I ate here during Summerlicious 2014 with two other friends. We liked the idea that this place also offered high tea options and wanted to try it out.
Ambience
The interior had a modern Victorian look. Black white and purple. It looked pleasing to the eye. One wall is decorated with celebrity photos and their chocolate hand prints. The patio had white furniture with macaron throw pillows. The Music that played was mostly fashion runway-like which doesn't fit my image of a tea place. The table we got was pretty tiny. It was barely able to fit 3 plates and waters not to mention the additional teapot and teacups.
Service
I would say service was pretty standard. One noticeable difference: for every course, the waitress would clear out all plates and cutlery rather than just plates only. The waitress was friendly and chatted a little bit with us. My one Big complaint is she mislead us to believe sharing a teapot would come at no extra cost. Actually it was an additional $3/person for an extra teacup and macaron. Would have been nice if she made that clear to begin with. Delivery of food was pretty quick until dessert. By that time, most of the lunch crowd has gone yet it took an especially long time. The waitress notified us after waiting some time but I don't think that makes up for it. On the bill 18.5% gratuity... Which was decided by the cafe. Are you kidding?!
Here is a taste of the Menu:
Appetizer
Soup du jour (kale & leek)
- this was actually a substantial amount of soup compared to the other salad options.
- it tasted good and the flavors were subtle
Goat cheese salad
- the goat cheese medallion makes this dish worth it.
- the sharp taste of the cheese is balanced by the neutral salad.
Kale Salad (I ate most of this)
-This salad was mostly leaves and a sprinkle of nuts, cranberries & parm. Disappointing
- the bitterness of the kale is balanced by the cheese and cranberries. Too bad those are scarce to find and not enough when digging in (it sinks to the bottom). I couldn't taste the vinegarette.
Main
Beef sliders
- You get 2 miniscule sliders and a salad (again?). I ate half of one, but didn't get any sauce and the meat was pretty dry.
Quiche of the day
- it comes with a salad (again?) And the quiche was the size of
Truffle Mac and cheese (I ate most of this)
- By far, the most volume but seems very cheap to make and came with no sides. I could not really taste truffle. It was a rich savoury Mac and cheese and I liked it of course because it was like comfort food.
Dessert
Very berry Cheese cake (I ate most of this)
- This seemed like something bought frozen in a supermarket.
- It was sweet but also tart due to the sauce.
- The cookie layer was pretty mushy ugh. Presentation was nice although technically, it was a plain cheesecake with blueberries and sauce on the side.
Dulce de Leche Mousse Cake
- Chocolate goodness but thin slice
Lemon Custard Flan
- I liked how distinct the lemony taste was. The sourness was more bearable than the berry cheese cake
Extras
Pot of tea with a macaron $10 + $3/ add. Cup
You are given a tea box to choose which tea to get. I found it disappointing that most selections were from Davids Tea. The price of this was so unbelievably expensive although look pretty.