This was my second time at Shangri-la Hotel for their Afternoon Tea and it was once again a great experience. Afternoon tea is a special treat that I usually reserve for special occasions and this year for my birthday, this is one of two afternoon teas I had scheduled. This time I ordered the Shanti Gold which was a blend of Asian black teas - bold enough to pair with the food but without much astringency that I didn't need to add milk or sugar.
They still offer a large selection of teas, some of which would have an additional cost if selected. My friends found it helpful that they short-listed the teas that would be included without an additional fee and made the decision easier than looking through the book. They still offer an iced version of the tea which is great but this time around instead of brewing it table side, they brought a huge pitcher when my friend ordered the Assam iced. Tasted good at the start but would have been better to brew a small amount and re-brew as needed as the large pitcher resulted in diluted tea later.
Complimentary drink to start (prosecco or mocktail).
And now onto the food!
Tower of treats.
The savouries:
Ratatouille with Buffalo Mozzarella
Sweet peas, asparagus, lemon ricotta on sour dough - so refreshing, simple yet elegant!
Snow crab tart, this was also a really great combination of flavours.
Virginia ham and cheddar cheese on a brioche bun
The sweets:
Rhubarb sponge cake
Raspberry & pecan cookie: surprisingly my favourite sweet of the afternoon.
The cookie was slightly chewy, sweetness was well balanced with a bit of tartness from the raspberry.
Yuzu macaron, nicely made but we couldn't really taste the wasabi.
A classic, strawberry shortcake, well made.
Pineapple Upside Down Tart and Chocolate & Mint Tart; both were good. The Chocolate & Mint Tart was the sweetest of the bunch.
And scones that came separately, served with clotted cream and a berry compote.
Prices have gone up since my first visit, Shangri-La now charges $75/person for afternoon tea which is the priciest in the Toronto market now, even with the complimentary prosecco I think.
Our spot was more private this time and was elegant as usual. However, I think next time I'd ask to be sitting with more of a window view - to take advantage of more natural light for pics!
All in all, a lovely experience!
