So what is a non tea (or coffee) drinker like me doing, attending Tea related events?
Well that is the power of an attractive label … ‘Unchiwali Chai’ that translates to High Tea, was Label love at first sight for me 😀
Added to that, the elegance and affability of Smita Agrawal of The Shef Society, who is the brains behind the concept, also made it quite appealing for me.
Smita had been inviting me for a long time and my crazy schedule had always played the bad guy. But I eventually did manage to make up my mind and fortuitously so, since the venue also featured principles that were close to my heart (and palate), ‘Go Native’ being a place that serves indigenous foods with a leaning towards sustainability.
So join me at Palate Anthology, the name given to her latest event and come and say Chai’eers as I docilely follow Smita’s instructions on how to sip tea. Yeah she does not take No for an answer 😀
About Unchiwali Chai & The Shef Society –
Experiences –
Shef Society crafts unique luxury experiences that include High Teas, Curated dinners, Launch concepts, Promotional events, Boutique events, Community cooking or cooking classes and more.
They play with Indian as well as global cuisines in order to create a sublime food experience to lift your mind, spirit and soul (and palate of course) to another level.
Experienced as well as budding chefs collaborate with them and partner with in their events.
In particular, their signature monthly series called Unchi Wali Chai, brings exclusive Tea experiences that are paired with well curated food at partnering restaurants that are carefully chosen.
The usual pattern of these themed events are, the creation of a well researched menu that pairs well with the teas of the day and a guided experience by Smita, who brews the teas in front of the ‘audience’ and also explains the various nuances.
Some entertainment in the form of a quiz or two and the excitement of return gifts, pretty much makes the event delightfully fun.
Products –
They also sell tea related products like various Loose Leaf tea blends that they put together.
Training –
They also conduct Tea training for the hospitality sector (hotels, schools, cafes) and provide consultancy for tea lounges and cafes by Tea sommeliers.
About Palate Anthology –
The latest event called Palate Anthology that I had the pleasure of attending, took place at Go Native, a restaurant that believes in sustainable practices and indigenous and local fare.
Our menu for the day is as below.
The choice of food at every course was truly apt for the accompanying variant of tea. My favorite was the cool and refreshing Apple Pie Kombucha (my first kombucha ever) that was cleverly paired with a Fig, berry and raisin salad that was perfect for the last day of January, when Bangalore had already begun behaving like summer!!!
The freshly brewed Darjeeling Oolong went well with the platter of Lotus root and Yam galouti sheekh, Ragi suratal with red curry sauce and adorable mini appams with a creamy coconutty stew. The right portion size and great flavors and textures.
The milky Indian chai was next (Shh do not tell Smita that I did not drink this), accompanied by a mini tartine of Malabar paratha bearing a delectable falafel and also a light and gentle Sheermal with lotus stem and gobi tikka masala.
Yes there was tea with dessert too, aptly named Yoga tea for its power of relaxation and maybe also to assuage some of the guilt of the decadent Apple malpua topped with kesar coconut sauce and the Mysore pak crowned with a tangy lemon cream cheese.
This was pretty much my dinner of course, which is what all High Teas end up becoming anyway 😀
The experience was very pleasing and the company was wonderful. Smita has a set of loyal guests who appreciate this concept and look forward to her events.
Contact –
Upcoming Unchiwali Chai events are announced on the FB page of Shef Society. Please follow it to be notified about ticket and other details.
Also, find their social media links here –
https://theshefsociety.business.site
https://www.instamojo.com/ShefSociety
For more pictures see My Facebook – Unchiwali Chai – Palate Anthology Also catch me on My Facebook, My Facebook page, My Twitter and My Instagram
Jan 31st, 2020
