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| - No, they don't have Darjeeling tea, but you know what, am I going to dock off some points off of a restaurant review because my dish didn't come with gold flakes on top? Please, grow up..
But actually, you know what would've been great though? This doesn't factor into my review, but although I love the view of the south end of the strip, I wish the Mandarin Oriental had built its tea lounge to face the west instead of the north. That way, during afternoon tea, people could watch the sunset. Just my fantasy :D oh well.
Mandarin Oriental, as you should know, is renowned for their Asian-inspired service. When I visited, it was nothing short of what I expected. In fact, it was nothing short of what I expect EVERY time I've been there.
Let me tell you, Tea Station, one of the biggest chains of Asian tea, is right up the street. A drink there costs around $3-6. At MO, a pot is $12. A pot is meant to be shared. Trust me, MO is not known to skip out on quality. Walk into their bathroom nearby, and you'll see; it's the best bathrooms on the strip.
Anyways, the tea was great. Except for the matcha- I have now established that I hate pure matcha green tea. They also have condiments upon request, like sugar (cubed or powdered), honey (in tiny jars), milk, and other stuff. We ordered a bunch of scones and pastries one time, and they were all great.
One evening actually, one of the workers told us that the sandwiches were replaced every hour, so if they're not eaten or ordered, they're just going to be thrown away, only to be replaced by a freshly made batch. Luckily, we came in during the last 30 minutes of the lounge. We got A LOT of sandwiches and other goodies.. for free.
It helps when you're nice to people. And when you don't act like a stuck-up tourist thinking that you'd be treated like kings.
I mean, yes, you will be, but it makes all the difference between receiving amazing service that goes over the top, or a confused waitress who doesn't know what she's doing.
Oh and by the way, someone earlier complained about it being too quiet. That place is GREAT for business meetings and for people to just relax. Omfg, it's TEA. You want a lively atmosphere with drinks? We got plenty- go to Diablos, the Freakin' Frog on the east side, or better yet, Hooters.
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