High tea is one of Philipp and my favorite pass time when we travel; you might know that since we always blog about them. In Kuala Lumpur, we decide to try the Oriental Mandarin since we loved the one in Bangkok. The experience was lovely but not as dynamic as the one in Thailand.
The music was soothing in the background. The piano player made sure the lounge was filled with melody. The room was not exclusive to high tea’s, so it was full, but we were lucky to sit at the end with the view of the KLCC park, it was beautiful and private.
Sometimes this occasion is about the experience; other times, it is the food, but this time it was about the tea and the homemade jams and curds. Each tea came with a little history I want to share with you.
Early Grey (Black Tea with Flavoring)– Not only did Prime Minister Earl Grey inspire this iconic tea, he also abolished slavery in 1833. Let’s raise our teacups to that! Our take on the quintessential British brew is a blend of the finest black tea, balanced with flavors of fragrant bergamot, and a signature scattering of elegant blue cornflowers.
Lemon & Ginger (Herbal Infusion)– This heady herbal brew blends invigorating ginger with the citrus kick of lemongrass, sweetly softened with licorice and a fresh hint of spearmint. Something to chivvy away the cold or to sip like a summer cordial when the sun’s high in the sky.
Coconut Truffle (Flavored White Tea) Blending a base of pure white tea with creamy coconut and cocoa kernels, this white chocolate truffle of a tea should really be classed as confectionery. Blended with sweet blackberry leaves, you’d never guess it was sugar-free.
Puerh Mandarin (Flavored Puerh Tea) Finding fame as a fashionable health brew, few know that quality puerh tea can also be rather delicious. Our elegantly clear-tasting puerh is the perfect match for breezy lemon verbena and tangerine, adding a bright citrus freshness to the famously full-bodied brew. After all, why choose between the carrot and the stick?
Rooibos (Herbal Infusion) Malty and moreish with a smooth honey-sweetness, this herbal infusion is naturally caffeine-free. Grown solely in the Cederberg Mountains of South Africa, the name rooibos (red bush) tea might bring to mind bright burning tea bushes. In fact, it refers to the deep russet color of the leaves after processing. Scrumptious served with any sweets during a high tea.
The menu at the Mandarin Oriental changes every three months. While we were there, the menu list included many savory dishes: smoked salmon with dill lemon cream & salmon roe, truffle cream cheese with carrot pickles & cucumber, grilled turkey with white and red cheddar cheese, tuna with antiboise mayonnaise and tomato gelee. The sweet selection was also incredible with Battenberg cake, vanilla custard slice, millionaire shortcake, strawberry cheesecake, lemon meringue tart, Victoria sponge cake.
We had two types of scones: plain and raisin with clotted cream. The beautiful thing at this high tea was you got to select your jams or curds. They all were handmade and delicious. Kendal went with the pineapple curd and guava jam. Philipp picked the blueberry jam and passionfruit jam. We both decide that the passionfruit was our favorite, but they all were yummy. If you are in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia and looking for a high tea, this is a good one.
We received no compensation, free food, or other complimentary items from The Mandarin Oriental, Malaysia for this review. This article contains only our own honest thoughts and opinions. We do not work for the Mandarin Oriental Hotel and receive no commission for any hotel purchases or bookings.