Tag Archives: Tea Time

Jakarta

Peacock Lounge, Redefining the High Tea Time Culture (mise en place, Vol 21 – 2017)

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As a country among the world’s biggest tea producers, Indonesia has assimilated tea drinking culture into the daily lives of its citizens. For many, tea is a beverage that does not require specific preparations – unlike the Japanese with their tea ceremonies, and often served as an accompaniment for breakfast and snacks.

The high availability of mass tea products from abroad within the past two decades can only mean one thing: Indonesians have been exposed to a world of different flavors aside from their regular tea dated from the colonial era. At this point, many Indonesians are already accustomed to blended black tea products such as Earl Grey, Darjeeling, or tea infused with herbs and fruits.

However, higher appreciation for tea was only shown rather recently, especially with the appearances of tea houses that introduce lineups of imported tea leaves and the high tea time culture. While this haute trend is yet to reach the peak like the third-wave coffee movement in comparison, these establishments have managed to sustain their businesses for quite some time now. The movement is also reinforced by tea experts and aficionados, introducing the deeper meaning of this lifestyle.

Especially for high tea time culture, more success found at Jakarta’s five-star hotels. From the hustle and bustle behind the business district of Senayan came the Fairmont Jakarta. After its foundation in 2015, Fairmont Jakarta introduced Peacock Lounge to complement its vast and opulent main lobby. The lounge itself can seat up to 40 people and offers an intimate ambiance that is suitable for conversational tea time and lunchtime meals. Thanks to its chic persona, Peacock Lounge has also become famous among socialites and social media influencers.

The afternoon tea set here is presented unlike anywhere else. Instead of the usual trays, Peacock Lounge uses jewelry drawers, all clad in white leather. Inside one will find the seasonal changing petit fours, tea sandwiches, canapes, and traditional scones with jam and clotted cream. Accompanying the treats, Fairmont Jakarta offers an extensive range of teas from black tea, blue tea, green tea, rooibos, and even the rare white and smoky tea.

Competing with other five-star hotels prompts Peacock Lounge to devise certain advantages. While these hotels may be equally efficient when it comes to creativity, manpower, or logistics; Fairmont Jakarta instead employs collaborations as its main advantage.

In 2016, Peacock Lounge launched the Show Your True Colours campaign that featured the color-changing theme of the confectioneries from red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, and especially pink for the support of breast cancer awareness month.

Following next was the collaboration with Indonesia’s legendary fashion designer Iwan Tirta for an exclusive batik-themed afternoon tea for the whole two months from April to May 2017. This particular collaboration was also to support Iwan Tirta’s upcoming fashion show which was held also at Fairmont Jakarta later that April.

The most recent collaboration was held between the hotel and Kate Spade New York. Launched in conjunction with the Fall 2017 collections, the theme was inspired by 1920s Parisian color palettes which was predominantly red and black with striking motifs such as leopard prints, red poppies, and cherries.

During these promotions, Peacock Lounge’s interiors are usually redesigned lightly to match the theme with the collaborator’s products are put on display. Operation-wise, the pastry kitchen also create a lineup of products that represent the whole mood. Patrons are encouraged to share their experience through social media channels and compete for interesting prizes.

Through this strategy, Peacock Lounge has been successfully maintaining its tea time culture by keeping it fresh, exciting, and already further collaborations are planned quarterly with other premium brands. With all the values given for the hotel itself, the brands, as well as the patrons; Peacock Lounge ultimately remains faithful to its original concept as a tea lounge that is open for everyone.

The lounge opens daily from 10am to 5pm and the afternoon high tea set is available from 2pm to 5pm.

FAIRMONT JAKARTA – PEACOCK LOUNGE | Jalan Asia Afrika no. 8, Jakarta – Indonesia | +62 21 2970 3333 | www.fairmont.com/jakarta

Images by: Fairmont Jakarta

This is the unedited version of the article

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Jakarta

Peacock Lounge Presents The Afternoon Tea Time with BVLGARI

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A tradition as old as high tea time from the British colonial era is still considered as a haute lifestyle even today. However, making it fresh and relevant may still be a tough job in Jakarta since tea houses had their ups and downs for the past few years.

However at Peacock Lounge – it’s all about great ideas and collaborations. Previously successful by partnering with Iwan Tirta and Kate Spade, Peacock Lounge is currently on collaboration with BVLGARI until the end of March 2018.

A few months ago precisely I spent some time enjoying the hospitality of Peacock Lounge at Fairmont Jakarta and witnessing how the tea time culture was again rejuvenated. This kind of lifestyle, arguably, may not really in the cup of tea of everyone as mostly people would rather eat heartily at new restaurants or hanging out casually at third-wave coffee shops.

But for Peacock Lounge, it’s always exciting to see businessmen, socialites, and even Japanese ladies sitting at one corner to take a break from their worldly affairs just to reconnect themselves with each other over a good cup of tea or coffee.

At this time around, the tea house is again already decorated with everything BVLGARI. What’s exciting of course is the tea set highly customized with accents depicting the brand – which makes it even more value adding.

Priced at IDR 588,000++, the BVLGARI tea set consists of delectable choices from the classics such as scones and madeleines, and both sweet and savory accompaniments. Naturally I’d go for the madeleine for the light entry and then head straight for the savories before finishing it all up with the sweets.

Among my most favorites from the starters are the beef and asparagus mille feuille, the salmon bouche with saffron toast, and the egg salad florentine on dill brioche. Separately a serving of prawn tempura in a cone and smoked mackerel doughnut with aioli and crispy salmon skin were also highly pleasant.

Heading next to the sweets, the BVLGARI tea set has a wide variety of choices such as the eclair, pralines, pot de creme, panna cotta, macaron, lemon butter cake, and lychee chiboust. The package also includes two types of coffee or tea which you can share with your tea time partner. We opted the pai mu tan (white tea) and the royal orchid (blue tea). Both are provided by TWG.

It’s interesting to see Peacock Lounge running this initiative from time to time, collaborating with renowned brands, and making the venue fresh with new decorations and different menus. It’s admirable to see that Peacock Lounge is among few in Jakarta’s five-star hotels that reserved a place specifically for a tea house and is thriving. Would be excited to see what happens next this 2018 and beyond!

FAIRMONT JAKARTA – PEACOCK LOUNGE | Jalan Asia Afrika no. 8, Jakarta – Indonesia | +62 21 2970 3333 | www.fairmont.com/jakarta

Feature, Opinion

Here are the Reasons Why You Should Become a Coffee & Tea Aficionado

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We are now becoming more enthusiastic than ever with the art of drinking tea and coffee. I personally still find it fascinating to see some who are willing to go any length for the ultimate pleasure. As someone who enjoys both coffee and tea, here are my thoughts on why we should keep up with the trend based on my observation as a foodie and a global citizen.

Coffee is the talk of the town. Single origin batches from certain estates that produce high quality coffee are highly prized. Albeit some coffee shops would argue about the profitability in the long run when dealing only with single origins, it seems that individual drinkers are too enthusiastic to bother about that. It’s always a hype whenever we encounter geisha beans for example at a local coffee shop and certainly it attracts everyone! At the end of the day, a small batch of this rare find would end up somewhere in the hands of a true aficionado.

While coffee is still pretty much the talk of the town, Jakarta is also celebrating more appearances of tea houses as well. A few years ago, they had seen better days but the age of discerned foodies has arrived and revive the business. Foreign brands have been introducing their products here for quite some time to ride on the momentum. Interestingly, Indonesians brace the competition by also presenting tea more properly this time. Aside from familiarizing people with the concept of drinking tea as an art, we are also exposed with literally limitless variants of tea from all over the world.

Nowadays, coffee aficionados would invest their money on hand grinders, expensive espresso machines, or the popular manual brewing gadgets. Not surprisingly, tea lovers would also do the same to achieve that perfect cup. From learning the techniques to collecting different types of tea from different countries; they would also spend more on cups, affordable electric kettles, and up to the rare, decorative tea pots from all over the world!

One important thing to highlight here is certainly not about how expensive our gadgets should be to appreciate the finer things. Even for starters, you can already enjoy so much from the most affordable gadgets you can spend for now. A word of advice, befriend the experts and you will know what to buy first and why.

In addition to that; classes, competitions, and conferences make us feel more connected with the whole industry. We get to know more about the diversity of the products, the experts who set the examples, about the farmers and how we should appreciate their hard work, and many more. Certainly we can always start with the know-how to maximizing its potential fully in our cups.

I suppose at this point, we might want to agree that the colorful world of tea and coffee is not just about its geeky side or how methodical we should be for perfection. There’s always the sunnier side about it and that is about having fun with it, exploring the endless possibilities, and spending the extra dime for the best beans or the gadget of your dream!

Jakarta

Classic High Tea Time at Shangri-La Jakarta

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Promotion started from March 2014.
Available only from 3pm – 5pm
Price: IDR 185,000/set

Lobby Lounge, Shangri-La Hotel Jakarta
Jalan Jend. Sudirman Kav. 1, Jakarta – Indonesia
RSVP: +62.21.2939.9562

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It appears that the trend of enjoying high tea time like the nobility of old have been going on for several years now in Indonesia but many may haven’t found the art or the excitement of enjoying it.

However that’s not the case when you’re in the Lobby Lounge of Shangri-La Jakarta. My time of enjoying it was during a quiet weekend where I ultimately found serenity upon the usually-busy halls of the hotel. It was a bright afternoon and through the enormous windows, one can witness the sublime greenery from the poolside and the hotel’s garden.

Shangri-La Jakarta - High Tea Time 3

While at that, a tower of delicacies from savory to sweet, accompanied the iced coffee float that I chose and my wife’s cup of tea. I may have to admit that tea time for me may not be something that’s too strict and with me wearing the formal attire, but I love taking it casually and over pleasantries between friends or families.

That is also why Shangri-La Jakarta specifically promotes a set menu that completes the needs of any of its Lobby Lounge visitors. The set consists of finger food of different elements from cold, hot, and sweet. I particularly enjoyed lemongrass marinated chicken lollies, the tempura, and the sublime scones with cream and marmalade.

Shangri-La Jakarta - High Tea Time 2

I will not dare to say that the rest was not equally good but all of them was, as a matter of fact! Let’s see, well, there was the chocolate layered cake, crème brulee, dill & yuzu marinated prawns, beef and enoki teriyaki rolls, and even I love the mini burgers made from filet mignon.

For a price IDR 185,000++ per set, it was a really worth-it experience. It’s practically great for two and do please complement such excellence with good drinks, and as I said earlier, experience it upon a comfy sofa overlooking the garden view of the hotel on one fine sunny afternoon.

To tell you the truth, that is an experience that I want to emulate as well back home, but if only I can have the scones and the tea from Shangri-La Jakarta for that. Oh well…