afternoon tea | Sugared & Spiced

Zenique Le Salon 小茶栽堂

Add: 8, Alley 4, Yongkang Street, Taipei 台北市大安區永康街4巷8號
Tel: (02) 2395 1558
Hours: 11am-10:30pm
Website: www.zenique.net
Price: [afternoon tea] 250~400 NTD/person
Visited: Oct 2011

Zenique, a Taiwanese purveyor of 100% organic tea leaves, recently opened a 3-story cafe called Le Salon, boasting a rather attractive concept of integrating Taiwanese tea and French desserts.

The two of us shared an afternoon tea Set A (450 NTD), which includes two cakes, one scone, and a drink valued at 130 NTD or less. First came Milles Feuilles Oolong 烏龍千層酥, which differs from the traditional mille feuille as the custard cream is replaced with a oolong tea/chocolate bavarois. In between the pastries there’s also pineapple orange coulis and lemon sablé, each adding another layer of flavor and texture. Not too bad.

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2011/09/252015/10/10

[Shanghai] Afternoon Tea at Flair, Ritz-Carlton

shanghai

Flair Rooftop Restaurant & Bar

Add: Ritz-Carlton Pudong, 58/F, 8 Shiji Da Dao / 世纪大道8号上海浦东丽思卡尔顿酒店58楼
Hours: [afternoon tea] Sat & Sun 2-5pm
Website: www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/ShanghaiPudong/Default.htm
Price: 228 RMB + 15%/set
Visited: Sep 2011

Please note that this is an arranged tasting.

Every five-star hotel has its own version of the traditional English High Tea, and Flair Rooftop Restaurant & Bar at the Ritz-Carlton Pudong is doing something quite uniquely Asian. Prawn dumplings and California roll? Yes ma’am, they’ve got them. Let’s take a look at what else is on the plate.

There are two types of tea sets at Flair, a “Flair Hi Tea Set” and a “Roof-top Hi Tea Set”, both priced at 228 RMB + 15%. Depending on which set you order, you can either get….

Spring rolls with tamarind sauce (Roof-Top Tea Set) or vegetable samosas (Flair Tea Set).

Teriyaki chicken roll (Roof-Top Tea Set) or smoked salmon Californian roll (Flair Tea set).

A quartet of mango soup with pomelo, ginger creme brulee, coconut meringue tartlet, and green tea cheese cake for the Rooftop Tea Set.

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2011/08/282015/10/10

[Shanghai] Red Velvet Afternoon Tea at Waldorf Astoria

shanghai

Salon de Ville, Waldorf Astoria

Add: Waldorf Astoria, 2 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu 中山东一路2号上海外滩华尔道夫酒店
Tel: 6322 9988
Hours: 10am-8pm
Website: www.waldorfastoria.com
Price: 338rmb+15%/person, free flow of coffee, tea, and finger food
Visited: Aug 2011

Afternoon Tea at Waldorf Astoria Shanghai. The tea set itself was not particularly impressive, but I quite enjoyed the regal yet relaxed ambiance brought alive by classical music performance (cello and violin on the day of my visit, harp on most weekends). What I liked most about Salon de Ville, in addition to its plush furnishings, is that there is a comfortable distance between each clusters of sofas, making it a perfect spot for a quiet afternoon of private tête-à-têtes.

The Red Velvet Afternoon Tea Set, priced at 338 RMB/person, includes a free flow of savory bites, finger sandwiches, scones, cakes, signature red velvet cupcakes, and coffee or tea (try the Irish Whisky Cream, which actually doesn’t contain any whisky but is rich and aromatic enough to intoxicate.)

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2011/07/182015/08/31

[Shanghai] New Heights

restaurant

New Heights

Add: Three on the Bund, 7/F, 17 Guangdong Lu 广东路17号, 外滩三号7楼
Tel: 6321 0909
Hours: [afternoon tea] 2-5pm
Website: www.threeonthebund.com
Price: [afternoon tea] 128 RMB + 10%
Visited: Jul 2011

A new afternoon tea service at New Heights? Let’s give it a try.

The afternoon tea set (128 RMB), served in a glass house adjacent to the main dining room, includes two plates of sweet and savory bites, with a cup of coffee or tea.

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2011/05/182015/10/10

[Shanghai] The Living Room at Park Hyatt

paris

The Living Room at Park Hyatt

Add: 87/F, Park Hyatt Shanghai, 100 Century Avenue 世纪大道100号, 上海柏悅酒店87楼
Tel: 6888 1234
Hours: [afternoon tea] 2-6pm
Price: [afternoon tea set] 218 RMB + 15% [tea/coffee] 60~65 RMB + 15%
Website: www.parkhyattshanghai.com
Visited: May 2011

Instead of going up to the 100th floor of Shanghai World Financial Center (SWFC) for a view of the Bund and be tortured by the clutter and clamor of rowdy tour groups, do yourself a favor and spend the time and money on an afternoon tea set at The Living Room at Park Hyatt. This bright and airy residential style lounge, located on the 87th floor of SWFC, offers a commanding view of the city that changes as the sun sets.

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2011/04/242015/10/07

[Shanghai] Lapis Sky Garden

shanghai

Lapis Sky Garden

Add: 7/F, 10 Baoqing Lu, near Fuxing Zhong Lu 宝庆路10号7楼, 近复兴中路
Tel: 6474 7979
Hours: 7:30am-1:30am
Website: www.lapisskygarden.com
Price: [drinks] 35~60 RMB, [Food] 150 RMB/person
Visited: Apr 2011

The Lapis Group is quickly building a small collection of trendy hot spots in Shanghai – Lapis Lazuli, Lapis Thai, Lapis Casa, and most recently, Lapis Sky Garden. Sitting on top of the Lapis Casa boutique hotel, Lapis Sky Garden is an airy cafe/restaurant/lounge with an outdoor rooftop garden and panoramic views of the French Concession. The food (Mediterranean cuisine to be exact) as been garnering negative reviews, so we skipped that and just went for some afternoon drinks.

There are three sunrooms at Lapis Sky Garden, each adorned with comfortable cushions, an abundance of sunlight, and great views of the French Concession. These popular spots get snatched up quickly so be sure to make a reservation in advance.

There is also an outdoor “rooftop garden” with a trickling water wall.

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2011/04/142015/08/31

[Taipei] Cha Cha Thé 采采食茶文化

taipei

Cha Cha Thé 采采食茶文化

Add: 23, Ln 219, Fuxing S Rd Sec 1, Taipei 台北市復興南路一段219巷23號
Tel: (02) 2781 8289
Hours: 11:30am-10pm (afternoon tea 2-5:30pm)
Website: www.chachathe.com
Price: [lunch] 790~990 NTD (+10%) [afternoon tea] 480~580 NTD (+10%)
Visited: Mar 2011

Cha Cha Thé, one of my favorite spots in Taipei, is an elegant teahouse / restaurant by Shiatzy Chen. It is a center of calm admist the dizzying Taipei Eastern district, with beautiful interior design, tasteful merchandising, and soothing tea with dainty little bites to match. A perfect place for a quiet tête-à-tête.

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2011/04/092015/08/31

[Taipei] VVG Bon Bon 好樣棒棒

taipei

VVG Bon Bon 好樣棒棒

Add: 13, Lane 161, Dunhua S Rd Sec 1, Taipei 台北市敦化南路一段161巷13號
Tel: (02) 2711 4505
Hours: [Mon-Fri] 12-9pm [Sat-Sun] 11am-9pm
Website: vvgvvg.blogspot.com
Price: [sets] 350 NTD [cupcakes] 80 NTD [drinks] 120~250 NTD

VVG Bon Bon. This fairytale-come-true escape is a resplendent medley of rose petal-adorned sweets, jars and jars of marshmallows, soft pink walls, sparkling chandeliers, oversized armchairs with furry pillows. So ornate, so rococo, so…Marie Antoinette?

Grass-green oversized armchair with furry pillows, multi-colored wooden table, fresh roses and chrysanthemums…Sparkling chandeliers, nutcracker dolls, jars of pink marshmallows and cookies and candies…

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2011/03/012015/10/09

[Shanghai] Mr. Choi Patisserie

shanghai

Mr. Choi Patisserie Add: Rm F05, 1/F 618 XuJiaHui Road / 徐家汇路618号日月光中心广场1楼F05室 Tel: 400 705 1158 Hours: 12-7pm Website: www.thechois.cc Price: [sets] 40~138RMB [cakes] ~35RMB [coffee/tea] 35~40RMB Visited: Mar 2011 Mr. Choi is a tiny patisserie hidden inside the ASE Center, a new retail/restaurant complex next to Tianzifang. While the name is Korean, the patisserie is actually led by a…Continue Reading “[Shanghai] Mr. Choi Patisserie” →

2010/11/132015/10/07

[Shanghai] Antique Garden

shanghai

Antique Garden

Add: 44 Sinan Lu, near Xiangshan Lu / 思南路44号甲, 近香山路
Tel: 5382 1055
Hours: [Mon-Fri] 11am~11:30pm [Sat-Sun] 11~12:30am
Price: [tea & coffee] 38-45 RMB [cakes] ~38 RMB [sandwiches] 79 RMB
Visited: Nov 2010

Very close to the perennially packed Hof on Sinan Lu, Antique Garden is a two-story cafe that doesn’t only sell coffee and cakes, but also antique furniture (real or fake, I really can’t tell you). The interior is dimly lit and decorated with random vintage pieces here and there. Though the teas and cakes are not extraordinary, Antique Garden is still an alright spot for tea dates and gatherings.