea set is equally bold: Lemon Dill Pannacotta Shots with Tuna, Mini Salmon Cheese Cakes and a flurry of tea-flavored creations from Meringues with Tea-Infused Cream to Red Velvet Cupcakes with Rose and French Vanilla Tea Cream. These dishes are impeccably matched with a choice of Dilmah Earl Grey or Dilmah Peppermint & English Toffee. The Dilmah Real High Tea Challenge aims to celebrate such innovation and encourage restaurateurs who want to go beyond scones and clotted cream. and give the 'tea' in high tea its rightful place. To further Les Diables' exploration of Real High Tea, they are being presented with an all expense paid trip to Sri Lanka to meet the other Global Real High Tea Challenge winner and gain a deeper knowledge of tea.
Counting down to Dilmah Real High Tea Global Challenge!
Last year’s Dilmah Real High Tea challenge winner, the Shangri-La, set the bar very high. Tea inspired dishes such as the First Ceylon Souchong Smoked Salmon with Koraj Cream Cheese Mille Feuille created by the hotel team, were a real delight. After defeating 14 other hotels throughout Thailand in 2014, this year our two national winners are heading to Colombo, Sri Lanka as Thailand's representatives in the Dilmah Real High Tea Global Challenge 2015, the toughest challenge in the tea industry. Let's celebrate and support our two national winners during this competition!
By: Dilmah Tea Thailand, distributed by Global Premium Wine Company
80 Moo 12, Bangkaew, Bangplee, Samuthprakarn 10540 Tel. 662 348 2449, 6681 619 8290 Fax. 662 348 2450
Email: marketing@gpwc2004.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teagastronomy
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