Get into the Christmas spirit – and prepare your stomach for Christmas lunch – with one of these five new Hong Kong afternoon teas with a seasonal twist.
A Nutcracker afternoon tea at Popsy Modern Kitchen
Why sit through the ballet when you could have it for afternoon tea instead? New Sheung Wan dining room Popsy Modern Kitchen is presenting its first tea set this festive season in collaboration with Perrier-Jouët, with a tribute to the classic ballet. Artist and restaurant founder Jennifer Chung has transformed the spacious private room into a wintry, silver nutcracker wonderland, with mini dolls and floral art bringing the Christmas tale to life. Tea-goers in a party of six or above can indulge in sweet and savoury treats including salmon tartare in crispy potato chips, great pea pocket stuffed with crab meat, or strawberry cheesecake topped with crème fraîche.
When: Until 3 January 2016
Where: Popsy Modern Kitchen, 5/F, The Wellington, 184-198 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong
Contact: 00852 2907 8188
Price: HK$280 per person (add HK$70 for a glass of Perrier-Jouët Champagne)
A Burberry-inspired set at MO Bar
The Landmark Mandarin Oriental’s MO Bar will be offering a Burberry-inspired tea set. On offer are traditional, home-style British finger sandwiches (with fillings like smoked salmon, roast turkey and roast beef with homemade horseradish sauce), as well as sweet eats like zingy carrot cake, chequered Battenberg with blueberry jam and Bakewell tart, with a basket of mini-scones to complete the experience. As for the Burberry connection – your tea set comes with a voucher for a festive beauty consultation at Causeway Bay’s Burberry Beauty Box.
When: 3:00pm – 5:00pm Monday to Friday, 2:30pm – 6:00pm weekends
Where: MO Bar, G/F, Landmark Mandarin Oriental, 15 Queen’s Road Central, Hong Kong
Contact: 00852 2132 0077
Price: HK$338 (add HK$120 for a glass of Ruinart Rosé Champagne)
An origami afternoon tea party at The Langham
The Langham have been doing one of our favourite afternoon teas in town for a while now, and their latest offer will surely only serve to reaffirm the faith. Tea time will be in the shadows of the lobby’s stunning Christmas tree, which is decorated in origami artistry designed by award-winning artist Kade Chan, who will also be hosting origami workshops every Saturday for the length of the offer. The designs are inspired by the beautiful designs on bottles of Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque, and guests who purchase a bottle with their tea sets on Saturdays will go into a lucky draw (drawn at 3:00pm and 5:00pm) to win prizes like limited edition champagne flutes and scented candles.
Also on offer is the chance to win a two-day pass for two to the Maison Belle Epoque in France, the former home of the Perrier family. The prize includes a VIP tour of the cellar, as well as a private tasting of the Perrier-Jouët range.
When: Saturdays from 12 December 2015 to 16 January 2016, from 2:00pm to 6:00pm.
Where: Palm Court, Lobby Level, The Langham Hong Kong, 8 Peking Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
Contact: 00852 2132 7898
Price: HK$458 per person and HK$758 for two (including a glass of Perrier-Jouët, NV, Brut Champagne)
Go green at Hotel ICON
One of our favourites has just relaunched its afternoon tea series in time for the holidays. Hotel ICON’s stunning lobby lounge GREEN is now serving a Swiss chocolate afternoon tea, in which a three-tiered stand is loaded with chocolate desserts and savouries – think chocolate foie gras nougat, mandarin confit chocolate cup, chocolate praline sphere and a red fruit chocolate cupcake.
When: Ongoing, from 3:00pm to 5:30pm
Where: GREEN, Hotel ICON, 17 Science Museum Road, Tsim Sha Tsui East, Kowloon, Hong Kong
COntact: 00852 3400 1000
Price: HK$218 per person and HK$388 for two Monday to Thursday, HK$238 per person and HK$438 for two Friday to Sunday and public holidays.
A very merry Christmas at the InterContinental
The InterContinental isn’t exactly known for holding back when it comes to their food offer, and in typical style the Lobby Lounge has gone all out for their festive afternoon tea offer. The set features odes to Christmas like caramel, chocolate and coffee Christmas balls, a chestnut and rum custard “ski éclair”, a pistachio, cardamon and passionfruit “tree” and a basked of gingerbread and traditional scones served with Devonshire clotted cream, earl grey tea jelly and strawberry jam.
The showstopper though is a seriously indulgent chocolate christmas tree (HK$175), made of double chocolate brownie and sponge with a 70 percent chocolate ganache glaze and decorated with “crispy pearls” and star chocolate chips, gold leaf and vanilla sauce.
When: Until 27 December 2015
Where: Lobby Lounge, Intercontinental Hong Kong, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Contact: 00852 2721 1211
Price: HK$608 for two on weekdays, HK$628 for two on weekends, HK$648 for two from 24-27 December