In these snowy winter times, there is nothing like a good hot chocolate or a big cup of tea to warm up and feel good!
During my vacations, I was invited to discover l’Instant Thé at the Bar Tuileries of The Westin Paris: delicious and appetizing pastries and other sweets made by the Executive Chef Gilles Grasteau, very fragrant “Jing” teas and especially a new hot chocolate break: the “l’un dans l’autre” chocolate.
Instant Tea is the new afternoon ritual proposed by the Bar Tuileries: three moments (gourmet, tasting and freshness) around a hot or cold drink and an accompaniment (verrine and fruit salad or pastries or ice cream – sorbets), ideal after a visit to Paris, a museum or a frantic shopping session. This recent concept allows you to discover the bar’s menu based on its Chef’s renowned pastries and to enjoy the creations or discoveries of the Chef Barman.
I was welcomed by a delicious host, the Chef Barman Philippe Guidi, on rue Castiglione in a cosy and hushed setting in red, black and gold tones, a few steps from Place Vendôme. This bar with its comfortable armchairs and 19th century inspired decoration offers a rather unexpected menu far from the usual cocktails, real creations that revisit the known cocktails to offer very surprising versions.
Philippe Guidi, very innovative in his approach, made me discover his new creation: the chocolate “one in the other”. It is a hot chocolate that is enjoyed with flavored ice water to stimulate the senses. Four variations are proposed: the cinnamon chocolate, the ginger chocolate, the lavender chocolate and finally the licorice chocolate. A surprising sensation of hot and cold exalted by the meeting of a very full-bodied chocolate with a very aromatic and cold water, the secret of which is jealously guarded. The chef tells us about his work: “It is a thermal and gustatory mixture! You can drink both at the same time (two straws are proposed) or one after the other. Most people taste the chocolate first and only then enjoy the water, as chocolate is a very sweet flavor and water tends to be cooling.”
I had the honor of tasting two of his chocolates: the cinnamon chocolate reminding me of the chocolate flavor of my childhood and the more unexpected ginger chocolate. Enjoying both flavors is truly amazing but delicious for all lovers of full-bodied chocolate. Cinnamon, a spice widely used in the Anglo-Saxon world, blends divinely and enhances the racy chocolate. The ginger sensation is bluffing, the pungent and peppery side of the ginger having been erased in favor of its “root” side.
“In winter, people drink chocolate, tea or coffee to keep warm. The idea was to propose and serve a hot and offbeat drink that could please the maximum number of people“says Philippe Guidi. I would even go further and say that this chocolate can surprise and seduce a maximum of gourmets. What’s more, accompanied by succulent pastries or the famous Westin lemon and chestnut cake, it’s a tasty Instant Tea that is offered to us. So run to the Tuileries Bar at the Westin Paris to warm up and enjoy this unique break.
Tuileries Bar – The Westin Paris Hotel
3 rue de Castiglione 75001 PAris
Marie-Odile Radom
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