“Hey wake up,” the voice sounded far away but the nudging on my shoulder felt very much real. “Maybe we can have afternoon tea today.”
What?! These words jolted me wide awake from my still groggy early-morning daze. These are words I never expected to come out of D’s mouth.
“Are you serious??” D hates stuff like this. Girly + expensive does not an ideal afternoon make. I had to drag him to tea at Twinings in Bangkok (and he only agreed because it was dirt cheap), where he proceeded to spend the entire time on his phone and refusing to eat anything (which I couldn’t complain about, because hey, more for me).
“Yeah, maybe. You won’t be able to have it for a while so we may as well do it now while in Hong Kong.”
I guess with our recent winnings, D felt generous enough to take me to tea.
Besides England, Hong Kong is probably next in the world famous for the afternoon tea tradition. So I quickly got to researching the most highly rated teas before D can change his mind.
While scrolling through a list, one caught our eyes: Le salon de thé de Joël Robuchon.
For those who don’t know it, Joël Robuchon was once named the chef of the century, so this has got to be good.
There are a few locations and we picked the one at the IFC mall. When we arrived, I was initially disappointed that it wasn’t even a proper cafe/tea room. Rather, it’s just an open sitting area next to the escalators, surrounded by stores, and bathed with the mall fluorescent light.
Okay so the ambiance wasn’t great, but I can look past that if the tea set is good. So was it?
We chose the tea set for 2 (cost: 470HKD, or US$60, plus extra for service), which also came with two tea selections. I can’t remember what D choose, but my berry fusion tea had a wonderful fruity flavor.
The stand that the food came on was just made of wood instead of luxurious silver trays. But that’s alright too… What matters is how good the food is.
Of course, we started with the scones. Two types were provided: plain and raisin (does anyone actually like raisin in their baked goods?!). They were perfectly buttery scones, but I’d have to say I’d had better. The clotted cream and strawberry jam were both delightful, however.
After a few bites of scones, I moved on to the savory bites:
mini croissant // asparagus panna cotta on parmesan bread // foie gras with mango jelly & ginger
tuna mousse in cherry tomato cups and caviar
eggplant on olive bread
salmon tartare slider
I loved that this was not your typical finger sandwiches. I absolutely devoured the eggplant on olive bread, tuna tomato cup, and salmon tartare slider. And then, there were the more interesting ones like foie gras with mango jelly and asparagus mousse.
I quite enjoyed all the savory bites. I thought they were delicate and creative with the flavor pairings and texture. However, D had less kind things to say and insisted that the buttery croissants were the only good ones of the whole bunch.
And then it was time to move on to the desserts!
mango and passion fruit chocolate balls // chocolate brownie
caramel apple macarons // raspberry mousse cake // coconut mousse with passionfruit sauce
orange sticks with chocolate almond dip // lemon walnut muffins
I found the selection to be a little hit and miss. The brownie topped with hazelnuts and hazelnut creme (think Ferrero Rocher) tasted delicious but texture was a bit dry. The lemon walnut muffins were completely forgettable, as were the raspberry mousse cake and coconut mousse cup.
However, the chocolate desserts were straight on point with just-melt-in-your-mouth chocolate balls with a creamy fruity center and zesty orange sticks dipped in chocolate. And the absolute best were the caramel apple macarons. These were the airiest macarons I’ve ever had, practically falling apart in your fingers as soon as you pick them up.
Verdict: I quite enjoyed it but did feel like it was a little pricey (or am I just really cheap??). D was overall disappointed and expected more from the chef of the century with 28 Michelin stars, but really, I suspect that it had more to do with the fact that his Y chromosome simply makes him incapable of enjoying such an activity. Either way, I benefited, as I got to eat most of it. :)
Practical Information
- There are three locations: Shop 315 & 334, Landmark Atrium | Shop 2045A, Podium Level 2, IFC mall | Shop 1020B, First Level Elements, 1 Austin Road West, Kowloon
- Hours: Afternoon tea starts at 3 pm (M-F) and 2 pm (Sat-Sun).
- The cafes also serve a variety of meal sets, a la carte food items, and pastries and desserts.
This was my first high end afternoon tea experience, but will not be my last! I will still be on the hunt for good ones, though I think I may just wait to splurge on one in London. I have my eyes on this.
What is the best afternoon tea you’ve had?
This looks so fabulous Anna, though I’m sorry it didn’t quite live up to its price tag but the savoury snacks look so unusual and different to the ordinary finger sandwiches! Love the sound of the asparagus panna cotta and it’s all so colourful! So sweet of you to remember my post about the gold tea – I’d so love to let D off the hook when you’re next in London so I can do afternoon tea with you instead ☺
Oh D will thank you too for not having to be dragged to another one of these activities! I’m so looking forward to the next time I can visit London, whenever it may be! I feel like it’s crazy that we haven’t met yet!
Ooooh, I didn’t know that HK were big on afternoon tea! This looks so so good to me, and I agree; those savoury nibbles look a million times better than little sandwiches and don’t get me started on the sweets!! I’m used to London prices for afternoon tea which can often be ridiculous unless you get a deal so this looks pretty similar. Take me there!!
Yeah! Hong Kong was a British colony for a long time, so it inherited the afternoon tea tradition! There are the really fancy ones, and also casual ones. Almost every cafe will have some kind of afternoon tea set. I feel like the price of this is really comparable to ones in London, especially since it feeds two people, so it’s just me that’s cheap! :)
I tried to get Travis to go to the Twinnings in Bangkok but he was not biting. Those macarons looks so good, I love anything Carmel apple though. I’ve only done a groupon high tea here in Brisbane because I’m too cheap.
Ohhh that’s too bad you didn’t get to go to Twinings in Bangkok! It was so cheap, like only $18. That was the only reason I managed to get D to go. And yes – I love groupons! I used to do stuff on Groupon all the time back in Los Angeles!
I suppose I will be like D and not able to appreciate this. $60 is a lot of money to spend on tea and a few little pieces of tit-bits. But if we look at the perspective of a 28 Michelin star inspired cafe, that price is relatively cheap. Maybe it is because you got the cheap set, that’s why the food did not blow your mind away.
I think this place only had 2 options… tea set for 1, or tea set for 2 people. Yeah I feel like the price is actually pretty good too, compared to London teas. We’re just not in the habit of spending so much for a snack hehe. I’m pretty sure guys only go to afternoon teas if their girlfriends drag them there :P.
OMG I LOVE AFTERNOON TEA! Sorry for the caps ;-) Hands down, Burj Al Arab in Dubai. It’s a must-try experience when you’re in town (let’s just ignore the price tag, hey?) Perfect for a special occasion…like, erm, the weekend? :-)
I will definitely note this down!! We do want to go to Dubai at some point!! If we do make it there, I’m sure the whole trip will be a splurge trip, so what’s another hundred or two for afternoon tea, right? ;)
Haha, it’s definitely worth it. Let me know when you go to Dubai, I’ll give you loads of tips. I lived there for seven years.
Yes definitely!! I hope you’ll be able to tell us where all the cheap places are :D.
I’ve never gone for something quite so fancy, but I’m quite partial to a scone every now and then. Although, I need to find a vegan replacement for that… thanks for reminding me :)
I’ve always torn with fancy food, is it all fancy and not enough to fill my belly or is it fancy and filling at the same time. You never know, so I usually go for cheap and cheerful. Still, it can’t hurt to go fancy once in a while :)
Exactly, I feel like fancy food never makes you full! But I felt like this set had a decent amount of food, and comparable to what you’d get at other high-end teas. But 99% of the time, I will always go for cheap!
Gorgeous!!! Man I LOVE Joel Robuchon. Loved him in Taiwan (there’s a salon in the Bella Vita department store!) and in Paris. I can see how the ambience in Hong Kong wasn’t fantastic..and I’m sorry to hear that the set was hit and miss. Robuchon is so legit (Jiro from Dreams of Sushi said he wishes he had Robuchons nose..), so you should give him another shot some time! ;)
Oh yes, I read that there’s one of these in Taipei too! I will definitely check out another Robuchon restaurant if I ever come across one! And btw… I went to Bella Vita the other day, and I could not find that French/Japanese bakery you told me about! I walked all around the basement food area. The mall was super fancy though and I felt out of place there, hehe.
Until a few months ago, afternoon tea used to be something my grandparents did on a Sunday, but now it suddenly seems to have become the latest in food fashion trends! To be fair though, it does look amazing! I love the idea of tapas because you can try a little of everything you fancy (great for the indecisive eater!) so I totally dig this idea for the same reason :-)
That’s so cool to think that this is just a weekly activity for British people, though I cannot imagine spending so much every week :P.
Haha, no way! Traditional British afternoon tea is just tea, scones, jam and cream, and therefore a lot cheaper!
Haha! I can definitely get behind that tradition then :D.
This looks amazing! I didn’t know that Hong Kong is known for afternoon tea. I only had one, and that was in London:) You can read about it on my blog. #travel tuesday
Yeah! Hong Kong was colonized by the British, so they got the afternoon tea tradition :D. Most cafes have an afternoon tea deal. I would love you check out your post! Next time I’m back in London, I will definitely be picking one to go to. :)
I knew about the colonization part but didn’t know that that led to acquiring the afternoon tea tradition:)
I want to see a picture of the inside of the chocolate balls. Or I could just hop a plane and try them for myself. The selection of savories look yummy, and not your typical crustless watercress sandwich, etc. My daughter and I ordered an afternoon tea service before a show while we were in Cambodia. It took so long for the food to come out that we only had 5 minutes to eat it. Imagine cramming one tiny morsel into your mouth after another an chewing it as fast as you can. Not exactly relaxing.
Oh that sounds like a horrible experience!!! Afternoon tea is meant to be enjoyed and each bite savored! I can’t believe they wouldn’t let you stay longer to finish eating it. But then again, I guess Cambodia doesn’t take this tradition as seriously :P.
I’ve never done an afternoon tea, but this looks great. I love sweets and I think I’d scarf all those chocolate desserts down so fast. XD
I know, I have a horrible sweet tooth! My favorites were the chocolate ones and the macarons!
I’ve actually never done afternoon tea, but it’s up on my list! Those little bites look absolutely lovely. Almost too pretty to eat! All except that caramel apple macaron- I’d shove that in my mouth without thinking twice!
Those macarons just look so irresistible, right?! This was my first real, fancy tea experience, and it certainly won’t be my last!
I’ve never had an afternoon tea, but i’m thinking I need to next time the opportunity arrises!
Yes! Go for it if you find one. Bonus points if you can drag your husband along!
Wow these are amazing! I love afternoon tea but I haven’t been to one yet where things are so gorgeous and like sculptures! And definitely $60 for 2 people is kind of on the expensive side!
It does seem kind of pricey, but I guess most sets in London cost that much (the fancier ones, at least)! I’ve read a lot of blog posts on afternoon teas, and I gotta say that this one is one of the prettier ones I’ve seen, hehe.