This July, Chai Wu have launched a new “Ladies Lunch” menu and we’re here to give you the lowdown.
Housed on the 5th floor of Harrods, we battled through the hectic shopping crowds to the peaceful tranquillity of Chai Wu. Instantly feeling more relaxed, the set menu comes with a glass of champagne which helps to set the scene.
The exclusive eight-course tasting menu, created by executive chef Ian Pengelley, felt to us like a unique, modern and thoroughly more interesting take on the traditionally feminine Afternoon Tea.
Managing to be both extravagant but also uber healthy at the same time (no mean feat!) the lunch will set you back £70 a head, which feels like good value, we left very full!
The meal starts with a delicate bowl of steamed soy beans with XO sauce, so far, so healthy and light.
Next up appeared two delicately steamed lobster and sea bass crystal dumplings topped with caviar. We are in Harrods after all. Filled to perfection, you could really taste juicy pieces of fish encased in the dumplings.
Wheatgrass and Avocado Shooters were creamy and smooth – think of them as a palette cleanser.
I’ve got to say, The Beauty Bucket sounded pretty interesting! It consisted of a teapot of poached Shanghainese chicken, mushrooms and goji berries, which when poured left you with a clear soup – the Hemsley sisters would be in their element! You’d have to of been living in a cave not to have learnt of the health benefits of chicken stock. Collagen jelly is left on the side for you to add at your discretion – tasted alone it had quite a fresh clean, salty/sweet lemon grass taste to it, once added to the soup it dissolved into all the goodness.
Crispy charcoaled salmon marinated in manuka honey, Shaoxing wine and mandarin, was as beautifully moist as it sounds. The salmon being paired with the mandarin continued the healthy vibes but felt like a true main course.
This is where the healthy-vibes ended and where we totally over-indulged.
Dessert was pretty epic and came at us from all angles.
First up we were served juicy strawberries in champagne, topped with a sugar crisp and a fluffy dollop of cream – move over Wimbledon.
A green tea fondant, with milk and collagen ice cream was so delicious I couldn’t stop eating, despite being totally full at this point. But hey, it’s good for me right, right??
The edible lipstick “treat” was cute, and actually tasted delicious (raspberry sorbet, I think!) but was more of a gimmick than anything else. Don’t get me wrong, your mum will love it.
Bursting with keratin and protein plentiful, the Ladies Lunch menu is available for £70 per person from Sunday – Friday, from 12pm until 5pm/
We think it makes the perfect alternative to Afternoon Tea – take your mum, your girlfriend – or heck – your boyfriend. Despite its tongue in cheek nature, this is a beautifully put together set menu. And we LOVED gorging while pretending to be healthy.
