TWG Tea Salon & Boutique (ION Orchard)

This is my third visit to TWG, after a brief glance that there was no queue. After being seated, the waiter handed me Set Lunch with 1 Main Course, 1 Dessert, and 1 pot of Tea. There is no choices for the set, but you can choose if you want ice tea or hot tea. The whole set was priced at S$33++, the set without dessert is slightly cheaper. I understand that the set changes weekly.
Food is great, there is this fragrant that I can\'t figure out as yet what is it. But then it makes the food appetizing. Dessert was also exceptional yummy, and as usual tea was as good as always.
Great hangout place and attentive service. The only problem is that they don\'t take reservation, and generally the queue is really long due to limited seating.    

I queued more than an hour for a table for 2 in this tiny tea boutique. It could have been longer but not every one could wait that long and people dropped out of the queue. The queue doesn't move fast and there's limited seatings.

This is not my first visit to TWG. My first was at their Republic Plaza branch. Although the TWG at ion seemed to adopt the same designs, it uses glass windows/doors to frame itself up nicely but doesn't help the block out the noisy mall music (at times) and chatter coming from the shoppers too. Be prepared for a vibrant and noisy tea boutique!

This restaurant seems slightly more cramp than the RP branch but overall, the standards of the pastries and tea seems to be the same. Once again, I could not get hold of my favourite - Singapore Surprise! Somehow or another, it is always sold out at Ion's TWG. I've tried their cakes, pastries, sandwiches and scones which were all awesome except improvements to the scones can be considered.

I often go for the set where I can choose a pastry and 3 bite-size sandwiches accompanied by the tea of your choice. It fills me up quite nicely and allows me ample time to savour my high tea tai-tai wannabe experience!

The staff were friendly, patient and attentive! Even amidst the crowd, the waiter took time to explain a variety of tea and allowed us to smell some of the selected ones to make a better choice.

TWG's awesome, if only it could have more seating space! yummy!

I'll start out by mentioning that I'm a very very picky eater.  I'm both a management consultant and a model so that means in both lines of work I do have to watch my health (consulting means late hours so often unhealthy lifestyle) and weight (modeling wants you to be thin).  That means, for me if I'm going to indulge in the calories and sometimes not-so-healthy rich food, it really better be worth it. 

That said, TWG does not disappoint!  I'm an avid tea drinker so it was really like a kid in the candy store for me when I saw their 800+ variety of tea.  I have visited the Ion location so many times that unfortunately I have gained quite a bit of weight.  That said, if I can do it again I still would've done the same.  One simply cannot pass up their tea and the pastries!

As mentioned before, their tea is excellent!  With such a wide range of tea to choose from, it can be rather overwhelming.  However, their knowledgeable staff (and I do mean very knowledgeable) are patient and very helpful.  You can discuss your preference with them and they will bring out various tea for you to smell and they will tell you the stories behind these tea.  One of the staffs told me that everyone goes through an intensive 1 week (only 1 week!) training to know all their product by heart and smell.  I kid you not!  During one of my first visits my friend couldn't remember what tea she ordered, so they simply open the teapot and sniff it and voila, they can figure out what it is!  The way they serve the tea is also a science in itself.  These guys really do know the art of tea and they do make sure they do not steep the tea leaves for too long.  However, if you do prefer you tea to be a bit stronger, just let them know and they will happily oblige!

The next thing that one should not pass up at TWG is the pastries.  Now, I'm not really a fan of pastries that have nuts so I will not comment on those as my comments will not be fair.  Thus, my comment will strictly be on the cakes that do not have nuts contents (excluding the durian cake since durian is an acquired taste and since I have not yet acquired that taste, my comments will also not be fair).  Let me just say that their cakes are absolutely heavenly, my only protest is that most of the time I do not taste the "tea infuse" part in the cake, but I think that is probably because they must assume that most people may be put off if they can taste the tea in a dessert - which is something I most certainly would not mind.  That said, one of my favorites is the raspberry dark chocolate mousse cake - please note that I do not know if that is the official name as the staffs told me they do are still in process of compiling a complete cake catalog.  The bittersweet taste of dark chocolate is paired very well with the tartness of raspberry mouse.  Another two must-tries are the white chocolate greentea raspberry cake and the Singapore Surprise.  I'm typically not a white chocolate person (white chocolate is not real chocolate, just milk solids and sugar, blah blah blah) but this cake is not overly sweet and you can definitely taste the green tea taste in the cake.  The Singapore Surprise is an interesting mix of creme brulee style cake with raspberry.  It actually does not come across as too heavy or rich like your typical creme brulee.

Aside from the cakes, TWG's macarones, financiers, and scones are also excellent.  Prior to this, I have never tried tea jelly before and it was at TWG that I found that good tea jelly can be a great accompaniment to delicious financiers and scones.  The macarones are soft and tasty, you can really taste the tea while eating these little pieces of sweetness.  I highly recomend the Bain de Rose Macarone and the Earl Grey Chocolate Macarone.

In addition to tea and pastries, this restaurant also have menus filled with ala carte items and finger foods.  It will depend on the dish you chosen as some dishes are better than others.  I would highly recommend you try the TWG Salad and their Scrambled Eggs (the one that comes with salmon and marinated shrimps) with truffle oil.  If you are in for something different every week, their weekly lunch set is always worth checking out, although some dishes are heavier than others at times.

In conclusion, TWG is a great venue to go to for a friends' night out, business luncheon, special celebration, and high tea.  The price is on the high end in general so it's not something you'd want to eat at everyday, but you can always drop by their counter and buy their cakes, pastries, and tea on the go!

I adore TWG. I love the old world feeling it exudes. I usually patronise the Ion store to select some loose tea leaves for lazy afternoons at home. I like light teas like Japanese or Jasmine green teas and do not like fruity or black teas. The staff are always very nice and thorough when they take out canister after canister to allow me to smell and choose what I prefer. Sometimes, when I am picking several teas to sample at home, I imagine that this can be a somewhat tedious process for them. It speaks volumes of their exemplary service attitude and willingness to go the extra mile for customers. I normally buy a few bagfuls of 50grams to try out their teas and with hundreds to choose from, it looks like I have found my tea leaf heaven!!

Although I have yet to indulge myself by actually having a sit-down high tea there, I am sorely tempted to try that in the near future! I have, however,  tried their macarons and chocolate truffles. Both are not too sweet but incredibly scrumptious nonetheless! It's true that the prices  in TWG aren't cheap, but it's certainly quite an upmarket, classy joint. Thus it's not realistic to expect Coffee Bean  or Starbucks prices, especially when I would argue that they provide very good quality ingredients and such a chic yet sophisticated old world ambience. When I venture into TWG, it almost feels like I am in France or some other western European locale.

Two thumbs up for my first experience at TWG.

I was a lot earlier than expected for my tea date but discovered to my horror a long line snaking out of the cafe. Thus I abandoned my plans to shop to kill time and instead performed the time-honoured Singaporean duty of joining the queue. Surprisingly, the line moved fast and I was soon installed in a cosy little table next to the glass where I could look out and curious passers-by would gawk at our tea spread later on.

While waiting for my companion to join me, I refreshed myself with an orange juice and the Singapore Surprise. The wait staff told me that this tart was their best seller, and indeed, with the wild strawberries encased in the soft creamy custard, I could taste why.

Teatime and my companion arrived. TWG has several very good value for money tea time sets which offer a pot of tea, sandwiches, scones, muffins or a choice of pastry. All good. I enjoyed the foie gras and smoked salmon sandwiches. The scones were also warm and particularly delish with the cream and tea jelly. Service was also prompt and professional. I will definitely be back.

I have been to TWG at ION twice: once on a date and the second with a group of friends.

The restaurant has good service and a vibrant yet tranquil ambience. The waiting staff is attentive without becoming overbearing. However, from my two experiences, I cannot help but feel that the staff gives markedly better treatment to customers who appear more well-off. If you wish to have Sunday Brunch at this place, put on your best and you would be rewarded better than T-shirt and jeans.

Food-wise, there is nothing to rave about. The scrambled egg bunch set was acceptable. The smoked salmon which came with the meal however felt rubbery and is a poor excuse for food.

The quiche was comforting but the crust felt heavy and burnt.

The chicken salad should be avoided unless you find delight in dry, cold and tough chicken breast.

It cannot be emphasized enough that you should not go to this place for a meal. You however can enjoy a good cup of tea, pastries and cakes.

The waiting staff however do not appear to be well versed with the different types of tea. When the waiting staff refer to the teas by their catalog numbers, I would be wary asking them for recommendations for pairing with the pastries.

It is a fine place to start a day of shopping or end one as you can enjoy a cup of tea for an hour and half or so. However, if you're hungry there are better options in the vicinity.

I actually had the chance to just try the maccarons while out shopping, although TWG appears to have hit upon a winning formula of high tea at a high end shopping mall. Something the hongkys have mastered to perfection from their years of colonial rule.

I tried the strawberry, and two others which were pink and black. I kind of liked it, less sweet than the pierre hermes stuff which I compare it to just to raise the yard stick a little. Flavors were subtle but pronounced enough, kind of nice.

It was 2 bucks a pop, not sure if the small box of 6 came at a lower price since I didn't ask. TWG is sure hitting the high end spectrum, I am curious if it will succeed in its entirety but the early signs seem good. I can't wait to try the high tea joint on the second floor!

Ever since TWG opened its grand doors at Ion Orchard, both myself and my tea-loving friend have been dying to check it out to enjoy the splendour of sipping tea on a leisurely and carefree Saturday afternoon.

It is truly a tea-lover's paradise there, with its plethora of flavours that smelled heavenly; just one whiff could evoke pleasant and flighty thoughts. The staff recommended Sweet France, which drew us in with its perfumed, flowery fragrance that truly reminds us of summer. We needed a complete opposite type to balanced the floral notes of our first choice and they recommended Weekend in Shanghai, a strong and heady oriental tea. Both when brewed were lovely, but my vote goes to Weekend in Shanghai because I love its deeper, lingering scent after each sip. The thoughtfulness of this tea house only goes to show its passion towards tea drinking, where each pot of tea is encased in a metal casing to keep the tea at the right temperature for consumption.

We couldn't just have tea without any accompaniments. Not if this place offered tea infused desserts, that will compliment the entire tea-drinking experience. The TWG Chocolate fondant was this luscious and decadent slice of chocolate cake that was infused with vanilla bourbon tea and had a generous dollop of ice-cream smack right on top of it. The taste was this sweet blend of caramel, chocolate and tea that was a pleasant change from another warm chocolate molten cake.

The pastry trolley held several other types of cakes and tarts, where all of them looked delectable and screamed "pick me!". The raspberry tart was topped with the lightly-sugared fruit, which tartness helped cut the sweetness of the pastry. It was unfortunately a bit too soft and dense for my liking. In addition, I couldn't really identified the tea infused in this dessert. Or maybe it was just my confused palate after all that tea tasting.

It was nevertheless a lovely way to spend an afternoon with a good friend and in the most chi-chi style ever. The old style grandeur and class of this place does transport you to another world altogether, making you feel as if you were teleported back to that particular era. Now I just have to slowly (but surely!) conquer and try the rest of the dizzying array of tea there.

For more pics, refer to http://wildrocketing.blogspot.com/2009/11/t-love.html

Myfoodsirens wants to be a taitai and so do I.
Some of my galfriends are tatais now and how envious am I.
Some material possessions accumulated after years of hard work have I.
An almost taitai hopefully can I.
Not look out of place in TWG will I?

Let's just say that one will sense the economy is recovering from the crowd at TWG on a weekday afternoon. The place was packed with so many people that I was so suprised that I did not knock over anyone's tea. Saw a celebrity architect and an ex-radio dj there too!

My wonderful friend treated me to the celebration set ($29) which consisted of 3 sandwiches, 3 macarons, 2 muffins/2 scones/anything from the trolley and a choice of any tea from the list. There's a top-up price if you want tea which is more than $10.50.

I enjoyed the foie gras sandwich with 2 generous pieces of foie gras which made our money worth already. The macarons were one of the best I ever tasted - my fave is the bain de rose tea flavour. The highlight of the day will definitely be the geisha blossom tea which is green tea with a blend of fruity and flowery taste. Yup, so good the tea that I regreted not to buy home a pack.

Many more photos can be found at http://muchadoabouteating.blogspot.com, do drop by to take a look!

I have a confession to make: I’m a tai-tai wannabe. And there’s no better way to commence my tai-tai-in-training session by lazing the afternoon away while sipping tea (a requisite of a true tai-tai?) amid the well-heeled crowd in this beautiful ”to see and be seen” glass enclosure.

Want tea? Then be prepared to spend a few mins poring through the extensive menu showcasing an amazing variety of tea: darjeeling, decaffinated, single estates etc. Whatever you want, it’s likely to be on the menu. The Red of African ($10.50++) was recommended and it had a unique fragrance, the essence of which is beyond my ability to capture in words.

The Raspberry Tart ($8.50++) looked so pretty sitting in the pastry counter that it’s impossible to ignore it. I’m usually not a tart person (no pun intended) but this scored big time with me. Forget thick and buttery crust; it’s thin and not too rich with the natural sweetness and tanginess of fresh raspberries.

Finally! Macarons ($2++) that aren’t sickeningly sweet. Admittedly, I’m no macaron connoisseur but I hereby declare these delicate tea-infused French cookies to be the BEST I’ve ever tried. Tried and tested: Napoleon Tea & Caramel; Camelot Tea & Praline (the combination of tea and chocolate works wonders!); Bain de Rose Tea; and Grand Wedding Tea, Passion Fruit & Coconut.

My reluctance to leave was evident when the last drop of the tea had been poured but sadly, it’s time to return to reality. I just can’t wait till my next “training session”!

For photos/reviews, visit My Food Sirens =)