High Tea @ Duxton Hotel, Perth 12.06.10 - Red Theme

To celebrate the coming of Winter, I thought it would be awesome to have a themed High Tea, so on this fine Saturday afternoon we all got dolled up in red to remind ourselves that we can be red-hot even in the coldest of times :)

It would seem that I've been blessed by the Tea Gods as every high tea I've hosted so far has been on perfectly sunny days and today was no exception. Excitement clicked in our heels as we strut down St. Georges Terrace in our finest red getups and see the sign outside the Duxton Hotel boasting a "high tea fit for a queen".

As we walk inside we see that plenty more people of Perth are embracing the beauty of this age old tradition. After all, few things come close to being this good on Saturday afternoons.
The table is beautifully set with white tablecloth and classic white china. The gracious waitstaff seat our group and offer us a glass of Chandon sparkling wine, though we opt for the standard high tea - $10 less than with the wine. We all decide to order our tea first from the decadent tea menu on offer. Personally, I very much recommend the Dream of Fruits tea if you want to go for a lighter refreshing tea option along with the Oolong Formosa Grand. All the teas are loose leaf and served in individual pots (which is a great idea, but for the crowding on the table).

The tiers of food come out promptly and we all take a minute to marvel at the treats on offer. We had the traditional selection of sandwiches, but let's get specific anyway. Tasmanian smoked salmon, Black Forest Ham and mature cheddar, roasted chicken with goats cheese and basil, free range egg with roma tomato - easily the tastiest in my opinion.

The sweet petites were just adorable, especially the mini pavlova - a bite sized meringue with strawberry on top which was just as tasty as it looked. Others were Fig and Walnut Friand, Rosewater Shortbread and a very rich treat for dark chocolate lovers - Belgian Chocolate Tartlet. The scones were deliciously crunchy with both traditional fruit scones and vanilla buttermilk on offer.

And now for the scores:

Food: 7 - Fresh and tasty, nicely presented
Service: 8 - Very friendly, also offers refills on teapots!
Ambiance: 7 - Classy venue, though the table was quite crowded.
Value: 7 - $28 for Standard High Tea, absolutely worth every dollar
Overall score: 7.25

Loved having high tea here and will most definitely come back. You may have noticed I'm trialling a new layout for this blog. Just playing around with it until something feels right for it. Let me know what you think!

x. Miss Ling-Ling

High Tea @ Langham Hotel, Melbourne 14.05.10

Nothing quite describes the feeling when you walk into the Langham Hotel, except maybe elegance and class... and then ensuing excitement for what is bound to be a delectable experience. With a double staircase and drop chandeliers leading up to the ARIA Bar & Lounge we decided we would go with the Tiffin Langham Classic which comes with espresso coffees included in the price! (bonus - because generally High Tea only comes with percolated).

It really was a great way to to enjoy some company on a Friday afternoon in such a beautiful setting. We sit down and are promptly served by a very lovely and polite waitress. In an age where customer service lacks like my desire for Bushells tea, I am very much prepared to pay for it if it's going to be this good. The table is set and the tiers are brought out along with the tea (loose leaf English Breakfast, of course) and water is brought out too, without having to be requested. Starting at the bottom tier we have a traditional sandwich selection of cucumber, egg mayonnaise and cream cheese ribbon sandwiches and rolled smoked salmon on wholemeal.


On the second tier we have two kinds of scones: plain and raisin. This is served with clotted cream and cherry jam. I must say, I haven't had cherry jam before but I am definitely a fan. It starts off a little bit tart and then the sweetness takes over and makes you melt a little. Scones were warmed and perfect in texture with that tiny bit of crumbliness that I like.


The desserts on top were the first things I savoured and after that it was pretty hard to stop. Four different treats: Strawberries dipped in white and dark chocolate, candied fruit tea cake, strawberry fruit tarts and chocolate eclairs. Couldn't have asked for more. Presentation was key here with the chocolate eclairs donning a light spray of gold for class.

And now for the scores:

Food: 9 - only missed 1 mark because some were not fans of cherry jam :P
Service: 10 - Perfect. Nuff said.
Ambiance: 9 - very classy setting, though wondering whether our table was crowded or cosy?
Value: 8 - $35 for High Tea. That's on the higher end in Perth talk but on the lower end in Melbourne talk.
Overall score: 9

So after visiting Langham Hotel, I will be using this as the benchmark for High Teas from now on. This pretty much means I am going to go back and give my other review a different rating now. Dammit, it really is that good.

x. Miss Ling-Ling