Fancy a refreshing delight on a sweltering day? The iconic Raffles Hotel Singapore is calling you. With their First Citrus Afternoon Tea experience—introducing their six unique citrus flavours (highly recommended if you want to overcome your indecisiveness) and citrus-infused delicacies conscientiously curated by Executive Pastry Chef Tai Chien Lin, coming your way from 7 June to 4 August. Dig up your casual chic outfits and buckle up. I'm telling you, there are loads to choose from.
Indulge yourself in their ample array of citrus-infused desserts paired with delectable savoury creations that feature kaffir lime, pink pomelo, cedrat, finger lime and yuzu. All meticulously sourced from across Asia, Australia and France.
Kicking off with the savoury selection—the Foie Gras Crème Brûlée with Grapefruit Espuma. Where the tangy grapefruit adds a lively touch to the caramelised sweetness of a crème brûlée. Not a fan? No worries—try the Smoked Salmon Blinis, served on delicate mini pancakes and accented with kaffir lime jelly. A real treat. For those with simpler tastes, there is a variety of finger sandwiches, including Egg Mayonnaise and Tuna Mayonnaise with Alfalfa Sprouts.
Presented on a three-tier silver stand, the experience features an inventive variety of treats. This includes a Kaffir Lime Chocolate Crèmeux, the sweet and tangy Pink Pomelo Cheesecake, the aromatic Cedrat Ginger Cake, the Verbena Finger Lime Tartlet and the Strawberry Yuzu Rollcake.
Enhance your experience with either a selection of single garden teas, Raffles' custom-blended coffee beans, a glass of Billecart-Salmon Champagne Brut at SGD33++ per glass or Champagne Rosé at SGD43++ per glass.
If you're feeling zesty, swing by for the Citrus Tea Experience. It's open from Monday to Sunday from 12pm to 5:30pm at The Grand Lobby, Raffles Hotel Singapore
Every EDITION hotel in the world has a Punch Room. As an EDITION staple, each Punch Room has its own identity. Ours is swathed in "Yves Klein blue". The interior hits you like a punch of the whimsy as you stay for the drinks. With a focus on punch (duh), the bar uses spices and teas that are unique to our litte red dot.
Believed to be the first "modern day cocktail", punch was originally infused with ingredients that were the go-to in 17th century sailors’ trade routes. As a homage, the Punch Room Singapore replicates said ingredients of the Southeast Asian region, which includes starfruit, butterfly pea and betel leaf.
But aside from alcohol, the bar also offers a unique afternoon tea experience. This tea time offers savoury and sweet delights inspired by the five main ingredients that make up punch—spirits, spices, citrus, teas and sugar.
Upon arrival, guests receive the signature Welcome Punch. Guests will also choose between organic Jing teas or free-flowing punch bowls and Ruinart champagne. Next comes the first course, a savoury marvel of Poached Lobster. Placed atop blackcurrant and hibiscus tea gélee and citrus cream cheese, it is the perfect fusion with the acidic notes of raspberries and vintage balsamic.
Then, the Signature Finger Sandwiches are dished out. They are available in two combinations—roast beef with blueberries and osetra caviar, and smoked salmon with lemon cream cheese and ocean trout roe. The black and white bite-sized sandwiches are accompanied with a hot and fragrant Black Truffle Cheese Donut. Lastly, the savoury courses end off with a Crispy Tart composed of duck foie gras and spiced spirit poached plum.
Enter the desserts. Firstly, a Frozen Punch is presented, a rendition of Daeng’s Punch from the main menu. It is a great palate cleanser, marking a refreshing transition from the savoury to the sweet courses. Afterwards, we have the Punch Inspired Desserts. These jewel-like pastries comes in the flavours of the various teas and spices found in punch. They include the Chamomile Mascarpone Kochi Yuzu Tart, Piedmont Hazelnut and Milk Chocolate Pleyel, Pink Peppercorn Chocolate Éclair and Matcha Green Tea Namelaka in a hojicha Cone.
Following up, Executive Pastry Chef Alex Chong’s Kusu Island Punch Semifreddo is a play on the Kusu Island Punch. No prizes for guessing that this was inspired by the local legend of Kusu Island. Resembling a blue sphere, the dessert is reminiscent of the sculptural blue ceiling pendant in Punch Room.
Finally, the menu ends with an afternoon tea classic, soft buttery scones. Served with house-made strawberry jam and yuzu lemon curd instead of the usual butter or cream, the yuzu's tangy notes gives a satisfying finish to the whole set.
Reserve a table for the Afternoon Tea experience is available from SGD75 per person, from 2pm to 5pm on Fridays and Saturdays.
No one would ever think that the picturesque and serene Mount Fuji is still an active volcano. And none might even hazard a guess that the sacred mountain would also be the base for a time-honoured Japanese tradition of tea-making that gives way to TWG Tea's Hon Gyokuro.
The suffix "gyokuro" is a kind of shaded green tea. The prefix "hon" denotes the work of a master artisan. Gyokuro is cultivated through laborious means. That's where the tea isn't grown under the full glare of the sun but rather under the shade.
They are matured under a careful arrangement of handcrafted straw mats known as 'Komo'. Over 25 days, these tea leaves draw in the nutrients of precious minerals that are nurtured by rain showers and dewy mornings. The slow growth of Hon Gyokuro is further nurtured by gentle breezes and sunlight filtering through the woven mat.
After harvesting, the freshly picked tea leaves are promptly processed on the same day. Stored in a wooden box known as Cha-Bako, the leaves rest and mature until autumn, enhancing their exquisite flavours. You get seaweed-green leaves that are rich in chlorophyll. With a flavour profile that hints of honeysuckle and that ends in a velvety finish with a touch of ooika—a thick, heady note that ignites the senses. This is a tea of brilliant sweetness and concentrated flavour.
This ancestral Gyokuro technique is practised by only a handful of tea plantations in Japan. There, where Mount Fuji sits, the altitude and terroir add to the Gyokuro harvests. The two renowned tea estates which TWG Tea sources from are managed by a single tea planter. In the case of Master's Gyokuro, the plantation's lone producer and craftsman of Hon Gyokuro is the last in the line of tea planters. He harvests the leaves by hand once a year in the spring. Only a mere five-kilogramme yield is passed onto TWG Tea. Needless to say, for the sort of exceptional quality, the Hon Gyokuro is highly limited.
TWG Tea's Imperial Gyokuro (SGD264 per pot / SGD1,271.50 per 50g) and Master's Gyokuro (SGD61.50 per pot / SGD258 per 50g) are more than just a cup of tea; it is an experience. Where contemplation over a comforting brew brings to the fore the appreciation of long-cherished heritage and craftsmanship.
