Around the world in 80 cakes #5 Hong Kong


After the last few days of posting about what I’ve seen of the Hong Kong protest movement, today was spent much more frivolously.

I returned to my personal challenge of eating afternoon tea around the world.

Today’s ‘gruelling ordeal’ took place at the Cafe Grey Deluxe in The Upper House on Hong Kong Island.

What strikes me about Hong Kong is that, 3D maps would make navigation around a city that is built on multiple levels much easier.

I thought I was standing at the right spot to find the hotel’s entrance. Technically… I was… it’s just that I needed to be about ten feet above the road that I was standing on.

I’m accustomed to much simpler navigation.

Fortunately, people in Hong Kong are very willing to help and thanks to no less than four people, I covered the last two minutes of the route and found the hotel.

The Cafe is on the 49th floor of the building and the views are, unsurprisingly, astonishing.

Champagne and skyscrapers.

I was shown to my table with a setting facing the stunning view. One glass of champagne later and the tea set arrived.

Spoiler Alert: I think this may have been my favourite afternoon tea so far.

First of all, the sandwiches – a good balance of traditional types of sandwiches with some creative flourishes but still very recognisable as a sandwich platter.

From left to right: cherry tomato topped prawn pastry, egg mayonnaise (actual chunks of egg rather than pureed to a foam), serrano ham and goats cheese roll and finally wild mushroom frittata.

This was followed by one solitary scene. The white chocolate almond choux filled with apricot cream does not count as a scone.

But it was good.

The scone was, quite frankly, the nicest I’ve eaten so far on this trip (and quite possibly for some time). I’m not sure if there was a fusion of scone and filo pastry making going on here, because the scone seemed to be made of layers.

it really was delicious. Two scones would have been perfect.

Final course… the cakes.

Light on the actual cake but a delicious platter of desserts that were light and tasty. None of these were sickly sweet and the tropical fruit element seemed very fitting after a morning spent in the botanical gardens.

With the view, the excellent service from attentive and friendly but certainly not intrusive staff and a superb range of food, this was a fabulous afternoon tea.

Price: 285 HKD plus 150 HKD for two glasses of champagne. This was very good value in a stunning setting.

Even the washing facilities in the rest rooms have an unbelievable view.

Honestly, go there now. Bring a map.

Categories: Cake, Hong Kong, Hong Kong - The Upper House, TravelTags: , , , , , , ,

2 comments

  1. Wow, that’s stunning.

    Liked by 1 person