Afternoon Delight

It's not too hard to tell that Hong Kong was once a British colony even though it looks quite Chinese as well. With stores like H&M and Marks and Spencer and many pub-style restaurants, the English influence is still evident. Another of the remnants of the colonial period is the popular institution of high tea, also called afternoon tea, at many of the major hotels in town.

Last year, my friends and I tried the high tea offerings at two different establishments. First, we went to the Four Seasons hotel in Central, where it was so busy that we were seated in the bar rather than in the main tea room. In fact, this was lucky because at certain time in the afternoon, they set out complimentary bar snacks, which we ate as well as our tea!

We also went to the Mandarin Oriental in Central, which serves scones and sandwiches at your table and then allows guests to choose their desserts from an all-you-can-eat buffet. But beware, this can make even a sugar addict like me feel quite sickly.

This past weekend, David and I went with his parents to afternoon tea at The Peninsula, perhaps the most iconic place to have it in Hong Kong. This being the case, they charge their customers for the privilege -- the tea set for two was something like $528 HK ($68 US). The best thing about The Peninsula, in my opinion, was the live music. A trio of violin, flute and piano playing classical music took the tea experience to the next level of elegance.

As far as what we ate, it was the standard tea fare. Cucumber sandwiches, smoked salmon sandwiches, sausage rolls, mini quiche and chicken sandwiches were the savory items. Assorted cakes were the sweets on offer: a mini slice of cheesecake, a bite-sized brownie, a tiny nut tart, a slice of marbled chocolate loaf and a macaroon each.

The highlight, of course, is the scones. Not that they alone are that delicious, but it is only at high tea that you have scones served with jam and clotted cream. And although it's name is not very appetizing, clotted cream tastes like something between whipped cream and butter -- smooth, creamy and rich.

Afternoon tea may sound a bit stuffy or pretentious, and it is almost assuredly overpriced no matter where you get it. However, it's a treat to do something that feels fancy every now and then. Plus, it's just plain yummy!