On the Hunt for Beijing’s Best Afternoon Tea: Kempinski

Afternoon Tea Buffet Bar at Kempinski’s Rendez-vous Lounge

Back at it again, LumDimSum is determined to help CityWeekend uncover Beijing’s Best Afternoon Tea.  I’ve already hit up afternoon tea at the Ritz-Carlton, Park Hyatt and Sofitel Beijing Hotel to see how each one compares to the others and although some fare better than others, so far none have stood out as mind-blowingly spectacular. And I really don’t want to settle for anything less than that.

Next up, we have the Kempinski Hotel Beijing Lufthansa Center, whose afternoon tea was actually listed as one of Time Out Beijing’s Top 4 Picks for the city’s best rated afternoon teas.

The Kempinski Hotel is a Beijing “old school” hotel that has been around for ages and passed the test of time. From what I hear, before Beijing was swimming in choice for upscale establishments, the Kempinski was one of the biggest players around back in the day (we’re talking over 10 years ago). It’s no longer a destination people rave about, but it’s still part of a massive convention center, shopping mall and with its prime location in one of Beijing’s most important diplomatic business quarters (and close proximity to the US embassy), the Kempinski still has the leverage to hold its own against Beijing’s other 5-star hotels.

LumDimSum Snapshots of Kempinski Hotel Beijing & Rendez-vous Lounge:

Step inside the Grand Lobby of Kempinski Hotel Beijing

Kempinski’s Rendez-vous Bar & Lounge

Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Kempinski’s Rendez-vous Bar & Lounge offers a “Weekend High Tea Buffet” from 2:30PM-6:00PM for RMB 138 per person + 15% service charge.

While Kempinski calls it “High Tea”, they should be calling it “Afternoon Tea” as British High Tea is traditionally more of a working class meal to be enjoyed at the end of the work day (after 5PM) serving heavy meat, fish and potato dishes like steak and kidney pie whereas “Afternoon Tea” involves things like manners, lace and dainty food to be enjoyed as an elite social gathering.

That being said, there is also something inherently wrong about inserting the word “buffet” alongside “high tea”. British high-tea is a time-honored tradition, and that should automatically repel any association with a “free-for-all buffet” where people pile their plates to the brim and a venue serving buffet undeniably makes the conscious choice to sacrifice quality for quantity. I can imagine how appalling this must be to Brits who might actually want to reminisce in classic British custom.

Fortunately for Kempinski, we are in Beijing and “fusion” is trendy here so there is really no point in being a stickler for respecting and upholding classic traditions in such a cosmopolitan city.  I realize that makes me sound stuffy and conservative, but in the same way that I prefer not to drink tea out of tea bags, I prefer to enjoy British high tea in an authentic fashion (I admit my position is heavily influenced by too many hours spent watching Downton Abbey).

Kempinski’s buffet was not as crass as you might suspect a “British High Tea Buffet” to be, but afternoon tea is just not the same without being served the multi-layered silver trays of dainty snacks.

As my fellow British foodie friend eloquently explained, “Afternoon tea should be enjoyed as an occasion rather than this drive-thru style.”  I couldn’t have said it better myself.

Tea was served in porcelain white tea sets to be enjoyed on comfy, plush sofas in the Rendez-vous Lounge. Once again, my British counterpart automatically went for the classic English Breakfast Tea while I chose something a little less conventional.

Western & Eastern Tea Selection at the Kempinski

As you can see from the photos below, the selection was plentiful, but nothing was traditionally British and maybe that’s not a bad thing bearing in mind this is a Swiss luxury hotel chain with a prominent German bakery.  Before I get into details I ought to give due credit to Kempinski’s awesome Kempi Deli who supplies an abundance of freshly baked bread, cakes, pastries and sandwiches on a daily basis.

You can probably get a good sense of the items on display through the close-up shots that everything was pretty mediocre. None of the hot items were hot (not even the quiche and scones under the warming tray) and similar to the afternoon tea at Sofitel Wanda Beijing, the quality of the desserts were much more superior to the savory snacks. The best of the bunch were the Smoked Trout Baguette and Mini Prosciutto Sandwiches, but the bread was still much too thick and filling.

Dessert highlights include the chocolate mousse, fruit tarts and the Belgium Ivory Chocolate Fondue with mini cake and fruit skewers to dip. Points were deducted for serving scones with orange whip cream rather than separate sauces dishes of jam and clotted cream as it ought to be served.

Afternoon Tea at the Kempinski’s Rendez-vous Lounge:

Kempinski “Weekend High Tea Buffet” Display

Cold Soba Noodles / Prosciutto Ham Buns

Smoked Trout on French Baguette / Tomato, Basil and Mozzarella Cheese

Spinach & Feta Cheese Quiche / Vanilla Scones

Mini Strawberry Pavlovas  / Fruit Tarts

Mango Tart / Chocolate Mousse Topped with Strawberry

Chocolate Muffins, Chocolate Sweets & Bran Banana Muffins

Red Berry Jelly / Emmental Cheese Platter

Kempinski Afternoon Tea Buffet: Belgium Ivory Chocolate Fondue with Fruit Skewers and Cakes to Dip

Fruit Basket & Fresh Fruit Platter

In spite of all the loungers in Rendez-vous Bar & Lounge and the wide selection on display, there was hardly anyone going up to the buffet.

Observing the other guests around me, it was clear that this is a purely functional venue. Rather than a lounge for people to relax and sip on tea, they were all meeting here for work-related meetings – drinking coffee and discussing business.

Perhaps that’s is why this “high tea” is served as a buffet (less effort) and why the entire “high tea deal” seems more like an after-thought rather than the main attraction.

To be perfectly honest, it seemed like the lounge’s clientele paid more notice to the live pianist performance more than the high tea buffet.

Live Pianist Performs in Kempinski’s Rendez-vous Lounge

I can imagine that the experience would be much more enhanced if the lounge provided outdoor seating in the hotel courtyard that is bordered by surrounding gardens.

Green View Through Kempinski’s Rendez-vous Lounge

Review of Kempinski’s Afternoon High Tea: Located on the Southeast Corner of Liangmaqiao, 50 Liangmaqiao Road, Chaoyang District, Tel: +86 10 6465 3388. Afternoon Tea available Friday, Saturday & Sundays, 2:30pm-6pm

Best Part:

• Come hungry because a buffet automatically implies you’re allowed to “stuff-your-face-til-you-fall-over” rule of thumb
• Save extra room for their chocolate mousse, fruit tarts and Belgium Ivory Chocolate Fondue with mini cake and fruit skewers.
• Lounge features a live pianist who performs daily.
• Their awesome Kempi Deli is probably responsible for the nice chocolates and sweet tarts on display at the dessert bar. 
• The Kempinski is surrounded by green gardens, perfect for a nice stroll after stuffing your face at the buffet.

Comments:

• This is not a place for traditionalists. Kempinski serves their afternoon tea as a buffet (don’t expect to see any multi-tiered silver trays brought to your table)
• While Kempinski’s Rendez-vous Lounge is lovely, it is clear this is a place to meet and discuss business rather than a place to relax and enjoy afternoon tea as an occasion. No one seemed to pay any attention to the buffet as the lounge was full but we were the only two people going up to the buffet.  
• The tea was fine, but the food was very mediocre, especially the savory snacks.  The Quiche and Scones were cold even though they are under a warming tray and the scones were served with an orange whip cream rather than jam and clotted cream. 
• As my fellow Brit so eloquently describes this experience - “Afternoon tea should be enjoyed as an occasion rather than this drive-thru style.”  I couldn’t have said it better myself. 

Rating: (on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being best)

• Food: 6
• Atmosphere: 6
• Service: 6

• Overall Experience: 6

Tea Service at the Kempinski Beijing Hotel

LDS’s Afternoon Tea Reviews in Beijing:

On the Hunt for Beijing’s Best Afternoon Tea: Sofitel

A Pyramid Set of Afternoon Tea by Sofitel Wanda Beijing

Another stop along my journey to uncover Beijing’s Best Afternoon Tea, LumDimSum and CityWeekend are ticking off the hotels one by one from afternoon tea at the Ritz Carlton Beijing to Park Hyatt, the third stop is to see how Sofitel Wanda fares in comparison.

The Sofitel Wanda Beijing branch is the flagship Sofitel in Asia Pacific region, which is why this branch is so lavish and grandiose with super-high ceilings, oversize décor and let’s not forget to mention that the first thing you see when you step inside is a finely crafted, $2 million set of three Swarovski peony flowers on the wall of the main hotel lobby.

Sofitel Wanda Beijing’s Mural of Three Swarovski Crystal Peony Flowers 

Once you manage to move your feet past the wall of giant Swarovski crystals and quite possibly one of the biggest bling-ed out chandeliers I’ve ever seen, hang a left (opposite to the reception area) and you step inside Sofitel’s Vous Lobby Lounge where you can enjoy afternoon tea all day every day from 7am-midnight.

Considering the Sofitel is a hotel with strong French influences, it’s understandable why Afternoon Tea wouldn’t be traditionally English in either the service time or the form it’s served in.

“The striking design draws on Sino-French influences and accentuates the strong cultural links between France and China reflected in the overall theme and décor.”  - Sofitel Wanda Beijing

LumDimSum Snapshots of Sofitel’s Vous Lounge: 

Afternoon Tea may be an English time-honored tradition, but creativity ought to still be encouraged, especially in a cosmopolitan city like Beijing.

Taking into consideration their diverse range of regular customers, Sofitel likes to keep things fresh and in season with an afternoon tea theme menu that changes each month. I was gutted to hear I just missed last month’s tea set, which was a fresh strawberries theme, incorporated luscious, giant strawberries in each of their savory and sweet snacks on display.  This month’s theme is Green Tea, which you will see explained below.

Although the next few months are yet to be confirmed, they anticipate the month of May to follow a Spanish theme serving sangria and margarita drink options and possibly even flying in a guest chef from Spain, who will be responsible for creating an authentic tapas menu.

With each afternoon tea set including a choice of green tea, English Breakfast tea or Coffee together with a pyramid of treats, the set is priced at RMB 198 for two people + 15% service tax.  This is considered moderately priced among Beijing’s afternoon tea sets at 5-star hotels for an afternoon tea set for two.

Beyond the ridiculously extravagant mural of Swarovski flowers, I was impressed with the plush furniture and I love the triple-tiered pyramid presentation of Vous Lounge’s afternoon tea.

Once again, my fellow taster and I varied in what we chose to sip on – he got a black coffee while I went for the featured Longjing tea set recommended by Sofitel’s PR manager Thomas Jouan. *Note that to order this Chinese speciality tea, the price would be inflated to RMB 258 + 15% service charge for two.

Sofitel’s Traditional Chinese Longjing Tea Set

Sofitel’s Coffee comes with three cookies

LumDimSum Breakdown of the Sofitel’s Afternoon Tea Pyramid:

Sofitel’s Triple-Layer Pyramid Afternoon Tea Set

Top Tier of Green Tea Panna Cottas:

Although I love drinking green tea, I generally avoid anything green tea-flavored including green tea ice cream, green tea, frappachinos, you get the idea. So I can safely say that I’ve never had Green Tea Panna Cotta before, but I was a big fan of this dessert. The green tea flavor was subtle and the panna cotta texture was perfectly creamy and light.  The twirl of white chocolate perched on top was a nice touch to complete this very well-executed dessert.

Middle Tier of Savory Snacks: 

We were off to a promising start with the green tea panna cotta, but the quality plummeted the next round.  None of these three savory canapes looked appetizing and, to be perfectly honest, they tasted even worse. Everything was stale and bland and although I generally will eat anything and everything you put in front of me, I didn’t take more than one bite out of each of these and that was just enough to get a taste to write it up for this review. It was all really low quality and I’m surprised that a 5-star hotel would allow this to be served to guests.

Cream Cheese with Pistachio Canape / Shrimp with Scallop Canape / Chicken Breast Sandwich

Bottom Tier of French Sweets:

I was slightly traumatized after the middle tier, but Sofitel was almost able to redeem itself with this bottom tier.  Back up to the same quality as the green tea panna cotta, these sweets were indulgently rich and excellently executed. Their macaroons are perfect and I was very much impressed with the green tea opera cake. The contrast of consistencies between the crispy wafer biscuit at the bottom with the soft cake and creamy chocolate mousse was a lovely compliment to each other. The only dessert I didn’t like was the green tea mousse with red bean cake. While it looked like it had a muffin consistency due to its exterior coat of powder, it was actually very slippery and disintegrated at your touch, which made it very difficult to even pick up.  A very odd dessert in my opinion, but Sofitel boasts this particular dessert as one of their most requested desserts as it is very popular among their Chinese clientele.

Green Tea Opera Cake / Green Tea Macaroon

Green Tea Mousse with Red Bean Cake / Green Tea Muffin

I am no Goldilocks, but I was secretly hoping that this third tea review (after trying the Ritz-Carlton and Park Hyatt) would be “just right”. To my dismay, this third try at Sofitel missed the mark and was not the “third charm” as I had hoped it would be.  The combination of indulgently rich French desserts paired with practically inedible savory snacks left both of us feeling sick to our stomach. I actually really liked the sweets that were served as I thought they were exceptionally well done, but it was just way too much sugar to stomach in one sitting.

And as it turns out, the reason behind the huge inconsistency in the quality of sweets vs. savory is that Sofitel’s French pastry chef follows a Lenotre standard for all desserts and bread and they have a different chef who is temporarily handling their savory canapes until their new executive chef comes in. So until their new chef comes in, I would avoid trying any of the savory options in the afternoon tea set.

That being said, although I may not recommend ordering the afternoon tea set, I would still encourage interested parties to visit Sofitel’s sumptuous Vous Lounge for at least a drink. The entire lounge spewing luxury out of every corner was impressive on its own, but with the added touch of soft lighting just after sunset, I turned camera-crazy with each shot coming through picture perfect.

LumDimSum Snapshots of Sofitel’s Vous Lounge by Night:

Review of Sofitel’s Afternoon Tea: Located west of Wanda Plaza on Jianguo Lu, 93 Jianguo Road , Tower C Wanda Plaza , Chaoyang District Tel: 8599 6666. Afternoon Tea available daily, 7:00am-midnight

Best Part:

• The triple-tier pyramid display is slick and well-designed
• Stick to their sweets as their chef for all sweet treats served follows the famous French Lenotre standard for pastry and breads. 
• The sumptuous French dessert spread is exceptional, try their macaroons.  
• Atmosphere is especially quiet, I don’t even recall hearing any background music now that I think about it, but Sofitel did mention that they will have someone playing the piano during some events. 
• The menu switches out once per month so it never gets old and there is always a reason to come back and try something new. I definitely would have liked to try the strawberry themed menu.
• Afternoon tea at Sofitel is offered all day, everyday. Literally, you can have it any time between 7AM and midnight. 

Comments:

• There is a huge lack of consistency just within the triple-tiered pyramid. I’ve confirmed the savory snacks are done by a different chef than the French pastry chef and it’s very obvious. The sweets are very well done while the middle layer of savory snacks were practically inedible. Really should not be good enough to serve to customers. 
• While Sofitel’s Vous Lounge is lovely, it is clear that the afternoon tea set is just used to compliment the available menu for in-house guests and business men chatting away rather than something you’d go out of your way for. 
• Sofitel’s afternoon tea is more about the presentation of serving something tall and elegant to impress guests or business partners rather than honoring the tradition of a proper English afternoon tea ritual. 
• Ambiance was quiet on a Friday afternoon with few people throughout the lounge. 
• I hate to say it, but out of the three afternoon tea sets I’ve tried, Sofitel’s afternoon tea stands as the worst of the bunch (Ritz-Carlton and Park Hyatt).  The sweets were good, but the savory snacks really did kill the entire spread beyond the point of redemption.  I hope they get their new exec chef ASAP!  

Rating: (on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being best)

• Food: 5
• Atmosphere: 7
• Service: 7
• Overall Experience: 5

• Click here for previous review of the Ritz-Carlton Beijing’s Afternoon Tea.  

• Click here for previous review of the Park Hyatt’s Afternoon Tea.

Fear not, LumDimSum is fiercely determined to push forward on my mission to hunt down Beijing’s Best Afternoon Tea!

Stay tuned for more Afternoon Tea reviews to come…!

Last 2 Days to Vote: CW Readers’ Choice Awards 2012

Last month saw theBeijinger’s 9th annual Reader’s Choice Restaurant Awards results which took everyone by surprise with underdog Home Plate Bar-B-Que beating out industry big heads Maison Boulud, Temple Restaurant Beijing (TRB) and Hatsune and totally sweeping the ceremony in every category possible from Restaurant of the Year (Non-Chinese), Restaurant Personality of the Year (Seth Grossman), Best New Restaurant of the Year (Non-Chinese), Best American, and Outstanding for Best Value for Money. Well done to a venue that deserves massive credit for serving the world’s best BBQ pulled-pork sandwich of all time.

*Voting is underway for theBeijinger’s 2012 Reader Bar & Club Awards until May 9th.

Following theBejinger’s Restaurant Awards was Time Out’s Food Awards 2012 just last week where high-end French legend Maison Boulud dominated in all overall categories – Reader’s Choice Restaurant (the only category foodies can vote on), Best International Fine Dining, Best Service, Chef of the Year (Brian Reimer) and Restaurant of the Year.  Other honorable mentions include Temple Restaurant Beijing (TRB) for Best New Restaurant, Runner up for Restaurant of the Year and Best International Fine Dining, Barolo at the Ritz-Carlton for Runner up for Chef of the Year for Gianluca Visani, Best Service and Best International Fine Dining, and Migas for Best Business Lunch and Best International Casual Dining. Click here for full list of 15 restaurant awards.

That leaves the last expat magazine’s Reader’s Choice Awards – CityWeekend’s 10th Annual Reader’s Choice Awards featuring 28 dining categories and 11 nightlife categories.

“The F&B scene has changed immensely in 10 years and we’ve changed along with it. We’re the only game in town that has its own proprietary voting site which makes it easier for us to identify and weed out spammers. We don’t create a million categories so that everyone gets an award. We limit the number of categories so that a win really means something. Cast your vote below and make your voice heard.” – The CityWeekend Team

CityWeekend.com.cn’s Online Voting Ballot

With only a few days left (voting closes at midnight on April 30th), this year is already looking very competitive with Cityweekend reporting that there could potentially be “a lot of upsets in the making”.

Click here for article update on Reader Awards categories.

Here’s how CW’s Categories are looking thus far:

• Best Tex Mex/Mexican: Avocado Tree is in the lead

• Best Italian: Barolo and Cepe needs to watch out for La Pizza creeping up in the votes

• Best Beijing Duck: Da Dong and Duck de Chine are going head-to-head with just one vote separating the two

• Best American: Home Plate and Element Fresh are close ties

• Best Dessert: Divina and Comptoirs are inches apart from the rest of their competition

• Best Service: GungHo! is shining through the rest of the competition

• Best Wine: Toss up between Enoterra and Modo

• Best New Restaurant: Could it be Susu or Temple Restaurant Beijing (TRB)

• DJ of the Year: Could Eddie LV be stealing DJ Blackie’s title? 

• Best Nightlife Newcomer: Haze or Spark? 

• Who will take the title for Best Restaurant of the Year?  Being the only category without suggested options, everyone is fair game. Obviously you can see who I’ve entered into my ballot…

Strongly disagree with the way these categories are looking?

Here’s your chance to sway the votes in your favor – Spread the word and VOTE!  Just go to this link to CW’s 2012 Readers Choice Awards Ballot.

Happy Voting! 

 Finals Days of Voting for CW’s Readers’ Choice Awards!

Hunting Down Beijing’s Best Afternoon Tea: Park Hyatt

Afternoon High Tea on the 63rd Floor Lounge of the Park Hyatt

On a mission to hunt down Beijing’s best afternoon tea, LumDimSum has teamed up with CityWeekend to try one afternoon tea after another to uncover which in the city will hail as the best of the best.

After the first afternoon tea feature at the very glitzy, glamorous Ritz-Carlton (see LDS review here), the next stop was the afternoon tea at the swanky lounge on the 63rd floor of the Park Hyatt.

While the Ritz Carlton’s atmosphere seemed to suit the more traditionalist tea drinkers who enjoy reminiscing and socializing as the age-old, classic English tradition goes (envision Downton Abbey-style, English upper-class), the Park Hyatt’s slick, contemporary lounge on the 63rd floor was a stark contrast, catering to a savvy and sophisticated generation of business elites and those seeking to impress guests with the 360 view of Beijing’s CBD.

The view is impressive regardless of Beijing’s over-hanging polluted haze, so I can imagine that the views from such great heights on a clear day would be breath-taking.

View from the 63rd Floor Lounge of the Park Hyatt

As suspected with anything associated with a 5-star hotel, especially when you are sipping on tea on the 63rd floor of the Park Hyatt, prices are sky high.  For two people, the Park Hyatt’s complete set of afternoon tea is RMB 360 +15% service charge (more than double the Ritz Carlton and works out to be about RMB 200 per person), and includes a display of mini sandwiches, a double-tiered display of Asian delicacies and sweets, a choice of two desserts from their dessert menu and a choice of coffee, tea or herbal infusions with a lemon Madeleine.

While my British counter-part predictably went for the classic English Breakfast tea, I was eager to try one of their four Herb Infusion Teas (Peppermint, Camomile, Jasmine or Yellow Chrysanthemum).  Tea was served in what looked like a silver-coated teapot, which is lovely in theory, but poorly designed and not at all functional as the handle was so hot to the touch, I could barely grip it long enough to top-up my own tea cup.

Peppermint Flavor Herb Infusion Tea Set

Once tea was served, out came an impressive display of multi-tiered silver tray racks – a single tray with six mini sandwiches (two of each of the three varieties) and a double-tiered display with an Asian-themed bottom layer (also two of three varieties) and an array of sweets on the top tier.

LumDimSum Breakdown of the Park Hyatt’s Afternoon Tea Displays:

Three Layers of Delicacies on Multi-Tiered Display Racks

Single Layer Mini Sandwich Display

Each of these mini sandwiches were beautifully presented, but I find that all mini cut-out sandwiches suffer from the same stale bread dilemma. I’ve seen it over and over and unfortunately, the Park Hyatt was no exception. I had expected the 24-month aged Parma ham with Brie Cheese and Melon to really stand out, but what should have been a bite of soft, creamy cheese complimented by rich, fragrant Parma ham and juicy melon, in actuality was quite disappointed to find that the surface of the cheese had a hardened coat and the melon was a bit tasteless.

Tuna Sandwich with Avocado & Lemon Mayonnaise / 24-months aged Parma ham with Brie Cheese and Melon / Egg Sandwich with Shallots & Watercress

 Double Tiered Display of Delicacies

Bottom Tier of Mixed Asian Delights

The bottom layer of this double tier was an interesting mix of vegetable spring rolls with sweet and sour sauce to dip, crab quiches and sweet egg yolk custard buns. The crab quiche with the spring rolls and sweet bun seem a strange mix to put together in one layer, but each of these three items were the winners of the entire Park Hyatt’s afternoon tea set.  All three were served hot and tasted a lot more fresh and flavorful than the majority of the delicacies served. They also win extra points for creatively using green onion to tie two spring rolls together in one neat pile. I appreciate thoughtful details and this was a nice touch.

 Garden Vegetable Spring Rolls / Maryland Crab Quiche / Egg Yolk Custard Bun

Top Tier of Scone & Sweets

The sweets in this layer were a hit or miss. The scone paired with clotted cream and raspberry jam was unusually tall, very dense and quite stodgy.  It should have had a much lighter, flakier texture. The apple beignet was under baked with a damp, spongey exterior dough that should have been crispy. The fruit on the fruit tart was a nice mix of fresh berries, but the soft filling was too much of a stark contrast to the dry and brittle crust. The real only win on this tray was the mini strawberry macaroon which couldn’t have been any better.

Fresh Fruit Tart / Baked Apple Beignets / Scone with Raspberry Jam & Clotted Cream

In addition to the multi-layered tiers of sandwiches, sweets and snacks, guests are also treated to a choice of two desserts (one per person) from the Park Hyatt’s Patisserie. Inside the glass counter lies a glorious display of lavish desserts including tiramisu, creme caramel, mango pudding, raspberry cheesecake, cherry-chocolate cake, cinnamon baked apple, caramel apple slice, black forest cake and slices of orange-praline.

Feast your eyes on the delectable desserts on display -

Desserts from the Patisserie

Selecting Your Choice Desserts from the Patisserie

We both went for the Raspberry Cheesecake and the Creme Caramel. The Raspberry Cheesecake was the highlight of our afternoon tea. It had a gentle cheese taste while still maintaining a rich flavor and creamy texture. Our only gripe was the crusty and sticky marshmallow tubes fencing in the very perfect cheesecake dessert.  The Creme Caramel was bland in comparison to the cheesecake and it was much more solidified than it should have been.  I had a small bite of the Orange-praline slice, which was not my cup of tea, but very rich and nutty.

Raspberry Cheesecake / Creme Caramel

Orange-Praline Slice

By the time we finished the complete afternoon tea set, several hours had passed and we were stuffed with a sugar high to last us days after. The sun was setting, leaving a soft shadow over the lounge.  While the space was still full when we left, I think the biggest miss of the Park Hyatt’s lounge is the lack of music for added ambiance.

Overall, the Park Hyatt’s Lounge on the 63rd floor is worth going for the view and the view alone. The afternoon tea is a lovely compliment to the superior sky-high view, but I wouldn’t say it’s something I would go out of my way for, taking in consideration also that this is also one of the priciest afternoon tea deals available in town.

Review of the Park Hyatt’s Afternoon Tea: Located in the Yintai Center at Guomao across from China World Hotel, 2 Jianguomenwai Street, Chaoyang District, Tel: 85671838/1840. Afternoon Tea Available daily, 2:30-5:00PM

Best Part:

• The View from the 63rd floor Lounge of the Park Hyatt makes it worth the visit. The super high 360 view gives you a whole new perspective of Beijing’s CBD.
• If you’ve got a serious sweet tooth, the Park Hyatt’s inclusion of two choices from their dessert counter is an added treat. 
• The slick, contemporary decor is the perfect set-up to impress business colleagues. 
• The multi-tiered display of snacks and sweets is plenty enough to leave you satisfied all afternoon and possibly substitute for dinner even! 
• Atmosphere is quiet so you are free to chat away, read or work on your laptop with minimal disturbance. 

Comments:

• While the silver coated tea set looked lovely, it was not functional at all as the handle did nothing contain the heat and protect your hands from the boiling hot water inside. 
• Service was on the slow side, but who’s really in a rush when you’re sitting down for afternoon tea? 
• The snacks that came with the afternoon tea were a hit or miss. The mini sandwiches were all pretty stale (a fault I’m finding is consistent with all mini cut-out sandwiches thus far) and the sweets on the top tier were also a lot better looking than they actually tasted.  The winners of the tea set were definitely the bottom tier of mixed Asian delicacies and also the two desserts we selected from the dessert counter. 
• It was a lovely experience, but I anticipate this being one of the pricier afternoon tea deals in town at approx. RMB 200 per person, but I also suppose this is expected given the location and the regular clientele the Park Hyatt attracts. 

Rating: (on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being best)

• Food: 6
• Atmosphere: 8
• Service: 6
• Overall Experience: 7

Click here for previous review of the Ritz-Carlton Beijing’s Afternoon Tea.

Rest assured people, I will not rest until I hunt down Beijing’s Best Afternoon Tea!

Stay tuned for more Afternoon Tea reviews to come…

On the Hunt for Beijing’s Best Afternoon Tea: The Ritz

Traditional Afternoon Tea at the Ritz Carlton, Beijing

In collaboration with CityWeekend, LumDimSum has been sought out to take on a new blog series to hunt down Beijing’s Best Afternoon Tea and our first feature is one of the very obvious choices – the glitzy, glamorous Ritz Carlton Beijing’s Traditional Afternoon Tea.

A traditionally elegant and classically beautiful setting, the Ritz-Carlton stands out as an ideal setting to spend an afternoon sipping on tea in pretty porcelain cups and snacking on both savory and sweet bite-sized delicacies.

A Pretty Princess Tea Party at the Ritz Carlton

Walking into the Ritz’s plush lounge, you can’t help but feel you ought to be dressed in high gloves, gowns and tuxedos among globetrotting millionaires and celebrities in the high-class ambiance, a signature in all of the glamorous Ritz Carlton hotels around the world.

“A time honored tradition for over a century, the world renowned afternoon tea of The Ritz-Carlton, Beijing has served England’s most beloved ritual and grandest tradition Afternoon Tea to famed royalty, celebrities and discerning guests.” 

Elegant Long Bar at the Entrance of the Ritz Carlton Lounge

A Relaxing Afternoon Lounging at the Ritz

In spite of the swanky ambiance, the prices are reasonable. A complete “Traditional Afternoon Tea” set is priced at RMB 168 + 15% service charge to include unlimited Western tea (or 1 cup of their specialty coffee) and a three-tiered display of delicate canapes.

LumDimSum Breakdown of the Ritz’ Afternoon Tea:

Three-Tiered Display of Delicacies

Top Tier Desserts -

Petit Four Desserts: Strawberry Tart, Lemon Meringue Tart, Rich Chocolate Cake, Profiterole with Custard and Blueberries

The top tier was the highlight of our Afternoon Tea, which makes sense why it’s displayed at the very top of the three tiers. Each of these sweets was perfect both in presentation and taste.

Strawberry Tart / Lemon Meringue Tart

With strawberries in full swing this Spring, the giant, juicy strawberry made this tart a favorite. The Lemon Meringue had an unexpected, but lovely, creamy lemon curd in the middle with a soft, milky texture.

Profiterole with Custard and Blueberries / Rich Chocolate Cake

The chocolate cake looked a bit dry, but it was rich and creamy down the middle. My only suggestion to improve this tier would be to add a layer of chocolate in the berry profiterole.

Second Tier: Savory Snacks

Hickory Wood-house Smoked Salmon and Sour Cream on Wheat Toast, Triple Layer Cucumber & Cream Cheese on Rye Bread, Free Range Egg Salad Sandwich with Caviar and Chive on Pumpernickel Bread and Tiger Prawn, Avocado, Tomato and Lemon on Wheat Toast

The second tier was also well done, but not as impressive as the first. Each of these savory snacks are all pretty basic, what you would expect to be served from a hotel if you request for a selection of savory canapes.

Triple Layer Cucumber Salad & Cream Cheese on Rye Bread / Egg Salad with Caviar and Chive on Pumpernickel Bread

There’s the token cucumber canape which was light and crisp, and an egg salad, which I would have liked more if it were not for the pumpernickel bread.

Hickory Wood-house Smoked Salmon and Sour Cream on Wheat Toast / Tiger Prawn, Avocado, Tomato and Lemon on Wheat Toast 

There was also the standard Smoked Salmon, which had strong smokey flavor. The Tiger Prawn looked the most impressive of the four, but nowhere could I find, taste or uncover any avocado and unfortunately, the shrimp itself was chewy and tasted a bit stale.  It had obviously been sitting out for awhile.

Bottom Tier: Assorted Fruits

 Third Tier: Assorted Fruit Salad – Watermelon, Pineapple, Honey melon and Dragon Fruit

The bottom tier was the most disappointing. With strawberries, pineapples and beautiful berries in season, the Ritz should really take advantage and serve what’s best at this time of year. The pineapple was perfect – juicy and sweet and not at all acidic. But the watermelon and honey melon were awful. The watermelon had no flavor and was not crispy or fresh at all and the honey melon was also not ripe enough to be served.

Freshly Baked Scone with Clotted Cream and Lemon Curd Berry Preserve

I’ve saved the best for last – The fresh scone was served separately, but this was the highlight. It was still warm and crispy with a flaky exterior shell and a soft, chewy inside.

Time for Tea

Western Tea Served with Milk and Sugar Cane Sticks

Most places in town will charge per person, but the Ritz’s Afternoon Tea is RMB 168 for the set which includes unlimited Western tea. So this is really an option for a couple or group of 3-4 to enjoy an afternoon together. While tea is unlimited, coffee is limited to just one, but they serve a nice display of imported coffee.

The Lounge Bar’s Display of Imported Coffee Beans

There really weren’t many people around on the Sunday afternoon I came in and to my dismay, there was no one dressed properly as I had hoped, but then again, I guess you can’t expect anyone to either follow or enforce a dress code in Beijing. While service was not the most attentive, they were friendly when they would come around and top up our tea.

Service at the Ritz: Topping Up our Tea

Review of Ritz Carlton Beijing’s Afternoon Tea: Just next to the JW Marriott, No. 83A Jian Guo Road, Chaoyang District, Tel: 5908-8888. Afternoon Tea Available daily, 2:30-5:30PM

Best Part:

• Unlimited Tea!  You can spend the whole afternoon sipping on classic English tea in pretty porcelain cups
• If you’re a coffee lover, they also feature a selection of imported coffee beans
• This classic English manor home sets the perfect backdrop for an elegant, sophisticated Afternoon Tea
• Three-tiered display of snacks and sweets is perfect to compliment your tea and plenty to leave you satisfied all afternoon. 
• Atmosphere is quiet so you can enjoy your afternoon tea in peace
• This is the perfect place to host a Downton Abbey themed tea party and ask everyone to dress up to fit the part.  
• Prices are reasonable – RMB 168 for unlimited tea and the three-tiered display. 

Comments:

• While the atmosphere is lovely, the customers there on Sunday afternoon looked entirely out of place wearing gym suits and attire that really should be outlawed from such an elegant venue. 
• Service was not the most attentive.  I had to go up to the bar myself to seek out service. 
• The snacks that came with the afternoon tea were tasty, but all pretty basic.  Nothing mind-blowing our anything out of the ordinary. Almost all of it was just as we had expected (tasty but boring), but the fruit selection was the most disappointing.  The watermelon and honey melon were practically inedible. With so much exotic, tropical fruit in season, it was a shame we were served such a mediocre selection of fruit. 
• It was a lovely experience, but there is much room for improvement and I suspect I’ll be uncovering much better afternoon tea deals in Beijing in the very near future. Stay tuned for more! 

Rating: (on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being best)

• Food: 6
• Atmosphere: 7
• Service: 6
• Overall Experience: 7

The Veggie Table: Beijing’s Vegan Center

The Veggie Table has been at the top of my restaurant hit list for some time now, but you’d be surprised how difficult it is to convince meat eaters to try a vegetarian restaurant!  Considering The Veggie Table is purely vegan and about as organic as you can get in Beijing, you can imagine why it took me so long to find a fellow foodie to finally dine with me at a vegan restaurant!

While some may be turned off by words like “vegan” and “organic”, I am very much curious to find out more and always eager to turn towards a more health-conscious diet. And just the name “Veggie Table” is friggin’ adorable. I love their logo and the restaurant itself is very casual and cute with a strong hippie vibe.  So I’m being very honest when I say that before even setting foot in Veggie Table, I had high hopes for this restaurant to really live up to its claim as “Your vegan center in Beijing”.

Veggie Table’s Bar and Dessert Counter by the Entrance

Some of you may have seen my previous post of Veggie Table, where I left sorely disappointed and very much frustrated with their lack of customer service and how poorly they handled the situation, but in spite of this negative first impression, I also left with a piece of fresh, out-of-the-oven carrot cake that was so good, it relinquished all prior frustrations as forgiven.

So that leaves me to my next dining experience at Veggie Table, where I treated my vegetarian friend for his birthday dinner here. Just after Chinese New Year, the place was buzzing and vibes were really good.  The dining space has a high ceiling, comfy couches and lounge chairs to add to the laid back vibes. While we happily picked a table by the window, we immediately noticed that everything (especially the window sill) was covered in a layer of dust, our table was unstable and rocking back and forth throughout the dinner and although it’s a great space, it has not been well-kept since it opened just last year. That being said, it’s nothing a thorough clean couldn’t quickly fix.

Veggie Table’s Interior Dining Space

Since we came just after the Chinese New Year holiday, their menu only offered a limited selection since their owner/chef Laura Fanelli was not back from holiday. So unfortunately, I didn’t get to test out a friend’s recommendation to try their “stink out” burger, but we did work our way through the majority of their menu!  We started off by ordering a bottle of red – a beautiful Italian wine, 2003 Giovanni Rosso from Barolo at RMB 888, which is surprisingly high considering the high-end Italian restaurant Barolo in the Ritz Carlton sells this same bottle of wine for under RMB 800. I have a soft spot for hot alcoholic drinks, so I ordered a hot mulled wine (RMB 30) and was very much disappointed to find it both bitter and harsh. Every time I took a sip, it stung the back of my throat and I pretty much gave up half-way through the cup.

2003 Giovanni Rosso from Barolo (RMB 888)

Of all the dishes we ordered, the Hummus Spread (RMB 28 for small/RMB 38 for large) was good, but very mediocre and certainly not “the best in Beijing” as their menu claims.  I vote Biteapitta’s hummus to be much better than this one.  The chunky meat-free chili made from organic beans (RMB 25) was full of flavor and a perfect winter appetizer.  The Beet Salad with walnuts and prunes (RMB 22) was one of the highlights of our meal, in addition to the Shiitake Mushroom Burger (RMB 62) served with potato wedges and delicious, light coleslaw. Both the Dal Bhat, Indian lentil curry (RMB 65) and Vegetable Curry (RMB 60) were both very disappointing.  The lentils were bland and the vegetable curry had a strange sour taste and we couldn’t make out if it was supposed to be more like an Indian or Thai curry, but nothing we were familiar with.  Then again, I guess vegan food is in a genre of its own so it may be difficult or unfair to compare it to anything else.

LumDimSum Snapshots of Dishes at The Veggie Table: 

Ajvar Dip with Eggplant and Onions with Pitta bread (RMB 28) / Small Hummus Spread (RMB 28)

Chunky Meat-Free Chili Soup (RMB 25) / Beet Salad (RMB 22)

Dal Bhat, Indian Lentil Curry (RMB 65) / Vegetable Curry with Organic Brown Rice (RMB 60)

Shiitake Mushroom Burger with Potato Wedges and Coleslaw (RMB 62) / Sun-dried Tomato Organic Pasta (RMB 60)

Many of the dishes we ordered turned out to be quite a hit or miss. And unfortunately the same applies to their desserts.  After already being in love with their carrot cake (RMB 30), I was eager to try the rest of their dessert menu.  The edges of the Glazed Chocolate Bundt Cake (RMB 30) was a little bit dry, but the inside was still very moist and it was a very rich and delicious cake considering there is no butter, egg or dairy at all!

On the other hand, the Chocolate Fondant (RMB 35) took 40 minutes to come out after we ordered it and it was still completely liquid, so we sent it back to heat up a bit longer.  When it came back with better consistency – warm cake with a melted middle, the taste was still totally off.  Instead of it tasting like chocolate, it really just tasted like wheat bread dough.  I can’t tell you how strange it was to eat chocolate cake that tastes more like wheat bread. This was officially the first time I ever left a dessert unfinished. Not sure if it was just a flop because I can’t imagine that this would have turned out so strange if they’ve already totally nailed both carrot cake and a rich, chocolate bundt cake.

Glazed Chocolate Bundt Cake (RMB 30) / Chocolate Fondant (RMB 35)

Click here for previous LDS Article on Veggie Table’s amazing Carrot Cake:

Vegan Carrot Cake (RMB 30)

A Very Merry Kagen Christmas Charity Party for BICCO

Charity Christmas Dinner at Kagen (photography courtesy of Nora Tejada)

On Saturday, December 10, Kagen Japanese Restaurant hosted a Christmas Charity Dinner to benefit the Disabled Chinese Orphans of BICCO (Beijing International Committee of Chinese Orphans) and with about 130 generous patrons in attendance, we somehow managed to reach our goal of raising over RMB 200,000!  That is an insanely high number because that means each person donated on average RMB 1,500!

Originally, the deal was set that for each ticket sold, RMB 500 would be donated directly to BICCO (which was already really generous of Kagen Restaurant), but in the end, owner Alan Wong generously donated ALL ticket sales to BICCO, meaning that the entire ticket sales (RMB 600 each) went to the children of BICCO.

In addition to ticket sales, we also managed to sell a butt-load of raffle tickets (raising RMB 9,400) and many silent auction prizes went for higher than it’s actual value (raising RMB 31,757).

Combining ticket prices, raffle tickets and silent auction prizes together with many personal donations to our cause, we were able to exceed our goal of more than RMB 200,000 and now Amy Zima and her team of dedicated volunteers are looking to expand their rehabilitation program to at least two other orphanages in China!

A BIG thank you to all our generous sponsors:

• The Wine Republic (who helped supply the 100+wines to bring out the Christmas spirit of giving)

• Heineken Beer for sponsoring 200 bottles of Sol Beer (also helped bring out spirit of giving)

• Ryan Cardwell & Ivy Academy for their Generous sponsorship and partnership in hosting this event

• Acoustic musician David Mitchell for donating both his talent and time to our event

• Photographer Nora Tejada for helping us to capture this unforgettable event

• Beijing Kids for their Media Sponsorship

• Event Volunteers: Ingrid Van Nijverseel, Stephanie Giambruno, Katja Schick, Stephanie Butler, Dannan Hodge, Luce, Christina Lieffring, Romulo Martinez, Kelly Charles, Oumou Barry

• Alan Wong and his Kagen Restaurant (for donating the entire restaurant space and sponsoring the 10-dish meal for everyone that night!)

• Silent Auction Sponsors: 

• A Food Affaire
• Alona Pilates
• Antonia Sampson
• April’s Adornments
• Bodhi Spa
• Chef Too
• Counting Sheep
• Elisabeth Koch Millinery
• Frontiers Chinese School
• GungHo! Pizza
• Hummingbird Therapeutic Spa Retreat
• The Hutong
• Ivy Academy
• Le Spa
• Little Gold Book
• LMC Boutique Clothing
• Oumou Jewelry
• Papabubble Candy
• Punjabi Indian Restaurant
• Ritz Carlton
• Scarlett (Hotel G)
• SinoScuba
• Starfish Wine & Seafood Restaurant
• Two Guys and a Pie
• Wondermilk
• Yoga Yard

Snapshots of the BICCO Charity Dinner Silent Auction Tables:

(Photos courtesy of Nora Tejada)

Snapshots of Christmas Charity Fun at Kagen:

(Photos courtesy of Nora Tejada)

Thank you to everyone who generously donated and contributed to our Christmas Charity Event for BICCO. We are in awe of everyone’s generosity and effort towards such a wonderful and dedicated organization!  Excited for some big improvements in 2012!

Kagen Restaurant Details:

• Located below the Original Hatsune on Guanghua Lu
• B1/F, Bldg C, Heqiao Dasha, 8 Guanghua Donglu, Chaoyang District
• 朝阳区光华东路8号和乔大厦C座地下1层
• Tel: 6583-6830

LumDimSummary: D-SATA & La Perla Fashion Show

Located at the Ritz-Carlton this Mother’s Day Sunday, couture clutch designer Currie Lee (Founder & Creative Director of DimSum of all things Asian) hosted her first fashion show in an Afternoon Tea party with ‘high’ fashion and ‘low tea’ called D-SATA by CuR, a collaboration with both La Perla and Swarovski Crystals.

LumDimSummary Breakdown:

D-SATA by CuR Signature Clutch Bags:

Free-Flow Champagne:

La Perla Lingerie & Swimsuit Collection:

Hosted by: Currie Lee, Founder of D-SATA

The Lovely Jo Ling Kent:

Creative Tea-Party Cakes:

A Group of Exquisite Women Together to Celebrate Mother’s Day!

Celebrate Mother’s Day with Couture