I blame my love for afternoon tea on my British genes. For someone who has been to every afternoon tea on offer in the capital city (true story), it is highly unlikely that I would miss the festive tea at the Waldorf Astoria.
Served at the iconic Peacock Alley -- the term coined to portray the daily promenade of notables through the original colonnade connecting The Waldorf and The Astoria hotels in New York -- the tradition continues with the elegant lounge celebrated as a place "to see and be seen".
Igniting the festive feeling is executive pastry chef Remy Janicot's creations. "All the desserts are related to Christmas and extravagance, like the foie gras. Though they are not overly heavy. I couldn't choose dessert individually they had to complement each other. So the Christmas pudding is in the shape of tartlets for the one bite tea time snack. The shapes, the flavours and the taste are all Christmas-time treats. Thai flavours are kept in the savoury side to cater to local palates," says chef Janicot of his afternoon tea selections.
I decided to save the best for the last, so immediately tucked into the sweets first. I am not a dessert person, but the Yoghurt and passion fruit Christmas ball was nothing short of D.E.L.I.C.I.O.U.S. With slivers of passion fruit jelly inside, the ball was tangy. I found the Caramel and raspberry tree was a cone filled with goodness. If you're unsure how to eat it -- just like an ice cream cone is the answer! The Cherry and coconut Santa is a wonderful cherry covered in sweet cream and dipped in cherry glaze. Yum! The Orange and chocolate mini yule log was a gooey one bite delight. The star of the sweet tray was the Gingerbread Christmas macaron. If you're a fan of ginger and gingerbread, this is it!
My favourite tea in the whole wide world is Mariage Frères' Marco Polo, and the Waldorf Astoria serves it! Along with other smashing teas like Noël tea, festive black or green tea with sweet spices. The selection caters to all tastebuds.
Moving to the best, the savoury side of life. My favourite was the Cherry tomato with tapioca honey, which bursts in your mouth. The Foie gras terrine with cranberry gel was very pretty and tasted good, too. Other deliciousness came in the form of Bagel with trout gravlax smothered with dill and cream cheese, Honey ham and pineapple quince, a Charcoal bun filled with homemade Smoked turkey and Waldorf salad. And because we are in Thailand, Thai tung thong or crispy golden pocket with vegetables.
Fear not, I am hardly done. No afternoon tea is complete without a good scone. And Peacock Alley did not disappoint. Festive scones come with mixed berry jam and clotted cream. If scones are not your thing, go for the English madeleines and slather on some orange curd (a refreshing change from the usual lemon curd) on them.
If you're in a cheeky mood, order the Billecart-Salmon Champagne Afternoon Tea, which is the same afternoon tea but comes with two glasses of Champagne for an extra B4,000.
Sheer indulgence this time of the year, but I ain't complaining. g
Festive Afternoon Tea
Peacock Alley, Waldorf Astoria Bangkok, 151 Ratchadamri Road B2,100 for two, 1-5pm, until Dec 31 Email bkkwa.fb@waldorfastoria.com or call 02-846-8888.
