[Shanghai 上海] Garden Terrace at PuLi Hotel 璞麗酒店花園露台

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Garden Terrace at PuLi Hotel

Add: 1 Changde Road
Tel: 2216 6996
Hours: 7am-1am (afernoon tea 2:30pm-5:30pm)
Price: tea set 300 RMB/person + 10% service charge & 6% tax
Visited: Apr 2017

Please note that this was an arranged tasting.

Spring in Shanghai is ever so pleasant yet short-lived, so when it is upon us, it’s pretty much obligatory to spend as much time outdoor as possible. A most ideal patio choice would be Garden Terrace at the PuLi Hotel, which, incidentally, has always been one of my favorite hotels in town. The property is conveniently located at the heart of Jing’an District, yet somehow manages to shield out all the hustle and bustle, imbuing a sense of zen to all that enters its grounds. I think you might like it too.

最近春暖花開,一心念著要找個露台享受一下上海(肯定非常短暫)的完美天氣。首先想到的,就是璞麗酒店的露天花園。璞麗是我在上海最喜歡的酒店之一,地點位于非常便利的靜安區中心地帶,但一切吵雜似乎都被隔離在竹簾之外,一步入大堂就能感受到令人平靜的禅意。我想,你應該也會喜歡。

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The lush and quiet Garden Terrace, just a wall apart from Jing’an Park, is blessed with cool breeze, sunshine, and comfortably furnished with sofa and daybeds…lay down, sip on a cup of tea or a glass of champagne, and let all worries melt away.

這裏的露天花園與靜安公園僅僅一牆之隔,享受得到茂盛的綠蔭,而且非常隱秘安靜。有水池、有微風、有陽光、有沙發、有躺椅…無比惬意。

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[Beijing] 元古本店 Yuan Gu

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元古本店 Yuan Gu

Add: No 34, Jianchang Hutong, Beijing
Tel: 010-5728 7950
Hours: 12:30-8:30pm
Price: desserts 35 RMB+, tea 30 RMB+
Visited: Sep 2016

A few steps away from the popular Wudaoying Hutong where Metal Hands is located, there is a quieter alley called Jianchang Hutong. Here, away from the hustle and bustle, you will find Yuan Gu (元古本店), a beautiful space dedicated to showcase a few simple good things in life – handcrafted glassware and ceramics, Chinese tea and tea desserts, to name a few.

離 Metal Hands 所在的五道營胡同不遠之處就是更隱蔽安靜的箭廠胡同。這裡有家漂亮的 “元古本店”, 是由幾個志同道合的好友們共同創造的生活美學概念空間,希望用最樸素的東西 - 自然植物、手作器皿、中式茶點 - 來分享生活中的美好。

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The look is clean – white walls, wooden furniture, and a few plants dotting the space. The tables and chairs are all designed especially for Yuan Gu.

展示空間裡擺放著來自世界各地的手作器皿、用茶區的桌椅也都是特別設計定做的。

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[Shanghai 上海] Salon de Thé de Joël Robuchon

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Salon de Thé de Joël Robuchon

Add: 1F No. 18 Zhong Shan Dong Yi Road
Tel: 6070 8888
Hours: 10am-10pm
Price: [Afternoon Tea] 328 RMB/person, 588 RMB/2 persons [a la carte] 65-88 RMB
Visited: Apr 2016

Please note that this was an invited tasting.

So, Robuchon is finally in Shanghai. He who owns the most number of Michelin stars in the world recently opened his first L’Atelier and Salon de Thé ever on mainland China, both located in Bund 18. Let’s go take a look.

請注意本次為餐廳安排試吃。

終于,Robuchon來了。這位在全世界擁有最多顆米其林星星的 “世紀名廚”,這兩周先後在上海外灘 18 號開了他在中國內地的第一家餐廳 L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon 以及茶室 Salon de Thé。不囉唆,去瞧瞧。

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On the first floor is Robuchon’s pastry boutique, displaying rows of alluring cakes, macarons, chocolates, and breads. The design is his signature red and black, the stark contrast is sleek and eye-catching.

一樓進去首先是 Robuchon 的面包甜點店,陳列著各式令人垂涎欲滴的蛋糕、馬卡龍、巧克力、和面包。裝潢風格是 Robuchon 一貫的紅黑色強烈對比。

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[Paris] Afternoon Tea at Le Bristol

Le Bristol

Add: 112, rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, 75008 Paris
Tel: 01 53 43 43 00
Hours: [afternoon tea] 3-6pm
Website: www.lebristolparis.com
Price: [afternoon tea] €80/tea set for two
Visited: Sep 2015

Before leaving Paris, I wanted to have one last afternoon tea at a hotel. Crossing off the ones I’ve already been to – Le Meurice, Plaza Athénée, Shangri-la, The Peninsula, George V – I decided to try Le Bristol and the delicious creations from renowned pastry chef Laurent Jeannin.

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The Thé Complèt (€48/person, or 80/for two) includes two beverages and a three-tier stand of savories and sweets. Though it’s designed for two people, it can easily satisfy three people in terms of the amount of food that’s served. Details to follow.

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[Paris] Teatime at Plaza Athénée

Plaza Athénée

Add: 25 Avenue Montaigne, 75008 Paris
Tel: 01 53 67 66 65
Hours: [tea time] 3-6:30pm
Website: www.dorchestercollection.com/en/paris/hotel-plaza-athenee
Price: [tea set] €48 [a la carte pastries] €18-20
Visited: Sep 2015

Having afternoon tea at Plaza Athénée has always been a dream. I remember talking about doing this with Ferrandi classmates when I first arrived in Paris three years ago, all of us in awe by what we’ve heard about chef Christophe Michalak and his fantastic pastry creations. As this luxury 5 star hotel soon went under renovation, I didn’t get to come until very recently…thanks to Carin who suggested that we spend an afternoon here. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to get many photos of Le Galerie as there were too many guests around, so you will just have to visit and see this beautiful place for yourself.

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On this afternoon, we decided on Le Goûter by Michalak (€48 including a hot beverage) to try a selection of the chef’s creations. For tea, I chose the Mélange Plaza, a particularly fruity tea flavored with figs, grapes and quinces, while Carin went with Pouchkine vert, a green tea with bergamot from Calabria, citrus fruit, and peels  (included in the set, or €14 a la carte).

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On to the pastries. Le Goûter by Michalak, inspired by the reopening of Plaza Athénée, is composed of 11~12 sweet bites created by Christophe Michalak and Jean-Marie Hiblot. On the day of our visit, this included: two ice-cream bites (chocolate and lime), fig tart, tropezienne, strawberry macaron, caramel chou, mille feuille, chocolate mousse, lime verbena tiramisu, saffron panna cotta with peaches, and honey sesame financiers.

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[Paris] Tea Time at Shangri-la

La Bauhinia, Shangri-la Paris

Add: 10 avenue d’Iéna, Paris 75116
Tel: 01 53 67 19 91
Hours: [Mon-Fri] 3:30-5:30pm [Sat-Sun] 4-5:30pm
Website: www.shangri-la.com
Price: [tea set] 39/one person, 70/two persons [a la carte] 12-14/pastry, €12-16/tea
Visited: Jan 2015

I kind of fell in love with La Bauhinia at The Shangri-la the moment I stepped in. Crowned with a gorgeous glass cupola, the entire two-story space is bathed in soft natural light, its mint green walls and royal red sofas in soothing harmony with one another. The tranquil ambience has an immediate calming effect, and when paired with the perfect service – warm, attentive, but not in the least bit intrusive – this has got to be one of the loveliest venues for afternoon tea in Paris.

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As it is January, François Perret (head pastry chef of Shangri-la Paris) has galettes des rois ready for guests. I didn’t try any this time, but there was a clementine marmalade galette that sounded very tempting.

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[Paris] Afternoon Tea at The Peninsula

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The Lobby Restaurant at The Peninsula Paris

Add: 19 Avenue Kléber, 75016, Paris
Tel: 01 58 12 28 88
Hours: [afternoon tea] 3~6pm
Website: peninsula.com/paris
Price: [tea set] 45/person, 80/two people [a la carte] 18~22/dessert, 12~18/tea
Tasted on: Nov 2014

Please note that this was an arranged tasting.

My chef took the team out last week (merci chef!) for a dessert tasting at The Peninsula. I had already visited this beautiful hotel in July during its pre-opening media event, but of course it’s a completely different experience coming back here after it’s a few months into operation. What we came for on this particular afternoon were desserts by Julien Alvarez, champion du monde de pâtisserie (world champion in pastry) of 2011, now the head pastry chef at The Peninsula. Ready to feast?

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As typical at most hotels, The Peninsula offers an afternoon tea set (45/person, 80/two people) as well as a la carte options (18~22/dessert). Since my chef personally knows Julien Alvarez, all we had to do was order our tea, then wait for the desserts to appear on the table – needless to say that we fully trusted him to show us his best. For tea, I chose Shincha Kirishima (€18), an exceptional green tea from Kyushu, Japan, and later also tried Oolong Chataigne (€12), an interesting mix of Taiwanese oolong tea with chestnut flavor.

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Then came the desserts. The first – Chou (18) – is a vanilla and hazelnut cream puff with a melting praliné heart, served with gianduja chocolate sauce at the table.

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[Paris] Mamie Gâteaux (2)

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Mamie Gâteaux

Add: 66 Rue du Cherche-Midi, 75006 Paris
Tel: +33 1 42 22 32 15
Hours: [Tue-Sat] 11:30am~6pm
Website: www.mamie-gateaux.com
Price: [drinks] €2~5 [sweets] €4.5~5.5  [lunch] €10~15
Tasted on: Aug 2014

This cozy tea room near Le Bon Marché is now bigger and brighter than its former self after renovation, but it remains charming with the usual homely pastries and friendly waitstaff. A lovely spot to come back to for lunch and afternoon tea.

sugared & spiced - mamie gateaux

sugared & spiced - mamie gateaux

sugared & spiced - mamie gateaux

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