Afternoon Tea, Revisited

I'm alway going to have a soft spot for afternoon teas.  It's a nostalgic time for me as they used to be special girls' day outings for my mom and I when I was in grade school.  Hair cuts, afternoon tea, and shopping in Union Square.

These days when I find myself in a hotel lounge for an afternoon snack, I will almost always order the afternoon tea set - for old times sake, and because afternoon tea is so much fun with the variety of savory and sweet.

So I found myself back at the Lobby Lounge in Makati Shangri-la giving their Afternoon Tea Set another shot.  The menu always appeals to me and brightens up my stomach.  But when the set arrives and I'm eating the tea sandwiches and sweets, I was again disappointed.  It totally lacks freshness and tastes like it was made yesterday.

Now I'm craving for some quality afternoon tea - perhaps I'll look venture around Makati.  And I'll definitely explore the afternoon tea action when I'm next in Hong Kong.

Place your cursor above "Notes" below to read the captions for each photo.

If you can't see the slide show here, check out my Flickr album: Afternoon Tea - Makati Shangri-la

Afternoon Tea Nostalgia

One of my all-time favorite food memories as a child was my monthly visit with my mom up to San Francisco for afternoon tea at the Rotunda in Neiman Marcus in Union Square. Eating by the window to see all of Union Square was such a treat! I loved the whole occasion of dressing up for the day and eating a fancy, girly meal with just my mom. The mini sandwiches and mini desserts were so much fun, too!

So every time I get the opportunity to have an afternoon tea, I always look back at those memories fondly. I also place that as my benchmark of what a good afternoon tea (in terms of atmosphere, setting, and food) should be like.

For a local afternoon tea, my parents and I visited the Makati Shangri-La. The atmosphere and setting of the Lobby Lounge is beautiful. The live orchestra, the tall windows, and the high ceiling makes for a pleasant surrounding. The food is decent, but nothing like my memories from San Francisco.

Place your cursor above "Notes" to read more about each picture/

Check out my Flickr album if you can't see the slide show here.