Coco Eats: For a low-key Lunar New Year celebration, our girl Hannah Tan-Gillies visited The polo Bar at The Westbury Mayfair for an afternoon of pastries and scones, an Asian-inspired Afternoon tea twist.
We skipped the hustle and bustle of crowded China town and headed over to lush Mayfair for a new kind of Lunar New Year Celebration. Because this year, The Westbury Mayfair ushered in the ‘Year of the Rat’ in true style with an afternoon tea experience with an Asian-inspired with twist.
While The Polo Bar retained its quintessentially British elegance, The Westbury Mayfair didn’t skimp on the Asian treats throughout the Afternoon Tea experience. We began with some champagne and two mandarin oranges (which are a symbol of wealth and prosperity in Chinese cultures). This was followed by a series of sweet and savoury treats with all the culinary savoir-faire that The Polo Bar has become known for.
We highly recommend the Tea Quail eggs, which combine umami mayonnaise with green tea, red shiso, and croustade. These savoury bites come in crunchy edible egg cups which makes for the perfect mouthful. The Polo Bao ‘char siu pork’ steamed buns are another highlight and will satisfy even the most discerning Chinese Food lover. The finger sandwiches, of which our favourite was the smoked duck breast with hoisin sauce – are also equally delectable.
On the sweeter side of things, we also recommend the Pineapple Tart, which is made with freeze dried pineapples, delicately wrapped in 20-carat edible gold leaf. The Mandarin & Chocolate Cake is equally delicious and is made with black tea mousse and mandarin gel.
The pièce de résistance, however, has to be the Matcha Mousse; which is made with Melaka Mousse, Matcha almond sponge and Matcha Meringue. To top it all off, this sensational dessert also has Matcha ‘moss’ and hazelnut ‘soil’ which is home to an edible chocolate bonsai tree.
The Asian-Inspired Afternoon Tea is accompanied with a selection of loose leaf teas from Whittards. These include a coconut tea, an oriental English breakfast tea, and our personal favourite a lychee tea. ‘Bobba’ fans can also enjoy an authentic cup of ‘Bubble Tea’ with a generous serving of pearls too. The Asian-inspired The Westbury Mayfair is available every weekend from 12 noon to 6pm.
An Asian-Inspired Afternoon Tea at The Westbury Mayfair Worth Celebrating
The Westbury Mayfair has long been synonymous with quintessentially British elegance, but its Asian-inspired afternoon tea at The Polo Bar offers something altogether more inventive and memorable. Kicking off with Champagne and two mandarin oranges, a nod to their symbolism of wealth and prosperity in Chinese culture, the experience sets a tone that is both refined and playful. Every dish that follows has been crafted with genuine culinary savoir-faire, from the Tea Quail eggs served in crunchy edible egg cups to the Polo Bao char siu pork steamed buns that will satisfy even the most discerning Chinese food lover.
A Sensational Spread From Savoury to Sweet
The sweeter offerings are just as impressive, with the Pineapple Tart wrapped in 20-carat edible gold leaf and the Mandarin and Chocolate Cake made with black tea mousse and mandarin gel both deserving a special mention. The undisputed showstopper, however, is the Matcha Mousse, complete with Matcha moss, hazelnut soil and an edible chocolate bonsai tree that is almost too beautiful to eat. The Asian-inspired afternoon tea is accompanied with a selection of loose leaf teas from Whittards, including coconut, oriental English breakfast and lychee, and Bubble Tea fans will be pleased to find an authentic cup complete with a generous serving of pearls on offer too.
