Chocolate High Tea @ Mámor Chocolates & High Tea Szalón, Melbourne

Hubby celebrated his birthday a few weeks ago, and our original travel plans to commemorate the milestone event was thrown out the window due to the global Covid-19 pandemic. Fortunately it coincided with the first week of restrictions being lifted in Victoria, and restaurants were able to have limited numbers of dine-in customers. Hubby's birthday date was also the first day in months that all three kids were at kinder or school! And what better way to celebrate a birthday than with a chocolate high tea at Mámor Chocolates & High Tea Szalón! Booking online was a breeze, and there is a 50% deposit required to secure the booking. The front of house manager wasn't around, but we were very well looked after by the owner and chef, Janet. We enjoyed every bite, and loved being in such rich and lush surroundings, so unlike the world outside. A lot of thought and care have gone into the details, from the crystal chandeliers right down to the fine bone china and silverware, and we enjoyed every part of the experience. The chocolate high tea at Mámor is highly recommended by us

Stepping into Mámor feels like stepping into a different time and place, with lush red and black velvet curtains and gorgeous baroque furniture:

Opulent is one word that comes to mind when describing the interior:

The window gives a glimpse of the real world outside:

We literally had the whole place to ourselves for the next two hours, and were given the best seats in the house:

The three tiers of delicious goodies, including lemonade scones with house made jam and cream:

Savouries were charcoal brioche bun with sriracha mayo chicken and Asian slaw...

... and free range pork/veal sausage roll with flakey pastry and nectarine chutney:

The sweets plate held delicious macarons and a few cookies:

The chocolate course didn't disappoint the sweet tooth in us, which included cheesecake with ruby chocolate (a naturally pink chocolate!), chocolate hazelnut choux, and raspberry yuzu chocolates:

Hubby was still a little peckish, so we enjoyed some delicious leek and mushroom tartlets:

Mámor Chocolates & High Tea Szalón
153 Johnston St
Collingwood VIC 3066
Australia
Tel. +61 3 9419 3869

Delightful High Tea @ Hopetoun Tea Rooms, Melbourne

I have a soft spot for high teas, ever since my first afternoon tea experience in London almost a decade ago. Hopetoun Tea Rooms is an institution of the Melbourne tea scene, and one of the city's most famous and oldest cake shops, so it was only a matter of time before I would enjoy high tea there. Hopetoun Tea Rooms was one of the two options for hubby and I to celebrate our anniversary, but I discovered that this place is so popular that it is booked out for months in advance, and I could not secure a reservation for our anniversary celebration. So I looked ahead to the next special occasion date three months later, and saw availability in my younger sister's and my birthday month, so I proposed to my sister that we jointly celebrate our birthdays with high tea at Hopetoun Tea Rooms. My suggestion was enthusiastically accepted, and I went ahead with booking a date, with a special note of our joint birthdays and the fact that my sister was also pregnant. Just prior to our high tea date, I came across news that the owners of the tea house were facing some issues with the owners of the Block Arcade, so I entered the venue with the knowledge that it would possibly be my only opportunity to enjoy high tea there. However when the lovely lady owner came by for a chat with us, she assured me that the tea house would not be closing down soon. I suppose time will tell if Hopetoun Tea House will reopen for business after the government lifts the current Covid-19 restrictions on cafes and restaurants.

The window display of gorgeous cakes and tarts beckon tantalisingly next to the entrance:

The high ceiling and striking Victorian-era wallpaper were fitting for the slightly subdued atmosphere inside:

There was a queue of people outside waiting for tables when we arrived, and I felt fortunate that I had secured a table for us months ago. My sister and I were warmly welcomed and shown to our seats. Approximately a third of the tables were set aside for high tea reservations (indicated by the table cloths), and the remainder were available for walk-ins. Hopetoun Tea Rooms supplied a specially prepared plate of savouries for my sister that were void of any ingredients that would be unsafe for expecting mothers to consume, and my sister appreciated the thoughtful touch. We thoroughly enjoyed every sip of our coffee and tea, and savoured every morsel of our 3-tier high tea set. Our experience at Hopetoun Tea Rooms was delightful, and I hope that I can bring hubby here next time so he can experience it as well.

Our table:

My sister enjoyed one of 25 organic teas available at Hopetoun Tea Rooms:

Cappuccino for me:

My sister also indulged in an affogato during high tea:

The 3-tiers of high tea goodies:

Savouries included quiche lorraine, roast beef sandwich (sirloin with cheddar cheese, gherkin, horseradish mayonnaise and roquette in dark rye bread), pinwheels (Champagne ham, egg, with grain mustard and mayonnaise in white bread), classic devilled eggs en croûte (hard boiled eggs whipped with English mustard and mayonnaise), and vegetarian quiche:

My sister's pregnancy-friendly plate had a ham-free sandwich:

Sweets contained an assortment of signature petit fours. This is heaven on a plate for any sweet tooth:

A plate of fresh fruit for a boost of healthy amongst all the indulgence:

My favourite part of any high tea - fresh baked scones! These were accompanied with Hanks triple berry and double cream:

Hopetoun Tea Rooms
Shops 1 and 2
Block Arcade
282 Collins Street
Melbourne VIC 3000
Australia
Tel. +61 3 9650 2777

Exquisite afternoon tea @ The Hotel Windsor, Melbourne

Last week, hubby and I celebrated a milestone anniversary. I won't say how long we've been married, only that we got married 10 months before I started writing in this blog! How far we have come since - the adventures we've had around the world, living in three different countries, and raising three beautiful children. It hasn't been all sunshine and roses, but the challenges we've encountered and overcame together, I hope that these have helped forged our bond stronger. To celebrate our anniversary, I booked us to have high tea at The Hotel Windsor, which claims to be Melbourne's most famous afternoon tea. Regardless of the fame, the experience we had was nothing short of fabulous. We were informed that the hotel has been serving afternoon tea everyday except Christmas since 1883! The interior was grand and elegant, the service we received was impeccable, and the food was exceptional. The maître d' who greeted us at the door gave us a warm welcome, and acknowledging the occasion we were celebrating, he sat us at a window table, which was a pleasant surprise as it was something I did not request nor expect. We enjoyed our glasses of bubbly aperitif, and we did not have to wait long after being seated before the 3-tier high tea set was served. We didn't feel rushed nor hurried as we savoured every bite of the afternoon tea. I liked the bottomless coffee and tea, and we enjoyed a cup of cappuccino each as well as two different types of tea (we tasted each other's teas, so we actually tried four different types of tea). We had a really good experience, and I highly recommend the afternoon tea experience at the Hotel Windsor.

Classic and timeless decor:

Our glasses of French sparkling wine:

Savoury pastries, exquisite patisserie and ribbon sandwiches on a three-tiered stand:

Cappuccino:

Warm savoury canapes: Roasted jerusalem artichoke tart, ricotta, thyme, fine herbs; and Parmesan crusted gougère with Gruyère fondue:

The gougère had a delicious cheesy filling:

Sweet patisserie: pistachio macaron (macaron biscuit, roasted pistachio, Sicilian pistachio ganache); vanilla and yuzu religieuse (vanilla bean mousse, yuzu sauce & crémeux, mirliton (almond) sponge); and longchamp (Milk chocolate mousse, hazelnut praline):

Ribbon sandwiches: free range egg with saffron aioli & mustard; Waldorf smoked chicken salad with Victorian walnuts; and cucumber with peperonata & Yarra Valley fetta:

Our teas were served in elegant silver teapots:

My cup of sencha. I haven't enjoyed a good green tea for years, and drinking this brought back nostalgic memories of our years in Japan:

Freshly baked traditional and sultana scones, served with housemade strawberry jam and thick double cream:

I actually forgot about the scones, and I was already full from the pastries and sandwiches, but I love scones and none went to waste:

At the conclusion of our high tea, we were served this plate of cake:

The Hotel Windsor
111 Spring St
Melbourne VIC 3000
Australia
Tel. +61 3 9633 6002
Bookings can also be made online

Pretty High Tea @ Cafe Blush, Melbourne

A few Fridays ago, on my younger sister's usual day off work, she and I had to get some official business done for my mum, and hubby took a few hours off work to look after our girls and nephew so that we could do it quickly. We were grateful that we could get it done kids-free, because we experienced some hiccup and delay, which would have been even more stressful if we had three kids in tow. After that was done, my sister and I headed into the city to reward ourselves with a nice lunch at Cafe Blush, which offers an all-day high tea set. The cafe had pretty interior setting, with blush-coloured walls and hanging potted plants. We both enjoyed the dainty high tea, which my sister found wasn't substantial enough for a satisfying lunch (it is after all meant to be a tea, not a full meal), but delicious nonetheless.

The circular lamps overhead was an interesting centrepiece that contributed to the lovely aesthetics of the cafe:

Pondering the menu which had a decent selection of tea:

My sister's Match Latte with cute latte art:

Yes, we also enjoyed the optional bubbly:

Cafe Blush High Tea: (top tier) mini chocolate chiffon, yuzu meringue tart, assorted macarons; (middle) tomato bread sandwich, chipotle prawn and avocado, roasted mushroom with smoked salmon; (bottom) dulce de leche cake, jam and cream for the scones:

The other side. The yuzu meringue tart was my favourite, because it reminded me of my time in Japan, where we frequently enjoyed the bright and zesty flavours of yuzu:

I loved the presentation of the dulce de leche cake, with evaporated milk inside the tube:

Cafe Blush was perfect for a girls' date!

Blush Cafe
Level 2, Emporium Melbourne
287 Lonsdale Street
Melbourne VIC
Tel. +61 3 9654 8882

Lancome afternoon tea @ LE SALON DE THÉ de Joël Robuchon (Elements), Hong Kong

This is going back a couple of months ago, when Lancome collaborated with Robuchon to celebrate the beauty brand's 80th anniversary. Hubby and I decided to go for an afternoon tea date as a change from our brunch dates, and LE SALON DE THÉ was an easy choice since we love Robuchon and it is so close by. We didn't know that there would be a special afternoon tea, but it didn't really bother us much. We'd tried the tea salon's afternoon tea a couple of years ago and had enjoyed it, so we knew that whatever was served would be delicious. We also received a box each containing sample-sizes of Lancome's Absolue skincare products and Tresor Midnight Rose perfume (bonus for me because hubby didn't care too much for the gift box). Photos are taken from phone camera, so quality is not the best, but it's better than nothing!

Coffee and tea is included with the afternoon tea set, but I opted for the delicious hot Chocolate made with Valrhona 66%. There are the Devonshire clotted cream and homemade strawberry jam (rose-flavoured) in the background to go with the delicious scones that was served later:

Presentation was beautiful, and each item was exquisitely made and very flavourful. The afternoon tea set for two (HK$498) had a pink theme, as inspired by the Lancome rose. The homemade scones took up the top tier, and though they are the simplest, they are my all-time favourites at afternoon tea. The second tier was filled with the savouries: from left - mini croissants, Scottish smoked salmon with caviar, French green bean with smoked duck breast, squid ink toasts with sardine tartare, foie gras and berries jelly, and crab meat rolls with piquillos. Hubby and I agreed that the most outstanding item was the crab meat rolls - I never thought that pepper could have such lovely flavours. The bottom tier contained the sweet pastries: from left - macaron apple, chocolate hazelnut brownie, white chocolate raspberry ball, raspberry lipstick, cassis mousse, orange chocolate sticks, and rose and almond madeleines.

The shiny gift box that we were presented with at the end of our afternoon tea:

Once again, an excellent afternoon tea by LE SALON DE THÉ.

[Price quoted above does not include the 10% service charge.]

LE SALON DE THÉ de Joël Robuchon
Shop 1020B,
1st Floor Elements
1 Austin Road West
Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon
Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2351 6678

Elegant afternoon tea @ LE SALON DE THÉ de Joël Robuchon (Elements), Hong Kong

Our fave French chef Robuchon has opened his third LE SALON DE THÉ in Hong Kong in the mall downstairs. I had afternoon tea with a friend at the tea salon in The Landmark about a year ago, and wanted to share the experience with hubby, however the opportunity never came up. Last weekend was the Lunar New Year 4-day long weekend, and for the first time in 3.5 years, hubby took leave from work on a HK public holiday so that he could give me a hand with the kids. We had such a grand fun family time! On one of the days, time slipped by us, and we still hadn't had lunch by 2:30pm. The 5-year-old had his snacks so he was okay for late lunch, the 2-month-old had already drank her lunch, and I wasn't that hungry, but hubby was starving! Since afternoon tea would be served soon at 3pm, we decided to head back towards home and go to the new Salon de The for a small late lunch to tide us over until dinnertime.

The long queue for afternoon tea:

There was already a long queue waiting to enter the tea salon at 2:45pm, and we weren't seated until an hour later. We don't usually have the patience to wait that long to eat, but we spent a long time debating whether to stay or leave that we were at the front before we knew it. This would be a lovely place to enjoy afternoon tea at a leisurely pace, but we were in and out as soon as we were finished (thus the way it has to be when dining out with young children), that the next group in line behind us were still waiting for a table. The service at this tea salon was better than the one at The Landmark, and the food was of course nothing short of excellent.

The boulangerie for take-away or eat-in purchases:

The sleek black-and-red interior is signature of Robuchon, and this salon is more spacious than the one at The Landmark:

One of my favourite Robuchon restaurant design concept is the 'open' kitchen, and though this is not an open kitchen per se, there's a window where we could watch chefs work on the crepe hot plate. The chef on the left was incredibly shy considering his work in front of the window:

The teapots were heavy! These were round compared to the angular ones used at The Landmark:

Lemon ginger tea for me and passion mango tea for hubby, pictured with Devonshire clotted cream and homemade strawberry jam (with a lovely hint of rose flavour) for the scones:

Afternoon tea set for two:

Homemade daily scones - plain scones and chocolate cherry scones. Scones are my favourite item of any afternoon tea:

Sandwiches tier - buttery mini croissant, smoked salmon and salmon egg sandwich, Maine lobster and mango sandwich, vegetarian eggplant sandwich and French-style black truffle sandwich. All very dainty, and gone within seconds:

Pastries - raspberry eclair, lemon tart, a mille-feuille like piece, a macaron ganache (I believe it was lemon-flavoured), chocolate almond cake, homemade chocolate (with candied orange), and an Earl Grey cake. All delicious (and unfortunately most are not safe for nut allergy sufferers like our son):

Everything was impeccable, as to be expected. We would love to come back and try the lunch menu. I'm pretty happy that we now have a French restaurant so close by!

LE SALON DE THÉ de Joël Robuchon
Shop 1020B,
1st Floor Elements
1 Austin Road West
Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon
Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2351 6678