Pairing tea with food is a delicate balancing act that, when executed by experts, can make a dining experience extra special.
The four-course lunch will be served on Fridays and Saturdays until July 27 at Tate Dining Room, where guests will be treated to French-Chinese cuisine juxtaposed with rare teas, emblematic of Lau’s East-West culinary vision.
Lau and Being & Tea founder Wing Yeung have carefully matched every drink’s profile – colour, aroma, taste and form – to the composition of each dish.
The inspiration for the menu stems from Lau’s fascination with the core philosophy of a Chinese tea ceremony, she says.
“The fundamental idea is to use tea as a means to bring people closer to nature and cultivate a sense of balance and harmony,” she says. “I wanted to capture that essence of connecting diners with the natural world through a thoughtful tea pairing.”
Meanwhile, Lau’s roasted duck with five-spice hibiscus strawberry and plum compote will be paired with Wu Yuan Jian Rou Gui tea, a mellow, smooth and refined blend with a strong woody aroma, complementing the duck’s richness and the sweetness of the compote.
According to Lau, each pairing can “balance the flavours, add colour, reduce greasiness and enhance the fragrance of every dish”.
Much like wine and other traditional Chinese tea pairings, Lau says her fusion interpretation aims to celebrate “the natural balance and intrinsic connection between food, tea and the environment”.
“Puer is also known for its health benefits and the way the tea can evolve in flavour through continued fermentation and ageing,” Lau says. “Understanding these processes and how they impact the tea’s taste is a fascinating topic to explore in depth.”
A highlight of the workshop will be the tasting of a rare, old Puer valued at HK$480,000 (US$61,500) per brick, reflective of the time and expertise required to create it.
The lunch with tea pairing costs HK$1,580 per guest (HK$1,180 without), while the Puer workshop is HK$2,880 per person and is limited to eight participants.
For details visit tate.com.hk.
