Taiwanese Tea-Infused Dishes: Grand Formosa Regent’s Tian Xiang Lou Presents 14 Seasonal Limited-Edition Creations

▲ From August 16 to September 17, Tian Xiang Lou at Grand Formosa Regent Taipei has carefully selected seven certified tea varieties from three of Taiwan’s top tea-growing regions—Pinglin in New Taipei, Luye in Taitung, and Yuchi in Nantou—to create “Tea Cuisine Tian Xiang.” (Photo / Huang Shih-yuan)

Reported by Huang Shih-yuan / Taipei

From August 16 to September 17, Tian Xiang Lou at Grand Formosa Regent Taipei has carefully selected seven certified tea varieties from three of Taiwan’s top tea-growing regions—Pinglin in New Taipei, Luye in Taitung, and Yuchi in Nantou—to create “Tea Cuisine Tian Xiang,” a menu showcasing the island’s terroir. The selection includes 14 à la carte tea-inspired dishes ranging from appetizers, soups, river fresh seafood, main courses, noodles, to desserts, along with three exclusive tea-infused cocktails crafted by the sommelier: Orange Blossom Pomelo, Currant Assam, and Brandy Clear Tea.

For the 14 tea-inspired dishes, the chef insists on preserving traditional, labor-intensive preparation methods. For example, the Iron Goddess of Mercy Simmered Rice Sea Cucumber requires dried sea cucumber to be soaked for at least a week before being braised slowly with tiger knee and Iron Goddess of Mercy tea. Meanwhile, the Baozhong Osmanthus Vegetable Sea Fungus dish involves separately julienning and stir-frying fresh bamboo shoots, carrots, enoki mushrooms, wood ear fungus, water spinach, and yellow chives—a test of the chef’s knife skills and precise control over the cooking temperature of each ingredient—before finishing with a sprinkle of Baozhong tea powder for added fragrance. As for the dessert Red Oolong Pancake, the chef personally grinds Red Oolong tea leaves into powder, mixes it with flour to form the outer crust, and fills it with a subtle red bean paste that doesn’t overpower the tea aroma.

Additionally, the three limited-edition tea cocktails designed by the sommelier from Paris 1930 are centered around preserving the natural fragrance of the tea leaves. The Orange Blossom Pomelo exudes a tropical vibe, the Currant Assam is smooth and mellow with blackcurrant liqueur as its base, and the Brandy Clear Tea is presented to mimic a single-serving tea drink, offering a rich and rounded taste.
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