Afternoon Tea, Buffet Style

Last Sunday, I went to the afternoon tea buffet at the W Hotel. I had never been to a high tea with a full buffet before, so I was very excited at the prospect of unlimited savory and sweet bites.

And 'bites' they definitely were. Everything on the buffet was in petite portions - even the plates! There were also many 'deconstructed' dishes and interesting creations inspired by molecular gastronomy, such as a surf and turf bite in a jar complete with 'smoke'.

I wasn't too adventurous in eating things from the savory buffet, as I wanted to save room for lots of sweets. However, I was pleased to note the frequent use of cheese, and also proscuitto, in the dishes.

Unfortunately, I wanted to try so many of the desserts at one time that you can hardly see them in the photo! One highlight was the deep-fried donut, which we decided might actually classify as the new sensation 'cronut'. The macaroons, which sparkled with glitter, were also wonderful, and that's saying something as they are not usually one of my favorites.

Of course, possibly the most important part of high tea is the scones. The best thing about these was the presentation in a classic dim sum steamer basket. They tasted good, too, with yummy jam and clotted cream, though there was only one scone per person.