Tag Archives: tea

Tea with a Stunning View: Ritz Carlton Hotel in Hong Kong

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In August 2014, Tawn and I journeyed to Hong Kong for a long weekend, celebrating the fifth anniversary of our marriage. (Yes, I realize that it has taken more than two months to actually post the details of this trip.) While there, we decided to splurge on an afternoon tea at The Lounge and Bar at the Ritz Carlton Hotel.

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Perched on the 102nd floor of the International Commerce Centre in Kowloon, The Lounge and Bar offers one of the more stunning views for afternoon tea and at HK$598 (about US$78) for two people, it is not unreasonably priced.

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Having indicated on my reservation the reason we were coming for tea, the hotel thoughtfully decorated our tray with a white chocolate “letter” wishing us a happy anniversary.

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The amount of food is generous – plus two full pots of tea. The savory sandwiches were a truffle egg mayonnaise on brown bread, shellfish and dill cream on white bread, and smoked salmon with lemon curd on rye bread. There were also duck foie gras pate mini puff pastries with freeze-dried passion fruit.

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The sweets included blueberry cheesecake, mango choux, and peach vanilla verrine (not pictured here).

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There was also hazelnut lemon cake and orange ginger canneles. I love canneles!

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And of course you cannot have tea without scones. Two types were served with belberry jam and clotted cream.

The teas come from Marriages Frères, the Parisian tea company that offers so many high-quality flavors to choose from. And the china is beautiful. It was a very relaxing two hours with attentive service, amazing views, and too much tasty food. For the price, it was actually quite reasonable.

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Happy anniversary honey! We should make this an annual tradition to celebrate.

Afternoon Tea at Four Seasons Chiang Mai

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While in Chiang Mai a few weeks ago with visiting guests, I made a stop at the Four Seasons resort for afternoon tea. The resort is located about a thirty-minute drive north of town, which only enhances its feeling of being in the middle of nowhere. The resort is gorgeous and the afternoon tea is a worthwhile splurge for an hour or two of pampering yourself.

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The resort is arranged around a pond designed to look like a Northern Thai village complete with rice paddies. The only buildings you see are those belonging to the resort and with the mountains in the distance, you could easily be forgiven for thinking you had been transported to some magical Thai Brigadoon. At 5:00, the “farmers” (resort employees dressed in traditional Northern Thai farmer’s clothes) paraded across the paddies to the rhythm of a gong, “returning” to the village, a touch that was a bit kitschy but also fun.

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Trish, Allen, and I pose for a picture at the Sala Mae Rim restaurant. We didn’t make reservations but fortunately were able to get a prime table, perhaps because it was the midst of rainy season and the slowest time for tourists. We ordered one tea set (designed for two) plus an extra pot of tea, which was more than enough food for the three of us. The total price was approximately US$50, more than I would usually spend but certainly a worthwhile treat while on holiday.

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The top plate in the tea set featured mango sticky rice with a palm sugar floss; crisp water chestnuts in sweet coconut milk; Parisian macaroons, and chocolate truffle cake.

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The middle plate in the set featured finger sandwiches (ham and cheese, cucumber, and smoked salmon); fried shrimps wrapped in egg noodles, miang kham (a Thai snack of betel leaves wrapped around savory fillings); and krathong tong (literally “golden baskets” – crispy shells filled with minced chicken and shrimp).

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The final plate in the set featured kaffir-lime and raisin scones, served with clotted cream and strawberry jam. All the food was fantastic and the portions were more than adequate for the three of us.

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After almost two hours of indulgence, we finally left paradise to return to the city. Without a doubt, the Four Seasons is on my list for future visits. While it may be too far away from the city to actually stay at (unless you specifically want to escape from the world), it is worth a visit for tea.

 

Tea at the Erawan Hotel

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Over the Songkran holidays in the middle of April, we were treated to the visit of several friends, many of whom I first met through Xanga. One afternoon, some of us gathered for tea in the lobby of the Erawan Hotel. Afternoon tea is one of those treats I enjoy because it is relaxing and provides a sense of sophistication. In fact, in the afternoons during fifth and sixth grade, I would go to my friend David’s house after school. His mother always served milk tea and freshly baked croissant, which I think ignited my appreciation for afternoon tea.

The Erawan, a Grand Hyatt hotel, is conveniently located in the center of Bangkok and its tea service is surprisingly affordable. About 450 Bt (US$15) gets you a large pot of tea and a tall tray of snacks, more than enough for two people to share. A string trio plays in the corner of the lobby, the service is attentive in keeping with Thai custom, and there is no rush. You can spend an hour or two just feeling pampered and very refined.

In researching this entry, I learned that I have been incorrectly using the term “high tea”. This type of afternoon loose leaf tea with cakes and small sandwiches is actually “low tea”. “High tea” refers to a more complete meal that is served in the early evening. Thanks, Wikipedia! 

 

New Year’s Day Tea Party

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On New Year’s Day, Tawn’s university friends gathered for what I hope will be an annual tradition: New Year’s Tea. Our host, Bim, prepared scones and a variety of snacks. I prepared the tea sandwiches. Everyone had a good time.

Bim’s scones. This was her first time making them and she experimented with a few different sizes. The larger ones were more delicate although the small ones were tasty, too.

My two types of tea sandwiches. Finding bread that was soft but would hold up to the cutting was a challenge. The bread on the left is also made with black glutinous rice, which explains the small specks.

Making the spreads. On the left, a watercress compound butter. On the right, a green olive and parsley tapenade.

Partially made sandwiches. On the left, the watercress butter is covered with cucumber slices. On the right, the olive and parsley tapenade is covered with provolone cheese. Round cheese does not work so well on square bread.

Friends and baby pose with a lovely spread of afternoon snacks.

Meeting Janet for Tea

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Near the end of our trip to Los Angeles, Tawn and I drove south to Oceanside, CA to spend the night visiting some friends.  Along the way we stopped in beautiful San Juan Capistrano, a small town on the south side of Orange County, to visit Janet, a fellow Xangan who keeps us enthralled with her photos.

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San Juan Capistrano is a mission town, home to one of the 21 missions and settlements founded by Father Junipero Serra and his band of merry Franciscan friars.  At the heart of the town is a railway station, at which Amtrak and commuter trains regularly call.  On the left side of the tracks is the old town area, Los Rios, where several antique shops and tea rooms are located.

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Antique shower from Paris, filled with rocks and sitting in the garden of the tea house.

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In her entry on the meeting, Janet has more pictures including a better one of the three of us.  The tea shop was very cute, though, with all sorts of fussily elegant cups, saucers, tea pots, and creamers, hilariously mismatched.

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Their scones were very nice with locally made preserves and fresh cream.  Was it clotted cream though?  Not sure.  Anyhow, it was a pleasant visit and I’ve glad we had the chance to meet Janet in person after several years of knowing her virtually.

Tags: @slmret

 

Food in HK – Tea at the Intercontinental Hotel

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As our trip to Hong Kong came to its conclusion, Tawn and I went to the Intercontinental Hotel on the Kowloon waterfront for afternoon tea.  With its panoramic view of the harbor, the Intercon offers a relaxing and refined way to spend your afternoon.  You end up feeling mighty sophisticated just because of the setting.

Located right along the Avenue of the Stars, a pedestrian walkway along the East Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront dedicated to the stars of Hong Kong cinema, the Intercon is a short walk from the MTR and Kowloon Railway stations.

In the background to the left is the venerable Peninsula Hotel and, next to it, the Sheraton.  The Peninsula is famed for its afternoon tea but, I’ve been told, is both pricey and filled with tourists.  The Intercon offers both the option of either a simple tea service or an extravagant one while offering a view the Peninsula doesn’t.  And maybe slightly fewer tourists, although I can’t tell for certain.

The view from just outside the Intercon, showing the Avenue of the Stars walkway.  This being a reasonably clear day, you can see Victoria Peak back behind the IFC Tower.

The lobby of the Intercon is spacious and bright although the carpet could use a refresh.  Service is very attentive and friendly, though, and I felt very at home.

There was a full tea service that offered sandwiches, pastries, and other snacks.  Since we had eaten only a few hours before and had a large dinner planned, we went for the simple scone and tea option.  The teas are from Mariage Frères, a venerable Parisian company that has been producing fine teas for over 150 years.  It is also the “house tea” at our Bangkok condo.  (Yeah, I know that sounds horribly pretentious!)  In fact, it is the brand of tea Tawn served when he had the opportunity to meet Martha Stewart a few months ago at a friend’s shop.

The silver tea service is heavy and functional, not at all dainty and elegant.  The scones are tasty and the clotted cream and jelly are generously served.  An extra pot of hot water sits on the table and the server stops by every so often to top off your cup.

Certainly a very relaxing and refined way to spend an hour in the afternoon and a nice way to complete our trip to Hong Kong.  I think I should take tea in hotels more often.  And isn’t Tawn adorable in this picture?  As we say in Thai, na-rak jang leuy!

That evening, we had dinner at Aqua, the Japanese Italian fusion restaurant that overlooks the Hong Kong harbor from the top floor of One Peking Road.  I didn’t provide a write-up on the restaurant for two reasons: first, it was a little too dark for food pictures even with my camera; second, our hosts were the brother and brother-in-law of the owner.  We received some special considerations so I’m not sure I could objectively evaluate the restaurant.  I will say that the view is spectacular and the food is very good so if you’re looking for a high end destination restaurant, it is worth considering.

I hope you’ve enjoyed the series on the Hong Kong eats.  In the next few days I’ll put them all on a Google map and share that with you, in case you want to reference them on a future visit to Hong Kong.  Thanks for all your comments and feedback on the entries.