Afternoon Tea at Bistro B Lounge, Rosewood Hotel, Beijing.


I arrived at Rosewood Hotel in Beijing for Afternoon Tea, hoping to soak up the style and  elegance in one of the city's best addresses. Having tried the Afternoon tea  a few times before, the lure of the free flowing Veuve Cliquot bubbly was enough to entice me to return. 

There is no traditional Afternoon tea set at Rosewood. There are two options with regards to your drink though - tea . coffee or the champagne option - but no traditional set. Sigh. I am told that there are very few, if any hotels in the city, that offer a traditional English afternoon tea experience - the Anglophile in me cannot help but yearn for it. What the set lacks in tradition, it compensates for through imagination and creativity - the concept is to take a single ingredient and have it feature in a number of treats in the two tier stand, across sweet and savoury. In this set, the culinary team celebrates the humble chestnut! 

Having tried mango and strawberry before, chestnut was interesting - for those who don't know, chestnuts are a big part of Chinese eating culture. Because of dietary concerns, I asked the pastry chef to forego the sweet component of my set and instead just double up on the savoury. I appreciated the indulgence. 

SAVORY
Foie Gras Mousse and Persimmon Jelly Macaron
Smoked Turkey, Chestnut, Fig
Brie Cheese, Persimmon, Walnut
Smoked Atlantic Salmon, Chestnut, Preserved Lemon

SWEET
Persimmon & Chestnut Tart
Chestnut & Chocolate Roll
Cream Cheese, Persimmon, Crumble Walnut
Chestnut & Vanilla Sphere
Rum Chocolate Chestnut Bonbon

SCONE
Chestnut and Plain Scone
My favourite on the day was definitely the Foie Gras Mousse and Persimmon Jelly Macaron. this serves as a microcosm for the innovation and creativity mentioned earlier. They have taken a traditional element of Afternoon Tea, the macaron, and done something decadent and absolutely delicious. My second favourite was the scone with chestnut jam. While the scone misses that 'made by mummy' feel to it, I don't think the afternoon tea is about that homeliness. It is about luxury, in keeping with the brand . Nonetheless, the chestnut jam, a first for me, lacked what many jams or preserves have - a sickening sweetness. Nice!


Afternoon Tea has evolved, in keeping with market forces. I believe, in Beijing especially, that the average Afternoon Tea client has become younger but not only that, with a mainly Chinese client base, the menu also reflect  its market. As a concept, I like it and I understand the next Afternoon Tea menu will be out soon. In the meantime, I will embrace the change that this wonderful pass time has gone through while sipping on the free flowing champagne. 

The Essentials

 Afternoon Tea at Bistro B Lounge,
Rosewood Hotel, 
Hujialou, Chaoyang
Beijing
Tel: 00 86 (10) 6597 8888

 Afternoon Tea
258RMB - Afternoon tea set for one , 458RMB set for two Includes Tea or Coffee Selection
458RMB- Champagne afternoon tea set for one,  800RMB Champagne afternoon tea set for two Includes Free-Flow Veuve Clicquot Champagne

 Subway - Line 10 Hujialou, Exit D and walk for about 5 minutes. 

Brandon Stoltenkamp
https://instagram.com/bmstoltenkamp/

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