TWG (The Wellness Group) is a distributor of quality teas founded in 2008. On their logo, which is a copy of the one of Mariage Frères, it is mentioned the date 1837 but it is obviously a deception. They also have some words written in French such as "Mélanges Exquis" or "Grand Crus Prestige", probably aimed at making consumers believe it is a French brand. But TWG is from Singapore and there is no shame in that.
Part of their marketing strategies is the creation of high-end boutiques / restaurants / tea salon. There are already over 40 branches around the World, especially in Asia (only 1 in Europe and a few in US). The ideas is to position TWG as a luxury company by opening in premium locations, with a chic design and fine dining service.
I had TWG Teas on several occasions and they were good for a non-expert like me. It seems to me that tea is a basic product, a commodity and I don't think there are "Grand Crus" like there are with wine. All these talks make me feel like it is just a lot of gibberish aimed at marking up the prices of a very simple product. I would be curious to know what is the real cost of the 2 grams of tea leaves they put on your cup.
Anyway, I tried one of their two Tea Salons and Boutiques in Jakarta, the one in Pacific Place Mall (the other one is in Plaza Senayan).
I liked the design of the place and the excellent service. A PR and a hostess came at my table. They were a bit mannered but I imagine this is what people are expecting in high-end restaurants unfortunately. It is Parisian Chic brought to Asia.
There menu features all the classic Western dishes, some of them prepared with tea. They also have several breakfast sets with tea for about Rp100,000.
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| Chicken Majesté (Rp140,000 + 21% tax and service charge) |
I had the "Chicken Majesté" which was well-presented and tasted fine. At around Rp170,000 net, it is quite overpriced though.
Overall: TWG is recommended for its excellent French café design and atmosphere, its service and its teas (especially the packaging). They are also famous for their macarons that I did not have the chance to try. Food-wise, it is fine but it is not the best value-for-money you will find. For those prices, you can actually eat in some 5-star hotels restaurants nearby.
TWG Tea Salon & Boutique Plaza Senayan
Level 1, Unit 109A, Jalan Asia Afrika 8, 10270
South Jakarta, Indonesia
Phone number: +62-21 572 5276
TWG Tea Salon & Boutique Pacific Place Mall
Pacific Place, Level 1, Unit 30B, SCBD
Jalan Sudirman Kav 52-53, South Jakarta 12190
Phone number: +62-21 5797 3272
Website: http://www.twgtea.com/
Facebook: TWG Tea 1837
Opening Hours:
From Monday to Sunday from 10am to 10pm