Teas of the world at TWG Tea Salon & Boutique

Last night I was in tea haven, or you could also call it TWG Tea Salon & Boutique. While my dinner was a quick soup and salad, the highlight of my visit was the crash course on this century old tea legacy and taking in the fragrance of teas, the names of which I would have never known, had I not visited TWG Tea Salon & Boutique.

With over 400 varieties of tea blends, even those which cost as much as AED 1000 for 3 cups, TWG has been around since 1837 popularizing premium tea drinks around the world. Their tea leaves are sourced from 3 main countries – China, India and Sri Lanka. This is followed by other South East Asian countries like Thailand and Indonesia. All these jars you see in the picture hold a unique blend with a unique name, and a surprisingly unique story behind each name. Right from the first blends called 1837 Black Tea and 1837 Green Tea to the more contemporary ones like Silver Moon, Eternal Summer, Dubai Weekends, Oud Nights and much more, it will take you about a year and a half to try to each blend if you were to religiously visit TWG every single day.

What is really interesting about these blends is the addition of fruits, flowers, even coffee beans, and wait for it, 24 Karat gold, that adds a very distinct fragrance and flavor to each tea variety. They even have a well bound “Tea Book” that gives you detailed info on all their variety and what each blends is composed of.
Now while I get my late morning cup of tea ready, you tell me whether you are a tea drinker and which blend of tea do you enjoy the most?

The most interesting thing about the food at TWG Tea Salon & Boutique is that most of its items are infused with some blend of tea.
Like the complimentary breads infused with matcha, or the honey balsamic salad dressing infused with 1837 Green Tea.
The picture comprises of everything we had, except desserts.
– Silver Moon & Eternal Summer iced teas
– Chicken Salad with honey balsamic dressing
– Cream of Broccoli soup with garlic, herb and olive oil roasted rustic bread
– Matcha and tomato bread with butter

Iced Teas

Refreshing is the word. We decided to try two of TWG’s signature blends, which we had an olfactory encounter with earlier, in the form of iced teas. The temperatures made sure we didn’t go for anything warm. And Helena, our server, ensured us that any blend we chose could be served warm or cold according to our preference.

Unlike other packaged iced teas, the Eternal Summer and Silver Moon blends add a unique freshness to these drinks with their floral bouquet and berry flavors.
You can have it unsweetened or adjust the sweetness with the sugar syrup served on the side.

Broccoli Soup

Offering the perfect blend of creamy and gritty textures, the broccoli soup – put in one word word – was comforting. A little swirl of cream gave it just the right amount of dairy addition every soup needs. And then there were those crusty croutons for that satisfying crunch.

And the accompanying bread, oh my my! Accented with burnt roast garlic cloves, this was definitely not your regular garlic bread. I could have one whole plate of these and not complain at all.

Chicken Salad

The Chicken Salad at TWG Tea Salon & Boutique brought in a completely new fusion of flavors to tantalize my palette.
The first ingredient that caught my attention, and rightly so, were the figs. Fresh and absolutely succulent chunks of this fruit added a colorful appeal to the salad. Plus, they also upped the healthy quotient by a notch.

Next were the crumbled feta pieces, perfectly filling in the position for the creamy section.
Then there were crunchy walnuts and juicy grapes balancing out the sweet and nutty departments of the salad.
And how can you miss the bright green spinach and rocket base. Look how effortlessly they bring out the beauty of the other ingredients while still maintaining their humble demeanor.

Since I was sharing the salad with my wonderful date for the evening who happens to be a vegetarian, we asked for the marinated chicken pieces to be served on the side. Normally you would find them as a part of the salad presentation.
To top it all off in true TWG style, the honey and balsamic vinegar dressing was infused with fragrant 1837 Green Tea blend from their key collection.

Chocolate Fondant

I can never say no to chocolate fondant. And you shouldn’t either. Especially when you are at TWG Tea Salon & Boutique.
I’m very particular when it comes to a fondant. It needs to have just the right amount of smoothness on the outside and just the perfectly dense texture within. One stroke of a knife or spoon and warm chocolate should gradually flow. Not too fast, but slowly, smoothly, like a satin ribbon.
And if this fondant has made it to my list of must haves means it definitely is worth all that deliciousness.

This classic at TWG is served with a scoop of silken vanilla ice cream placed over strawberry pieces. And of course, like everything else, the ice cream is infused with subtle tea flavors.
I know I’m going back for this and you should too.

TWG Tea Salon & Boutique

Location: Ground Level, Dubai Festival City Mall, Festival City, Dubai
Contact: 04 2855193