In this raging heat, I find that my appetite for food destruction has diminished. But one has to eat, if only for the sake of columns such as these (This is not a whine). So, to cut through lunch and dinner, I have decided to eat my way through the various afternoon teas the city has to offer.
The Renaissance Bangkok Ratchaprasong Afternoon Tea is not new but the dishes are, under the helm of young Italian chef Salvatore Catania. Reinventing the entire tea menu at R bar, chef Catania has created a balance between savoury and sweet, which is how I like my teas.
Start with the savoury and work your way up to sweet, suggests chef Catania, and that is the correct way to feast on afternoon tea. Though if you have a sweet tooth and can't wait to sink your teeth into the desserts first, rest be assured you will not be judged.
Begin with the Ciabatta with brie and crispy artichoke. The ciabatta is housemade and so is the sun dried tomato, that comes with garlic and shallots. The crispy artichoke is fried for flavour and a bit of honey is added to it to balance the sweetness. Move on to the Smoked duck and raspberry, which is duck breast on housemade rye, a touch of cream cheese and gooseberry for freshness and tartness that the rich duck breast so dearly needs.
With the duck being a rather heavy flavour for the palate, cleanse it with the Parma ham and melon crouton aka Japanese melon and Parma ham with balsamic pearls. I wish the pearls had more punch to them to make this bite flavourful.
Thainess is added to the savoury treats in the form of a Green curry chicken puff; "gaeng kaew wan" as chef Catania says. "The puff is actually a mille feuille that is baked so it is crispy on top. I have lowered the spice level because it is afternoon tea and you're eating this while drinking tea. If it was too spicy there would be no balance to the dish," says chef Catania.
Mini ice cream cones are the latest trend, even in fine dining restaurants, so get used to seeing them, people. The Salmon tartare in a charcoal cone has Atlantic salmon that is chopped and marinated with olive oil, lime and shallots. It is filled into the cones and topped with salmon roe. "To cater to local tastes, the salmon tartare also has tomato jam for more sweetness and to balance the oiliness of the salmon," adds chef Catania.
Now that we are done with the savoury, let's move to the sweet side of tea. The Flamed raspberry tart has a filling of vanilla and raspberry custard and is topped with fresh raspberries and a bit of white chocolate snow. The eye-catching and colourful Blueberry yoghurt mousse sits on a sponge cake. The mousse is made from fresh blueberries, honey and cream, and is glazed to look like a giant blueberry.
Refreshing for a hot afternoon in Bangkok is the Litchie jelly. Lychee juice and pulp are reduced with sparkling wine and turned into a jelly for a fruity snack.
The tea includes a "new concept of apple pie", Apple crumble -- apple pie base, made with caramelised apples mixed with bread and nuts and stuffed into the tart. The top has an apple mousse and resembles a green apple.
No tea is complete without chocolate. The Mini sacher is a Thai concept, says chef Catania. The rich chocolate brownie is made with 75% Swiss chocolate, topped with a fresh mango sphere and covered with fresh meringue. You cannot go wrong with a chocolate and orange combo, except here it comes in the form of Orange hazelnut cake.
"For this tea, we try to keep the concept of modern and fancy but also include classic items like tarts, which are cream-based or vanilla-based, along with fresh fruits. The jelly is refreshing and so there is not too much sweet," says the chef.
The most interesting thing about this afternoon tea is the lack of scones, a complete no-no in my book. But as the chef says, "No scones because this time we are offering something different but interesting. Scones are bread-based so we have tried to create that in the sponge cake and the mango mousse brownie. The bread element is still there." Well, who am I to argue?
For the price and a selection of Dilmah's refreshing teas or coffees, the Renaissance Bangkok Ratchaprasong Afternoon Tea is value for money and a good respite from the scorching afternoon sun.
Renaissance Bangkok Ratchaprasong Hotel Afternoon Tea at the R Bar costs B899++ for two and is served daily between 2-5pm. Visit bit.ly/2vJY4Ss or call 02-125-5000.
