A new take on French pastries: Eslite Spectrum launches an afternoon tea set featuring local Taiwanese ingredients

▲ Eslite Spectrum launches an afternoon tea set featuring local Taiwanese ingredients.

Reported and photographed by Huang Shiyuan, Taipei

Although Eslite Spectrum, a hotel venture by Eslite, has been open for half a year, The Chapter Café only launched its three-tier afternoon tea set “Chapter 1: Chapter of Joy” in mid-August, incorporating local Taiwanese ingredients into the desserts. Examples include using peanuts from Fangyuan, Changhua to make Mont Blanc, health-focused sesame from Shanhua, Tainan for the custard filling in cream puffs, and lemons from Jiuru Township for French lemon tarts.

To incorporate local Taiwanese ingredients into Western-style pastries, Wang Zhihao, head pastry chef at The Chapter Café, said that over the two-month R&D period, they tested around 70 to 80 types of ingredients before finally selecting the peanuts from Fangyuan, Changhua for the Mont Blanc, health sesame from Shanhua, Tainan, and sweet potatoes from Jinshan for the custard in cream puffs, as well as fresh lemons from Jiuru Township for the French lemon tarts.


▲ Purple sweet potato pineapple cream puff (left), health sesame pineapple cream puff (right).

Among the afternoon tea selection, the peanut Mont Blanc, health sesame pineapple cream puff, and French lemon tart are the three desserts most recommended by Chef Wang Zhihao. The health sesame pineapple cream puff involves a complex process: after sourcing the health sesame from Shanhua, Tainan, it is first roasted, then ground and filtered before being cooked into a sauce that is blended with the custard. The peanut Mont Blanc features three different nut flavors—peanuts, chestnuts, and hazelnuts—for a layered taste. As for the French lemon tart, Chef Wang noted that the lemons from Jiuru Township are particularly fragrant with a lingering sweet aftertaste.

The “Chapter 1: Chapter of Joy” afternoon tea dessert set includes: the first tier with mini macarons, madeleines, and French fruit jellies; the second tier with white chocolate rum raisin cookies (crafted in the shape of a book by Eslite Spectrum), peanut Mont Blanc, health sesame pineapple cream puff, and purple sweet potato pineapple cream puff; the third tier with English scones, royal white chocolate mousse, French lemon tart, and smoked beef croissants.

The Chapter Café’s classic three-tier afternoon tea, paired with a choice of two teas (options include Liao Xiangzhang, Wangdechuan, TEEKANNE, and Hediard), is priced at NT$1,180 (plus 10% service charge) for two people, available daily from 14:00 to 17:00 in limited quantities.


▲ French lemon tart.


▲ Peanut Mont Blanc.