9 minute read
Singapore
Singapore 23rd March 2015 Galleria Ballroom, Grand Copthorne Waterfront, 392 Havelock Road, Singapore 169663
The quest for the ultimate 21st century high tea in Singapore drew to an exciting close at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel on the 23rd March. It was a showcase of culinary flair and creativity as well as a celebration of the humble herb as 11 renowned F&B and hospitality establishments battled for top honours, and the opportunity to represent Singapore on the global stage at the Dilmah Real High Tea Challenge held in Sri Lanka this July.
Ultimately, the judging panel led by Director of Dilmah Tea and son of the brand’s founder, Dilhan C. Fernando, Black Hat Chef Bernd Uber and InterContinental Singapore Executive Chef Eric Neo crowned Martin Wong, Head Chef and Lee Zhang An, Bartender of Tess Bar & Kitchen National Winners of the Dilmah Real High Tea Challenge Singapore 2015.
The duo representing the 8-month-old establishment, an underdog among the impressive list of top-notch hotels and restaurants, proved themselves a force to be reckoned with as their exceptional presentation, eclectic menu of tea and food pairings blew the judges away and edged them from the rest.
10 other teams, apart from the winners, were specially commended by the judges and awarded the Silver and Bronze medals. This includes Shatec Institutes and Resorts World Sentosa respectively.
Focusing on the versatility of tea as both a traditional beverage and a contemporary culinary ingredient, the teams were required to create bespoke tea-inspired menus. The entries were judged on tea preparation and brewing techniques, tea mixology, the correct pairing of tea with food and how well tea was used as the main ingredient in tea inspired cuisine as well as the quality and creativity of overall presentation and the contestants’ culinary expertise and knowledge. The teams were tasked to brew a minimum of four varieties of tea – a traditional black tea, a hot tea mocktail, a chilled tea cocktail, and a chilled non-alcoholic tea mocktail – and serve high tea food items alongside their preference of tea.
Tess Bar & Kitchen (National Winner)
Formerly a conservation shop-house, Tess Bar & Kitchen is a drink-centric but food-centred concept with a focus on a modern interpretation of cocktails and food situated at 38, Seah Street. Represented by Lee Zhang An & Martin Wong.
MENU
THE EMPRESS TIPPLE
DILMAH’S BEAUTIFULLY CRAFTED TRADITIONAL PU ERH TEA, PERFECTLY BREWED paired with 36-HOUR BRAISED WAGYU BEEF CHEEKS
SERVED WITH WOLFBERRIES AND LOTUS ROOT SLICES
LAVIE EN ROSE
DILMAH’S PERFECT MARRYING OF MYSTIC ROSE AND SENSUAL VANILLA TEA, PERFUMED WITH ORANGE BLOSSOM WATER paired with LOBSTER CRÈME FRAICHE WITH VANILLA POD
SERVED WITH DASHI STOCK AND CLAM JUS GELÉE
SUMMER’S TREASURE
DILMAH’S DELICIOUSLY BLENDED MANGO AND STRAWBERRY TEA FLAVOURED WITH CLOVES AND BANANA SYRUP paired with TESS ISLAND 1.0
MERINGUE WITH ELDERFLOWER, LIME AND POMME FRUITS
FIELDS OF GOLD
DILMAH’S NUTTY-SWEET ITALIAN ALMOND TEA, INFUSED WITH HOMEMADE CORN CREAM AND A PINCH OF SALT, SERVED COLD paired with PEARL S OF THE ORIENT
SAGO INFUSED WITH THE FLAVOURS OF ASIA, SERVED WITH RIPENED POMELO, BRANDY SCHNAPPS AND ICE-CREAM
TEA INFUSED
SOUS-VIDE KUROBUTA PORK BELLY
SERVED WITH BLUEBERRY AND POMEGRANATE TEA SAUCE.
LAPSANG CHOCOLATE TEXTURE
SMOKED TEA-INFUSED CHOCOLATE CAKE SERVED WITH CHOCOLATE SOIL AND VANILLA ICE-CREAM
36-HOUR BRAISED WAGYU BEEF CHEEKS
1.2 kg wagyu beef cheeks 400g whole lotus root 150g wolfberries 2litre veal stock 2 750ml red wine 2 large carrots 2 onions 2 stalks celery 1 stalk leek Salt & pepper, to taste
Dilmah Pu Erh perfect brew (1 teaspoon loose Pu Erh tea leaves to 220ml water)
Sauce: 1. Season wagyu beef cheek with salt and pepper. Pan-sear with olive oil till surface is brown. 2. Pour 750ml of red wine, chopped vegetables, lotus root (whole) ,veal stock and beef cheek. 3. Bring to boil. Once boiled, cover pot. 4. Set oven at 66°C. Slow braise mixture for 36 hours. 5. Once cooked, take out both lotus root and beef cheek, leave to cool, slice beef cheek and lotus root. 6. Blend all cooked vegetables, strain add in wolfberries to reduction. 7. To serve, drizzle sauce over beef cheek and lotus root. Plate.
1. Bring water to 95°C, add the tea steep for 4 minutes 30 seconds. 2. Pour hot water into teapot, stirring every 2 minutes. 3. Soak 4 teacups in hot water to maintain temperature while preparing tea.
THE EMPRESS TIPPLE
LOBSTER CRÈME FRAICHE WITH VANILLA POD
400 – 500g Boston lobster 250g crème fraiche 3 nos vanilla pod 3 nos whole shallots, brunoise 2 lemon, juiced Salt & pepper to taste
Dashi Stock & Clam Jus Jelly 30g bonito flakes 100ml water 100ml clam jus 1 gelatine sheet 1. Blanch lobster in hot water 2. Deshell lobster. Chop into cubes to form lobster tartare. Pile tartare into mould. 3. Mince Dashi jelly. 4. Sprinkle Dashi jelly on tartare season with garnish (mixed herbs).
1. Combine 30g bonito flakes to 100ml water. 2. Bring water to boil, add 100ml clam jus till reduction is complete. 3. To make jelly, strain clam jus (100ml clam jus for 1 gelatine sheet).
LA VIE EN ROSE
90ml heavily brewed (heat water to 95°C, seep tea leaves for 8 minutes and 5 seconds) Dilmah
Rose with French Vanilla tea Sandalwood 15ml calamansi juice young ginger syrup 1. Separately, boil sandalwood in another pot. 2. Remove tea leaves, combine tea with sandalwood in pot, reduce to 500-800ml. Let tea mixture cool, sit in refrigerator.
1. Torch sandalwood till smoked. 2. Combine 15ml calamansi juice, young ginger syrup (1part sugar to 1 part blended ginger extract), and chilled tea. 3. Shake to serve. 4. Smoke from sandalwood accompanies aperitif.
TESS ISLAND 1 .0
Steamed Meringue – 200g egg white 100g sugar pinch of salt 70ml elderflower syrup 1 pc lime zest 1 1/2 pc lemon zest
Fruits 200g watermelon, diced 200g rock melon, diced
Sauce base 200g strawberries 70ml elderflower syrup
To serve 1. Whip egg white, sugar, lime zest, lemon zest and salt together. Fit mixture into mould. 2. Steam at 100°C for 20 minutes. Glaze with elderflower syrup.
1. Poach strawberries cut into chunks with elderflower syrup 2. Add black pepper. 3. Add 100g chopped basil.
1. Line dish with strawberry sauce as base. 2. Dish steamed meringue onto sauce. 3. Glaze with 1 teaspoon of elderflower syrup. 4. Serve with diced fruits lined by side.
SUMMER’S TREASURE
DILMAH’S DELICIOUSLY BLENDED TROPICAL MANGO AND RIPE STRAWBERRIES TEA, FLAVOURED WITH CLOVES AND BANANA SYRUP .
Banana leaves 10ml coconut oil 5 nos cloves 90ml perfectly brewed Dilmah
Mango & Strawberry Tea (95°C for 4 1/2 minutes) 10ml banana syrup Lemon zest 1. Heat saucepan to warm. 2. Pour of coconut oil into saucepan. 3. Add in 1 teaspoon of clove. 4. Add homemade banana leaf syrup. 5. Cook sous vide for 1 hour at 62°C 6. Pour perfectly brewed mango & strawberry tea into saucepan and continue to heat till warm. 7. Pour mixture into dry coconut shell (allow heat to open up flavours within coconut). 8. Add lemon zest to perfume it (outside of coconut shell). 9. Garnish bowl with cornflakes.
PEARLS OF THE ORIENT
300g sago 800ml water 300ml coconut milk 100ml Gula Melaka lime leaf 80g sugar Pinch of salt Fruits: 60g pineapple 60g pomelo 60g peeled mandarin oranges 4 scoops vanilla ice cream (1 scoop per serving)
1 bag Dilmah Italian Almond tea. 30ml Buttered Wash Bourbon 30ml Kokokanu rum Becherovka (herbal and spice liquor)
Brandy Schnapps 55g butter 55g brown sugar 55g golden syrup 50g plain flour 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
To serve 1. Bring water and sago to boil until sago is cooked. 2. Mix coconut milk, Gula Melaka, salt and lime leaf in the pot. 3. Add in sago, boil for 15 minutes. 4. Leave to cool.
1. Spoon sago on top of the fruits, then ice cream 2. Ladle brandy schnapps on top of ice cream. Serve warm.
FIELDS OF GOLD
DILMAH’S NUTTY SWEET ITALIAN ALMOND TEA, INFUSED WITH HOMEMADE CORN CREAM AND A PINCH OF SALT, SERVED COLD .
Homemade sweet corn cream:
1 part water to 3 part sweet corn cream Add pinch of sea salt Dilmah Italian Almond Tea
To serve 1. Combine 3 spirits in a glass. 2. Throw mixture to air flavour (stirring will take longer to chill the drink; shaking will cause ice to bruise and dilute the drink). Strain mixture into glass. 3. Separately, cold infuse Italian Almond Tea with homemade corn cream. 4. Whip mixture of tea, corn cream and sea salt. 5. Pour onto 3 spirit mixture to serve. Serve with dry ice.
SOUS VIDE KUROBUTA PORK BELLY
SERVED WITH BLUEBERRY AND POMEGRANATE TEA SAUCE
600g Kurobuta pork belly 300ml extra virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon salt 1. Sous vide cook pork belly at 65°C for 48 hours. 2. Sprinkle coarse black pepper onto Kurobuta fat. 3. Heat up pan, pan sear till brown.
Blueberry & Pomegranate glaze 2 teaspoons of Dilmah Blueberry and Pomegranate tea leaves 440ml water 60g sugar
Blueberry compote 400g fresh blueberries 120g sugar 1 cinnamon stick
To Serve 1. Bring 440ml water to boil at 95°C. 2. Soak tea leaves in hot water for 4 minutes. 3. Caramelize sugar 4. Strain tea and combine with the caramelized tea to create glaze. 5. Reduce mixture by half.
1. Caramelize sugar. 2. Pour in fresh berries and add cinnamon stick. 3. Bring to simmer till reduction after 30 minutes. 4. Leave to cool.
1. Slice pork belly and brush with blueberry & pomegranate glaze. 2. Garnish with blueberry compote.
LAPSANG CHOCOLATE TEXTURE
SMOKED TEA INFUSED CHOCOLATE CAKE SERVED WITH CHOCOLATE SOIL AND VANILLA ICE CREAM
Chocolate texture 100g dark chocolate 200g butter eggs 100g sugar 100g brown sugar 60g flour 15g cocoa powder 1. Melt dark chocolate with butter on bain-marie till liquid state. 2. Whisk eggs, and brown sugar till foamy texture. 3. Fold chocolate mixture, egg mixture, flour and cocoa powder together. 4. Pour into desired mould. 5. Bake at 140°C for 20‐25 minutes. 6. Leave to cool.
Salted caramel
100g sugar 100ml water 50g cream 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
Honey comb 200g sugar 5 tablespoons glucose 2 teaspoons baking soda
Other ingredients: 150gm Oreo crumbs (4 scoops) Chocolate ice cream
To serve 1. Caramelise sugar. 2. Add water, cream and salt. 3. Leave to cool.
1. Caramelise sugar till brown. 2. Add in glucose and baking soda. 3. Pour all into a pan, let it cool.
Method for tea 1. Strong brew of Dilmah Lapsang Souchong loose leaf tea. 2. Heat water to 95°C. 3. Steep tea for 5 minutes, strain tea leaves. 4. Leave tea to cool.
1. Soak chocolate texture in tea for 5 to 8 seconds. 2. Remove chocolate texture and plate. 3. Line Oreo crumbs on plate. 4. Vanilla ice cream in the middle. 5. Dots of salted caramel. 6. Honeycomb on the side.
