When Jiten Thukral and Sumir Tagra of Thukral & Tagra were approached to come up with a concept for Roseate House in Aerocity, all that the artist duo wanted was to create a space that replicates a cultural centre. So they conceived a project, ‘Bathtub’, especially for this luxury property and narrated six different stories that responded to human emotions through six lithographic works crafted by them. They also conceptualised the house as a book where each chapter would mark the beginning of a new journey. And, making its debut in this storyline is Roasted, a patisserie and tea lounge, which was launched last week.
The location of this 12-seater space is apt for continuing conversation without any distraction. Situated in one extreme corner of the hotel, the rectangular space is neatly divided into two sections: seating and serving, lending it the right amount of aesthetic balance. However, the conversations won’t be intimate as sofas and chairs are placed right next to each other, making the space slightly cramped, especially during the rush hour.
However, the patisserie is suitable for tea connoisseurs who would be spoilt for choice to choose from an array of blends like Singapore Breakfast Tea, 1837 Black Tea, Geisha Blossom Tea, Moroccan Mint, Alexandria, Vanilla Bourbon and Red of Africa from their tea section. And since the hotel has brought luxury tea brand, TWG Tea from Singapore on board, tea lovers would get to indulge in the finest blends.
And while everyone is aware about the ubiquitous pairing between wine and cheese, executive pastry chef Anand Panwar has curated a spread of patisseries to go along with these teas. “I have created TWG Tea flavoured macaroons with signatures like 1837 Black tea and blackcurrant, Vanilla Bourbon and Framboise and Roses, along with tea-flavoured cakes and pastries. The idea is to make it convenient for people to choose desserts that go well with a particular tea blend,” says Anand.
So, we too tried their two blends — Silver Moon Tea and Black Chai that were served with Banana and Walnut and Carrot and Ginger tea cakes, respectively. While the former had a slight, fragrant aroma, latter was packed with a bundle of ginger, cardamom and cinnamon flavours. Since it was a tasting session, Anand says, he decided to replace macaroons with tea cakes so that the combination isn’t heavy on the stomach.
The miniature tea cakes were less on sugar and hence complemented the teas well. And since the brewing of each tea is done at different temperatures, it would be a good idea to leave the city’s humdrum behind and escape to a place where all you can see are patches of greenery and glass .
