Afternoon Tea @ St Regis KL

It wasn’t till today, that I actually found out that there was a difference between afternoon tea, and high tea.

And that is why I made the mistake of inviting my friend Mich, to high tea that fateful Friday. Not that either of us minded nor cared because this tea soirée turned out to be a spectacular one anyway.

Well just for those of you that do care, here’s the difference. Afternoon Tea is not the same as High Tea, because afternoon Tea is held between 3:00pm – 5:00pm, served on a low coffee table as it was never intended to replace dinner but rather to fill in the long gap between lunch and dinner at a time when dinner was served at 8:00pm. Whereas High Tea was what the common people ate at around 6:00pm and was eaten at a dining table, ie. high table. OK? Got that? I still didn’t really see the huge difference myself but I was willing to call it Afternoon Tea, oh no problem there at all. Just feed me good food, is all I am saying.

There were also other interesting detail about afternoon tea, that unravelled as we dined at the Drawing Room, St Regis KL, that lovely sunny afternoon.

milk in first or last?

Never at any time should the milk be added in first. Unless you’re using cheap china ware.

finger sandwiches

Served with their crusts cut off and in shapes of triangles or rectangles. Finger sandwiches are called finger sandwiches for a reason and should be eaten with your hands.

pastries and accompaniments

There is no set rule for what should be served as an accompaniment. However, it should be dainty and mess-free. It should be eaten in more than one mouthful.

stirring the cup

It is only acceptable to stir in circular motions when at a building site. The appropriate way to stir is using back and forth motions, never bashing the sides of the cup. Lightly flick the teaspoon and place along the back of the saucer cup.

dunking biscuits

A definite no. You may if you wish to draw uninvited attention upon yourself. This also applies to slurping. In this case, the biscuits are receptacles themselves and completely edible.. win win!

cream or jam first?

There is no right or wrong way. Jam first, is favoured by the people of Cornwall, while in Devon, it is cream first. The only universal rule of thumb is that the cream absolutely has to be clotted cream. Should you come across any that serve aerosol cream, call your local council to shut them down immediately.

pinky in or out?

When drinking tea, hold the handle of the teacup using your thumb and forefinger. Contrary to popular belief, the pinky finger should not be extended but should rest by curving gently back towards your wrist.

The Drawing Room, dominated by Botero’s horse sculpture, is definitely a great setting for St. Regis Afternoon Tea rituals…

We will definitely be back for a staycation soon!

The St Regis afternoon tea is priced at RM140.00 nett, and includes, Tea selections – Silver Moon, 1837 Black Tea, Royal Darjeeling, Sencha, Jasmine Queen Tea. Also Sandwich canapés – Sweet Wine and Port Terrine of Foie Gras on Toasted Brioche King Crab, Avocado. Sakura Mix – Scottish Smoked Salmon, Chives Crème Fraîche on Rye Bread Egg Mayonnaise “Melanosporum” Black Truffle; Scones Cranberry, Plain Homemade Strawberry Jam Original English Clotted Cream; Pastry Hazelnut Choux Mix Fruits Tartelette Chocolate Shooter Homemade Macaron Raspberry Cake Pop.

Add:
The St. Regis Kuala Lumpur  
Jalan Stesen Sentral 2, Kuala Lumpur Sentral,
50470 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: +60 3-2727 1111