Salon de Thé de Joel Robuchon Taipei

Posted By Jennifer Ho Jul 01 2011 · 0 comments · Snacks & Street Food

Mont-Blanc

World renowned French chef and restauranteur Joel Robuchon – the only one in the world who has received as many as 24 Michelin stars – has opened a Salon de Thé in Taipei’s Bellavita high fashion complex. Beautifully decorated with not a single item out of place, the furniture, the floors and the couches alternate between a jet black and a bright red, providing a stark contrast. We went around 11 am, a little early for afternoon tea granted, but we were anticipating waiting for a while, having heard that lines to get a seat inside are common. To our surprise, it was completely empty! We were the only customers until a few minutes before we left as some more groups started to trickle in. The place is gorgeous – as are the pastries served here.

Lemon Tart

We ordered a medley of different items, from drinks to desserts. Starting off with the tea, we had four different kinds: Imperial Wedding (sort of like a chai with less cardamom), Marco Polo (fragrant black tea), fresh mint and camomile (both standard). To eat, some of us were hungry while others were not so some ordered only dessert, while others had a more meal-like experience. We got a ham and gruyère sandwich that came with a side of house salad, a pumpkin soup and the Joel Robuchon Tea Set menu that came with two macaroons, two madeleines, two cakes of our choosing (Mont-Blanc and strawberry milles-feuilles), a sandwich (Nature – carrots and chicken(super tender and juicy)) and two drinks, either tea or coffee.

Strawberry Milles-Feuilles

There was a strawberry yogurt cake (divine), a lemon tart (very tart, very sour! Recommended only if you really like a strong lemon flavor), a strawberry milles-feuilles (layers of perfectly delicate and flaky crust with fresh strawberries), a Mont-Blanc (chestnut cake with a honeycombed sugar center with chopped up bits of chestnut), and a plate of chocolate mousse on a bed of crunchy rice-crispy like bits topped with egg white foam. All of it heavenly. Price-wise it wasn’t as expensive as I would have thought – it’s relatively affordable despite its neighbouring high luxury brands.