#38 tea at the castle

i haven’t met vivi in a long time and since my exam was over on the 14th of december, i decided to ask her out to have a casual lunch. never did i imagine that she will invite me for high tea at the fairmont pacific rim !! as many people already know, there was an afternoon tea for two voucher at the fairmont pacific rim from social shopper for only CAN$35 (when the value is CAN$70). i actually missed that deal because it was so popular that it was sold out at the stroke of 9 in the morning. thank god vivi got two vouchers so she can have high tea with me first and later with her boyfriend. it is really nice of her and i’m too touched for words !

fairmont pacific rim
1038 Canada Place
Vancouver, BC
V6C 0B9
604-695-5502

View Larger Map

the lobby lounge and patio is so exquisite that i wouldn’t have lunch at the hotel unless there is a special occasion or i have a voucher. we were served immediately by a rather obligated waitress. she didn’t bother explaining to us what each shortcake or sandwich is. there were not many people having high tea so the place was half empty. it is not as crowded as the other high tea cafes. the atmosphere is really nice for high tea, business and casual meetings.

vanilla rooibos

i got myself a vanilla rooibos tea but i cannot remember which tea vivi had. it is rich and full-bodied with creamy vanilla finish and has a sweet and soft aroma. from what i have researched on, the vanilla rooibos is the ” madagascar vanilla bean natural essential oil that sweetens the organic rooiboos “.

warm scones

we were first served with scones, which can be topped with devonshire cream, seasonal fruit preserves and fresh strawberries. the scones are not like any other ordinary plain scones. it is not too sweet but very well complimented with the devonshire cream and strawberries.

the two-tiered tray

the bottom tray consisted of savory sandwiches served in sushi style and classical style.

the savory tea sandwiches served in sushi style are miso tofu (1st picture), tuna tataki (2nd picture) and crab and cucumber (3rd picture). the miso tofu comprised of sweet miso paste and tofu. the tuna tataki consisted of pineapple, rice and lightly seared tuna and the crab and cucumber consisted of tobiko, crab mayo mix and cucumber. i was amazed by the intricate tea sandwiches and their freshness.

the savory sandwiches served in classical style are  chilled tiger prawn (4th picture), avocado and maple roasted turkey (5th picture) and shaved honey ham (not in picture). the chilled tiger prawn is topped with citrus cream cheese. the maple roasted turkey has caramelized onion and cranberry aioli in it as well and the shaved honey ham consist of goats cheese and spiced pear aioli. i love the tiger prawn sandwich as it is very suitable for my palate – not too dry and not too moist either. the maple roasted turkey is such a huge portion and i enjoyed every bit of it. the shaved honey ham was just like usual ham sandwiches.

the top layer comprised of rum, chocolate, mini cheesecake, mince tartlets and mini festive shortbread cookies. the rum, chocolate and mince tartlets have too much chocolate in it that made me feel like changing my tastebuds. so i moved on to the mini cheesecake and it is a little too cheesy. the shortbread cookies are tasty though.

CASH/CREDIT CARD/DEBIT CARD
HIGH TEA OPEN 2 – 4PM

ambiance: 10/10
service: 5.5/10
food (taste & appearance): 7/10
value: 8/10 (for the cost of the voucher)

total: 7.63/10★

in conclusion, i’m very grateful for having the opportunity to have high tea at fairmont pacific rim because usually i only go to adonia or secret garden.

swisscheese*

Tags: chilled tiger prawn and avocado, crab and cucumber, fairmont afternoon tea, festive shortbread cookies, maple roasted turkey, mince tartlets, miso tofu, shaved honey ham, tuna tataki, vanilla rooibos