Four Seasons Hotel Washington, DC
2800 Pennsylvania Avenue NW • Washington, DC 20007
202-342-0444 • fourseasons.com
Touted as the only five-star, five-diamond hotel in the nation’s capital, the Four Seasons Washington, DC, exemplifies what one would expect from any resort under this well-known global brand: exceptional amenities, exquisite dining, and world-class service. Positioned at the entrance of Georgetown University, the stylish hotel holds many accolades and admirable features, but the most notable of them all might be the acquisition of Ashish “AJ” Thalakkat as the executive pastry chef and resident tea sommelier for the property. The fascinating role combination of pastry chef and sommelier elevates the talented culinary artist to a unique level of awareness of how food and beverage can skillfully complement each other in a thoughtful manner. This brings both cohesiveness to the menu and a special education of both worlds to the guests who are lucky enough to experience it.
Chef AJ grew up in India and was introduced to tea as a young child. “We used to have afternoon tea like the British,” AJ recalls. “I’ve been passionate about teas since childhood. When I moved to Canada when I was 19, it was huge there.” The eager gentleman took the job of executive pastry chef at the iconic Fairmont Empress in Victoria, British Columbia, and chose to shake things up a bit by making the wise decision to serve scones as the first course of afternoon tea (as we showcase in TeaTime) rather than the second. He believes that the baked good is best when served warm out of the oven instead of sitting on a tiered stand waiting until the savories are consumed. While at the Empress, Chef AJ additionally re-created and adopted popular recipes loved by the royal family and served at Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace.
Fast forward to today, Chef AJ, with an appetite for all things tea, now resumes the hybrid chef-sommelier title for the Four Seasons. Working with Metropolitan Tea Company to receive his sommelier training, the afternoon-tea ringleader, so to speak, is dedicated to ensuring that the food and tea are equally excellent and on par with each other. “At a lot of places, the tea element is lost,” AJ notes. “We spend a lot of time picking the right teas. It’s the key to our afternoon tea.” The Four Seasons carefully selects specific teas to coordinate with the seasonal menus. They purposefully choose teas that will pair well with the food, which is a nice touch and makes the process of picking which tea to try a little less complicated. The high-end teas offered are sourced from around the world, with Chef AJ personally selecting and critically tasting every tea, keeping in mind the season in which the tea was plucked and the flavor the liquid emits. Among the best sellers are Cherry Blossom Tea (lovely in the springtime), white and green teas, and various oolongs.
Donning fine apparel and dusting off your go-to fascinator are encouraged when taking tea at the Four Seasons. “We consider each and every factor from tea to presentation,” AJ states. “Our china is Bernardaud—the teapot itself is beautiful with golden embellishment. Tea, to me, is an experience. It’s not just eating food; it’s a total experience.” For $95 per person including celebratory bubbles and valet parking, tea goers will be pleased with a modern and fabulous take on afternoon tea with the “DC Tea.” The warm and fluffy scones should be eaten first, as previously mentioned. The recipe comes from Buckingham Palace and is most desirable with healthy lashings of clotted cream and homemade strawberry lavender preserves. The tasty savories proceed next. Picture delightful canapés with an egg hollowed out in the center atop a thinly sliced piece of bread and a delicious smoked salmon florette presented as an elegant toast point crowned with caviar. All the ingredients are sourced from the best purveyors, and the salmon is smoked in-house. For the grand finale, the artistic pastries are not to be overlooked. Chocolate Queen’s Cake with Orange Zest (the late Queen Elizabeth II’s favorite cake, comprised of tea biscuits and chocolate), Battenberg Cake, delicate petit fours, and other timeless British delights will make one feel as if they are in London instead of DC.
The afternoon-tea menu at the Four Seasons appropriately changes seasonally. For winter, tea-infused fare is showcased to highlight the elixir that started the tradition. Chocolate cake imbued with rooibos and Earl Grey Tea Cake will satiate anyone’s sweet tooth. And if you happen to still be a bit peckish, an alluring tea cart will make its rounds throughout the room with additional sweet treats to savor.
The glorious custom of afternoon tea truly shines at the Four Seasons under the direction of Chef AJ. “It’s a respite from the busyness of Washington, DC,” he proclaims. “You can be there for 2 to 2ó hours, and you can come in and unwind a little bit.” If a proper and posh gastronomic journey is on the itinerary for your DC pilgrimage, do not hesitate to add the Four Seasons to the docket, if you wish to feel like a duke or duchess for a meal, that is.
Four Seasons Hotel Washington, DC’s afternoon tea is available every Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
