Duck with caramelized foie gras is tea-rrific

A cup of tea is more than just a way to start the day. It can also be used to spice up your meal. Yes, from breakfast to dessert!

These little flavor packets took the spotlight recently at a tea gastronomy event to mark TWG Tea Salon & Boutique’s sixth anniversary in the Philippines.

Held at its Central Square branch in Bonifacio Global City, a myriad of fine harvest teas and exclusive tea blends were artfully incorporated into each specialty dish featured in a special a la carte menu.

TWG Tea Salon & Boutique merchandising manager Nana Hidalgo and marketing manager Tessa Catacutan

Once seated, the wait staff gave us a Tea List, featuring nine variants: Green Tea, Tamaryokucha (green tea with a touch of sweetness), Alexandria Tea (green tea with mint and a subtle hint of Mediterranean spices), Blue Tea (blue and black tea blended with the zest of citrus), Black Tea, Anniversary Tea, Number 6 (with a subtle bouquet of sweet-smelling blooms), Red Tea (enhanced with a delicate fragrance of red berries) and Lemon Rush Tea (with wild citrus fruits) that complemented the featured dishes.

Since it was the premium tea brand’s anniversary, I opted for the Anniversary Tea. This refreshing drink has a hint of exotic fruits and notes of Tahitian spice. I love fruity blends so, yes, this is definitely my cup of tea!

Ink-credible: Squid-ink Seafood Pasta in paella sauce drizzled with matcha oil

The celebration began with an appetizing starter: the Tokyo-Singapore Tea-infused soft-shell crab salad with sesame miso dressing. Choosing what to order for the mains was the toughest. So my table mates — Heart-to-Heart’s Rica de Jesus, ABS-CBN’s Philip Cu-Unjieng, Chris Juan and Ron Mabanag of handpickedbyronandchris.blogspot, Out of Town Blog’s Mari Carandang— and I devised a game plan: order the dish you fancy and share. That way, we could all get to try the featured dishes.

Rica settled for the Poached Cod with caramelized Brussels sprouts, fingerling potatoes and shimeji mushrooms. The richness of the cod was balanced by the flavorful broth, which was infused with TWG Tea’s Black Nectar Tea. Indeed, in cod we trust!

Choco loco: Chocolate Kahlua with Truffle

Philip and Chris both ordered the lamb shank in Riviera Tea-infused red wine with spiced pumpkin risotto. I’m not big on lamb, but this dish is so tender and doesn’t have a gamey taste. Plus, each order is good for sharing.

Ron loved pasta so he settled for the Seafood Squid-Ink Pasta with plump mussels, shrimps and scallops. It was so good we didn’t mind getting our pearly whites stained.

Mari and I opted for the Duck and Foie Gras, pan-seared duck breast with caramelized foie gras, celeriac, apple butter, and apricot chutney infused with Alfonso Tea and served with duck jus. The duck is juicy and the strip of foie gras served as a happy pill that brought smiles to our faces.

In cod we trust: Poached cod with caramelized Brussels sprouts, shimeji mushrooms in a Black Nectar Tea-infused broth

“It’s been a while since TWG had a foie gras dish,” said Ray Sy, TWG Tea Salon & Boutique training officer. “We’re actually known for it and we’re just so excited to offer you this specialty dish.”

According to Sy, it took the culinary team a couple of months to conceptualize TWG Tea Salon & Boutique’s anniversary offerings.

“We started conceptualizing middle of the year,” he explained. “We want each dish to be special. In fact, this is the first time that TWG is offering cod. We normally serve salmon and halibut.”

Crab a bite: Soft-shell Crab Salad

The delish meal was capped with Chocolate Kahlua, a rich and smooth dark chocolate with a coffee panna cotta pudding glazed with a dark chocolate Kahlua concoction; and Apple Surprise, green apple mousse layered with Vanilla Bourbon Tea-infused custard on a vanilla sablé crust with mango coulis heart.

Since the opening of the first TWG Tea Salon & Boutique in the Philippines in 2012, TWG Tea continues to charm tea lovers and gourmands alike with the finest selection of tea, modern tea accessories and the art of tea gastronomy.

“Join us as we celebrate our sixth anniversary of exponential growth and expansion in Manila with this anniversary a la carte menu, which will be offered until Nov. 25,” said Nana Hidalgo, merchandising manager.

Check out these tea-rrific tea-infused dishes at TWG Tea Salon & Boutique.

Definitely not forbidden: Apple Surprise, green apple mousse layered with Vanilla Bourbon Tea-infused custard on a vanilla sablé crust with mango coulis heart

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TWG Tea Salon & Boutique has branches at Greenbelt 5, Shangri-La Plaza and Central Square.