I have to admit that I didn’t have a clear idea of what a traditional tea ceremony was. However, I knew I was about to find out. During my days as a travel blogger in Singapore, I was invited to a traditional “High Tea Ceremony” of a tea ceremony. I can tell you that I was very curious if it had to do with traditional robes or rituals.
The traditional tea ceremony was held at the “WooBar” at the W Hotel Sentosa Cove in Singapore. Themed “Drop the T2”, the tea ceremony is available daily from 3pm-5pm. But why were all the empty birdcages around me?
High Tea Ceremony – traditional tea ceremony
At the beginning of the “High Tea Ceremony” tea ceremony, first there was some tea information and you were allowed to choose your favorite tea variety for the afternoon. I initially chose the Dilmah Seasonal Flush. One of the most exclusive teas and and a dream of many tea drinkers.
The Dilmah Seasonal Flush tea from Sri Lanka’s Dickwella Estates is grown just below 1200 meters altitude. There are only four hours in the year that are suitable for picking the tea. Right after the Monsoon rains and the easterly winds. A truly special moment for the most exclusive tea. The exclusivity of the tea is due to the production limit of 100kg per year alone. If the weather was not perfect that year, there is simply no Seasonal Flush Tea.
The taste of the hand-picked tea for my personal tea ceremony can be described as “Golden orange liquor with hints of eucalyptus and mint”. It was picked on August 07, 2012 and you can taste how special it is. I had made the right choice and almost felt the life story of the tea.
Menu – WooBar Singapore High Tea Ceremony
However, it wouldn’t be a real tea ceremony if there weren’t some snacks. Traditionally, sandwiches, scones and small cakes are served. You can surely understand that as a coffee lover, I would call myself a fan of high tea from now on.
And to make you a little hungry, you can of course find some photos of the tea ceremony snacks, such as salmon rolls, scones, marshmallows and macarons. I was looking forward to my first macarons and they were supposed to be especially delicious.
Snacks at the traditional tea ceremony
- Getting Sandwiched: Sliced Gravlax Salmon Soft Goat’s Curd Roll, Smoked Chicken Brioche Tomato and Peach Relish, Foie Gras Granache Tart Port Wine, Gold Leaf
- Highland Scones: Cranberry and Plain Scones Passion Fruit Curd, Clotted Cream
- Sweeth Tooth: Steaming Cold Marshmallow Pau, W Strawberry and Cheese Cakewich, Crisp Mango Katafi Rolls, Pastry Cream, Torched Lemon Meringue Slice, Strawberry and Blueberry Macarons
Conclusion – WooBar Singapore – W Hotel Sentosa Island
It was really delicious and super interesting to boot, learning so much about tea, a High Tea Ceremony and Asian culture. The upcoming Chinese New Year and the process with the money envelopes is fascinating to learn about Asia. These are exactly the moments that will be remembered for a very long time. With each subsequent high tea ceremony, I will think of the great feeling at the W Hotel and the lovely staff who went to so much trouble.
For me, the “High Tea Ceremony” as a food blogger at W Hotel Singapore was a wonderful experience with absolutely amazing people. If you ever have the chance to experience a tea ceremony, I hope you will enjoy it as much. In the meantime, I will now open my personal Dilmah Seasonal Flush Tea Box 2012, think back to the afternoon in Singapore and enjoy the tea….
My next High Tea Ceremony should be waiting for me soon in Frankfurt at the Kempinski Hotel….
The address of the bar: Woo Bar, W Hotel, 21 Ocean Way, Sentosa, Singapore 098374
