Afternoon Tea

One of the best things about visiting Tokyo is getting to catch up with old friends. On this visit, my friend suggested meeting at Afternoon Tea in Marunouchi, near Tokyo station. We arrived to find an elegant cafe with a great view out over the city – the tables had fresh green flowers on them and the seats were welcoming and comfortable. There’s also a lovely homewares store out the front of the cafe, which we spent some time browsing afterwards. There was plenty to choose from on the menu, but having already had lunch, we decided to stick with the drinks (although the scones sounded tempting!). After much deliberation, I chose the orange iced tea, which was an earl grey mixed with orange. It came out and immediately looked refreshing with a vibrant orange colour, a segment of orange and a sprig of mint on top. Given how warm the day was this was exactly what the doctor ordered. The flavour was stronger on the orange than the earl grey and was quite sweet. I couldn’t imagine a better setting in this city for afternoon tea or meeting lovely friends.

Afternoon Tea, 4F Shin-Marunouchi Building, Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Japan   http://www.afternoon-tea.net/

Hopetoun Tea Rooms

Stopping in at the Hopetoun Tea Rooms is becoming a Melbourne tradition for me. I am completely in love with their window display and their William Morris wallpaper, and I could happily spend days working my way through the tea menu. On this occassion, I met a friend and we managed to get a table without having to queue. The line grew quickly after we were seated, though, so you have to either time your visit well or be prepared to wait. I started with a pot of Buddha’s Finger tea – oolong with peach characteristics. The tea was strongly flavoured, and, as with all of their teas, best consumed fairly quickly, as it started to go bitter as it cooled. I couldn’t resist a big slice of cake, so picked the raspberry sponge as my snack – the piece was quite large and full of cream. The raspberries on top and throughout were plump and fresh, and added a nice tartness to the overall sweetness of the slice. The sponge was lovely and moist, and the raspberry coulis served on the side was divine. Everything here – from the cake to the decor – is lovely.

Hopetoun Tea Rooms, Block Arcade, 282 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC    http://www.hopetountearooms.com.au

The Homestead Cafe

My team at work are a bunch of foodies, and when I suggested going out for high tea on a Sunday, quite a lot of them were keen. I booked us in to the Homestead Cafe, and we were given a private room. I was struck by the beautiful crockery – everyone had different teacup and saucer sets, so we spent the first few minutes comparing and admiring the china. First course was a choice of sparkling wine or orange juice – I opted for the juice, and it was freshly squeezed and sweet. The finger sandwiches were next – they were also fresh (no crispy bread) and my favourite was the smoked salmon. The hot savoury course was the highlight, with caramelised onion tarts topped with goat’s cheese and a delightful arancini ball served with homemade tomato relish. Next were the scones – one per person, served with mixed berry jam and clotted cream. The scone was huge, crumbly and matched the thin jam perfectly. We concluded with a selection of small desserts, including a white chocolate and raspberry panna cotta and carrot cake. It was nice to leave a high tea not feeling overly bloated, and having had a relaxed afternoon out of town.

The Homestead Cafe, 214 Gooromon Ponds Rd Hall, ACT  http://www.homesteadcafe.com.au/

Old Parliament House

There’s not a lot on offer to eat in the Parliamentary Triangle, so when an opportunity to try something different arises, it ‘s pretty exciting. When my friend and I saw that the cafe at Old Parliament House was offering high tea, we booked in quick smart and prepared for an unusually indulgent lunch break. As with most high teas, we started with finger sandwiches – my friend is vegetarian and they happily provided cucumber and egg sandwiches for her, while I enjoyed the smoked salmon (always my favourite). We then progressed to the scones, where there were strangely three scones when we’d booked for two people. The scones were not as risen as some I’ve had but there was a good amount of jam and cream and they weren’t too heavy. The dessert tier at the top of the tray was the highlight, with five different pieces each! We sampled mini raspberry friands (beautifully buttery and tart), custard tarts, a nut brownie, a light, layered caramel slice and a handmade nougat. By then we’d had a bit of sweet overdose, but it was a fantastic selection with unusual choices, proving that it’s always worth trying something new.

Old Parliament House, 18 King George Terrace, Parkes, ACT     http://moadoph.gov.au/visiting/cafe/

Tiffin Room

As part of my Singapore food odyssey, I booked high tea at the Tiffin Room of the famous Raffles Hotel. I had pretty high expectations of this colonial institution, and I wasn’t disappointed. We were seated in a window booth, and for the first time in my life I was brought a small stool to put my handbag on, so it didn’t have to sit on the floor. Wow. Our tiered tray arrived promptly, with the traditional finger sandwiches in five different flavours (the salmon was particularly good), tarts and cakes. If that wasn’t enough food, there’s also a buffet to help yourself to, including a selection of dumplings, fresh tropical fruit and scones, as well as more cakes and sandwiches. Luckily, you aren’t rushed and can take the time to savour each of the tasty morsels included in the high tea. I had a pot of earl grey served in what I’m pretty sure was a real silver teapot (swoon), and the whole meal was accompanied by a live harpist. The service was impeccable, with our waiter offering to bring any drink we liked from the Long Bar. I can’t recommend this experience enough!

Tiffin Room, Raffles Hotel, 1 Beach Road Singapore            http://www.raffles.com/singapore/dining/tiffin-room/