Regarded as one of the most luxurious hotels in Singapore, indulge yourself with an afternoon high tea experience specially curated for the Chinese New Year at The St. Regis Singapore.
As I was approaching the restaurant from the lobby, I could already feel how grand and luxurious the Brasserie Le Saveurs, at The St. Regis Singapore was. A high ceiling, full curtain wall windows and numerous chandeliers – it felt like we stepped right into the ballroom scene of Beauty & The Beast.
We were led to our seats which were in little pods that were quieter and more private. If you prefer a more intimate afternoon tea experience, this cosy space would definitely be most ideal.
Choosing which tea to have is always the most challenging part. I went for The St. Regis Singapore Blend which was specially curated for the hotel which turned out to be exceptional! The tea was a mixture of black and green tea with white chocolate nodes. What I loved about it was that it was a well balanced mix of floral and fruity nodes, neither one overpowering the other. We also tried the Imperial Oolong which was fragrant and very smooth. In addition to that, we also opted for a glass of bubbly – Barons de Rothschild Brut NV Champagne, at a reasonable cost.
The restaurant is currently serving their Chinese New Year set, so expect lots of fruits and citrus profiles to be incorporated into their offerings. I tried the House Cured Salmon, Sour Cream Cheese on Macaron first as I have never seen or tasted anything like that before. The saltiness of the salmon went really well with the tinge of sweetness from the macaron. As smoked salmon is usually served as a sandwich, this was indeed unexpected! The other item that caught my attention was the Beetroot and Herb Cheese Tart. I loved that the cream cheese was in a very lovely shade of pink. The tart was overall delicious, but albeit towards the heavier side. Both the Smoked Duck Breast with Hoisin Sauce and Cucumber Wrap and the Lobster Salad Mini Brioche were light and refreshing.
Just as we were about to dive into the sweet treats, we were treated to a bowl of Tomato and Egg Flower Soup with Crab Meat. It was nice and warm, definitely comforting, paving the way for what’s to come next.
Bright colours like red, yellow and orange are considered auspicious colours during the Chinese New Year. Starting from the top, I immediately reached for the Raspberry Lychee Rose Tartlet that came in a perfect sphere, coated with a stunning shade of red. The moment I sank my teeth into it, I felt like I was eating clouds – extremely light, airy and super delicate. The next dessert – Mandarin Tart, Vanilla Orange Blossom, Mandarin Jelly literally screams Chinese New Year. Not only was it in a cheery colour, mandarin oranges are usually only in season during the time of the year. The tart was fantastic, albeit sweet but complements the tanginess from the layer of mandarin jelly. Every single component from flavour to texture went really well with each other – making this my favourite sweet of the afternoon.
Pineapples are another ingredient that is commonly used in Chinese New Year treats. Encased nicely in yellow chocolate, the Pineapple Cheesecake was smooth with little chunks of pineapples which adds a different dimension to the overall dessert.
We were then treated to another surprise – Pomegranate Espuma with Coriander Oil & Pomegranate Seed. Growing up, I was never a fan of the coriander vegetable and its pungent taste. Since it is a key ingredient in various Chinese dishes, I was really sceptical to see it play out in a dessert. Boy I was so wrong. The coriander oil was surprisingly refreshing and somehow complemented the pomegranate foam, helping to cut through the sweetness of the fruit. Pretty exotic to say the least.
At this point, while one might already be stuffed to the brim, but high tea is never complete without scones. I was pleasantly surprised to see lemon curd offered as a spread as most places provide only sweet spreads such as jams. A tangy option definitely helped to make the scones less cloying. The scones themselves were not too crumbly, but were slightly too doughy for my liking.
Overall, an extremely pleasant and enjoyable afternoon at The St. Regis Singapore. We were there on a Monday afternoon and most parts of Brasserie Le Saveurs were occupied. The Chinese New Year menu only runs till the end of the month so secure your reservations soon. Coming 1st March, the afternoon high tea will be Easter themed, imagine all things rabbits and chocolate eggs related.
You may highlight any dietary requests while making your reservations, preferably 1-2 days before your visit so the kitchen can make the necessary arrangements.
The high tea menu changes every two months, you can find the current high tea menu here.
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in our High Tea Venue Directory
