Enjoy a dreamily delectable date full of sweet bites and savoury treats, all laced with the goodness of chocolate, with a chocolate-themed Afternoon High Tea Buffet at L’Espresso in Goodwood Park Hotel.
Afternoons are almost always better with high tea – especially when it involves chocolate! The wise folks from Goodwood Park Hotel know this, and have come up with the amazing idea to offer a sumptuous chocolate-themed afternoon high tea buffet at L’Espresso from 8 March to 28 April 2019, in conjunction with International Women’s Day.
Photo: Goodwood Park Hotel
Chocolates are universally known as a comfort food; as well as a symbol of love, well-wishes, celebration and appreciation. This chocolate-themed afternoon high tea buffet showcases a charming repertoire carefully crafted to exhibit the nuances of the famed Valrhona chocolate with an array that includes a lavish spread of sweet treats, as well as toothsome savouries. Highlights include the Traditional Mexican Beef Stew with Chocolate & Mini Baguette; the Crispy Shrimp & White Chocolate Arancini; an eye-catching Chocolate Fountain centrepiece, and irresistible pastries such as the Semi Chocolate Cream Tart; Slow-Baked Chocolate Tartlets, and the Jivara Earl Grey Raspberry.
With floor-to-ceiling windows letting in ample natural light, comfy seats and cream decor; we spent a leisurely afternoon sipping tea and nibbling at the various goodies the buffet offers. There are over 40 dishes laid out for you to savour, over tea or coffee, and we’ve highlighted some of our favourites!
The afternoon high tea buffet for adults comes with two servings of drinks, and you can take your pick from L’Espresso’s wide selection of classic and special blend premium teas, coffee and other beverages such as iced lemon tea and hot chocolate.
We loved the fragrant and caffeine-free Vanilla Bourbon Tea and light Pai Mu Tan Tea; providing delicate complements to the sweet treats. However, the Iced Chocolate was disappointing and tasted like it came from a packet – perhaps go for the hot version instead!
Photo: Goodwood Park Hotel
Onto the food! Given that this is, after all, a chocolate-themed high tea buffet, you can look forward to savoury items with a chocolatey twist: the wide array of dainty finger sandwiches with savoury fillings balanced with the mild sweetness of white or chocolate bread; creative open-faced sandwiches that pair chocolate with ingredients like duck rillette or Jamon Iberico; and hot delights for those who want something hearty and comforting to warm their tummies.
Do try the Saltimbocca (Parma Ham, Smoked Pork Neck & Sage Aioli) and Beef Pastrami with Portobello, Emmental Cheese & Semi-dried Tomato Pesto Finger Sandwiches. The herbs and saltiness of the smoked meat fillings pair well with the white and chocolate breads, and we found ourselves going back for a few more of these adorable triangles. They are called finger sandwiches after all, and being so small and dainty, it can’t hurt to have a few, right?
Our picks for the open-faced sandwiches would be the Duck Rillette with Orange Chocolate Ganache & Pistachio Nut (our favourite!), Coronation Chicken Vol au Vent and Marie Rose Shrimp Cocktail with Mint Cucumber Raita. The rich creaminess of the duck rilette pairs well with the semi-sweet chocolate ganache, cut through with the light citrusy orange flavour.
For the hot dishes, don’t miss out on the Traditional Mexican Beef Stew with Chocolate & Mini Baguette! Thick, hearty and with just the right hit of spice, the stew was flavourful – and made even better with the addition of Valrhona chocolate, giving it a delicious, layered depth. We also thought that the Crispy Shrimp & White Chocolate Arancini was delicious – crisp on the outside and creamy on the inside – if not a little too sweet.
Of course, since it’s high tea, be sure to have one or two Scones! Be it Blueberry, Raisin or Plain Scones; spread these fluffy morsels with your pick of condiments ranging from Nutella, Forest Berry, Orange & Strawberry Jam, and Butter – we particularly favoured the tart Raspbery Compote and delightful Devonshire Clotted Cream, oldies but goodies when it comes to scones.
The Bread & Butter Pudding was wonderful too, especially with the accompanying vanilla sauce – creamy, luscious and comforting, a wonderful pairing with a hot cuppa!
Now: the sweets! Pace yourselves people, or you might end up taking too many of one and not having enough room for others, because there really is a spread. They don’t call this a chocolate-themed afternoon high tea buffet, emphasis on buffet, for nothing!
Head for the Chocolate Fountain and dip the accompanying fruit and marshmallow skewers to your heart’s content! Pastries to zoom in on would be the Slow-Baked Chocolate Tartlets, delicious dark chocolate goodness oozing out of crumbly tart shells; the Semi Chocolate Cream Tart that offers a crunchy rice crisp surprise within its swirl of rich chocolate cream; Chocolate Hazelnut Crunchy Cake for Nutella lovers; Jivara Earl Grey Raspberry Cake, offering the aroma of Earl Grey layered with the bittersweetness of dark chocolate and tart taste of raspberries; and the classic but delicious Black Forest Cake.
Besides that, do look out for the Chocolate Fondant served with raspberry compote (no one’s stopping you from having it with the Mövenpick Ice Cream on the side…) and the selection of Chocolate Pralines – we especially like the dark chocolate ones!
Photo: Goodwood Park Hotel
Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon at L’Espresso, and we’re sure you would too if you love chocolate, afternoon high tea, or both! With a spread of treats both sweet and savoury for tea, a lovely afternoon view, and good company, what’s there not to like?
Goodwood Park’s Chocolate-Themed Afternoon Tea Buffet at L’Espresso is available from 8 March to 28 April 2019, in conjunction with International Women’s Day. Click here for details on timings and prices for the buffet.
For reservations, email: lespresso@goodwoodparkhotel.com or call 6730 1743. Or, click here to place an online reservation.
L’Espresso, Goodwood Park Hotel
22 Scotts Road, Singapore 228221
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