The Hindu Business Line, by Archana Achal, Jan 2012
Prefer to pair your food with refreshing tea rather than heady wine? Enter the Golden Dragon in Chennai, India.
Pairing wine with European and even Indian food is fairly common at many restaurants today, but Golden Dragon, the Chinese fine-dining restaurant at the Taj Coromandel, Chennai, likes to do things a little differently. Besides a glass of red or white, it also specialises in pairing food with tea, seen by many as a healthier option. Its tea bar has long been the focus of the restaurant, but until now the brew has never really been paired with the food. Now, with 14 different teas on offer, diners can look forward to more than just the popular Jasmine in Chinese tea.
A range of tea variants is got by infusing natural flavours of fruits and flowers through the process of steeping.
FRAGRANT COMPANY
A minute or two after the green and white tea with flavours of peach and chamomile was placed on the table, its sweet fruity fragrance filled the air. It made the earthy spinach dimsum feel light and complemented it perfectly.
The Chun tea with citrus and Ginseng tasted less sweet but was just as fragrant. This well suited the delightfully light Crackling Spinach with Candied Walnuts that was served next. A never-ending stream of starters appeared on our table — water chestnuts and Chinese bread tossed in Kung Pao sauce; stir-fried mushrooms; and the beautifully presented Song of the Dragon, a dish of chicken or baby potatoes fried with potent, dried red chillies and served in a white ceramic pot said to contain the dragon song. Thankfully, there was the smooth, slightly sweet and wonderfully aromatic green tea with Madagascar vanilla flower to punctuate the spicy sauces and chilli in these dishes.
MAIN COURSE MUST-HAVES
The main course was fairly simple with rice steamed in woven bamboo containers, crunchy French beans with pickled Chinese vegetables, tender chicken in hot garlic sauce and perfectly cooked duck in sweet bean sauce. The accompanying floral oolong tea did not have any distinct aromatic notes but the smoky, full-bodied Monkey Pick tea complemented the woodiness of the bamboo rice. The silver needle tea or Dancing Tea, so named because the leaves “dance” from the top to the bottom of the pot, was too light to make any impression.
As was the Fortune Ball with Lotus, an elegant tea served at celebrations, as the opening of the dried flower is said to bring good luck to all who witness it. The flower opened prettily when dropped in the pot of water but did not add more than a hint of floral aroma. The aromatic white tea, on the other hand, was medium-bodied and a lovely pink in colour with notes of peaches and tangy raspberry.
PU-ERH DELIGHT
A pot of Pu-erh then arrived and, while I pondered how to pronounce it right, dessert was brought in.
A smooth, chocolate-filled dimsum garnished with slivered almonds made me forget about pretty much everything else, but the earthy yet slightly sea-like aroma of the Pu-erh forced its way into my chocolate coma. The Pu-erh is celebrated as a dieter’s dream with mysterious slimming properties. Grown on hills near the Yunnan coast, it is infused with a slightly fishy depth.
It is full-bodied with a rounded taste, making it a great accompaniment to the Malai Gao, a roulade made with sponge cake and red bean paste.
The tea tasting menu was well prepared and researched, making for a satisfying and educational experience.
