Jewellery-inspired high tea - surely no tai tai can resist the allure?
Dennis Chan, the creative director of French jeweller Qeelin, has joined with the Ritz-Carlton's culinary team to use his Chinese-inspired, often whimsical designs as the basis for a special afternoon tea set.
In place of the usual logo-emblazed cupcakes and fruit tarts, executive pastry chef Richard Long and his team have created a chocolate financier that mimics the goldfish figure from Qeelin's Qin Qin collection, panda-shaped chocolates inspired by its Bo Bo line, and chocolate raspberry crème with the Chinese symbols of fortune from its Wu Lu range.
The desserts, which appear strikingly similar to the pieces of jewellery from which they were inspired, wowed the designer himself.
"The chocolate version of our signature Wu Lu piece looks very real and tastes superb as well," Chan said at a tasting session last Friday.
He said jewellery design and culinary art shared some similarities. "They both focus on details," he said. "This is especially true when it comes to desserts. The size of the item is small, like a piece of jewellery, and both stimulate a person's visual sense.