If you are in Dubai, and you love tea, you have to be at TWG.
I was in Dubai to visit the #Gulfood 2018. On the last day when everyone was busy wrapping up their booths and giving way their displayed items to the visitors, I quickly took the metro from across the Dubai Trade Center and made my way to reach the Dubai Mall – the largest shopping mall in the world in terms of gross area covered. A part of the 20-billion-dollar Downtown complex, and including 1,200 shops, the Dubai Mall that opened on 4 November 2008, attracts over 54 million visitors every year!
So, on 22nd Feb 2018, when I became one such number among that impressive number of visitors, I did two things:
- I climbed up the tallest building in the world – Burj Khalifa
- I paid a visit to TWG
It’s my love for tea that took me to TWG, but it’s the tea artist in me that was satiated. TWG, the Singapore based luxury tea brand with presence in over 14 countries, is well known for its tea rooms, luxury blends, handpicked teawares and tea based pastries / nibbles.
I entered TWG and was completely taken by the entire display of teas and teawares. Lot of thoughts have been put in creating the aesthetic as well as the functional elements of the tearoom. From colours used to the openness of the place, to the perfectly stitched smart uniforms to the displayed items – everything spoke volume about the brand’s positioning in the market and its vision about tea.
As I introduced myself as a Tea Artist from India visiting Dubai to attend the Gulfood, I was given a very warm welcome. Mr. Chandan Pradhan, the Manager at the tearoom showed me around the place, sharing interesting history or tit-bits about different teas that they had as well as some of the caddies that they have created.
However, nothing beat the feeling of actually seeing a spoonful of tea – they call the Gold Tea – that is priced at AED33,000 ! I figured the tea has actual gold flakes and gold powder! I felt real rich just looking at that wonderful tea.
The Gold Tea with real gold!
At the end of my visit, I was so very kindly, offered to try one of their teas. I happily accepted J I was offered a nice blend of green tea along with some macaroons (which are also made with tea). While the macaroons were a bit on the sweeter side, it perfectly complemented the fantastic aromatic tea that I had the opportunity to sip.
The Tea I sipped
Thank you Chandan for your hospitality even though we had only limited time in hand; and that you come from Darjeeling, the place where my favourite teas come from (and my home state) is indeed, the cherry on the top!
Chandan and Me
Get in touch with me at itsourcuppatea@gmail.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TeawithSusMita
Tea With Susmita 