Afternoon tea ripe with tropical fruit delights

The Star

4 days ago

Guests can enjoy the limited-time summer-inspired afternoon tea in a cosy corner.
While those living in colder climates typically anticipate the arrival of summer, Malaysians enjoy perpetual warm weather.
This year, The Lounge at Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur is offering 101 Days of Summer Afternoon Tea, as part of the Four Seasons' Asia-Pacific hotels and resorts seasonal offerings.
Hotel executive pastry chef Yann Roumanille has crafted a creative menu that highlights the best of Malaysia's tropical fruits.
Coconut, passion fruit, pineapple and banana are some of the tropical fruits that take centre stage.
The result is an elegantly cura­ted afternoon tea that transforms the country's produce into a luxurious culinary experience.
The savoury offerings feature five distinctive bites.
There's the Summer Vegetable Pie Tee Hat, a playful twist on the classic Nyonya snack.
The crisp pie tee shells are generously filled with chive mousse, diced jicama, mung bean sprouts, roasted peanuts and a hint of black truffle.
Seafood lovers will appreciate the Sustainable Snapper Hinava and Smoked Coconut Husk Mac­kerel.
The snapper, cured in zesty calamansi lime, hot sauce, kulim vinaigrette and infused with local herbs, offers a tropical twist to the dish.
The platter of savouries consists of (front row, from left) Jellied Beef Short Rib Terrine and Smoked Coconut Husk Mackerel.
Roumanille said textures were an important part of this year's menu, as seen in the mackerel, which is wrapped in charcoal bread, reminiscent of a finger sandwich but with a denser bite.
'Curried Chicken Salad Tartine features shredded chicken delicately seasoned lightly with spices, served atop a crumbly Par­mesan sable, with roasted pineapple, sultanas and salted walnuts, creating a delectable savoury bite.
'The Jellied Beef Short Rib Terrine provides a unique texture experience, with the tender and slow-braised beef encased in a delicate jelly alongside vegetable pickles and fermented black garlic. It has been the topic of discussion among guests,' he said.
The scones, warm and inviting, come with a choice between the classic version and one with trigona honey called Honey Comb Scone with Bee Pollen.
Both are accompanied by whipped butter, hibiscus strawberry jam and Four Seasons' signature pandan kaya.
The scones' crisp golden exterior gives way to a soft, buttery interior that melts in the mouth.
The sweet creations are delicious and visually stunning works of art.
The Banana Cake Planifolia resembles an actual banana, while the Tropical Coconut is shaped like a halved coconut with its creamy mousse centre bursting with mango flavour and encased in milk chocolate.
The Chocolate Umbrella is a prettily designed rich dark chocolate indulgence.
The Passion Fruit Savarin is a combination of a moist sponge cake soaked in passion fruit syrup with layers of chocolate mousse, coconut essence and crunchy peanut while the Citrus Sunshine offers a tangy burst of pomelo mousse and kaffir lime sponge cake.
Completing the experience are live piano performances that add a cosy ambience to the afternoons with a city centre view.
The 101 Days of Summer Afternoon Tea is available daily, from 3pm to 5.30pm until Sept 9, priced at RM242+ per person, inclusive of tea or coffee and a special beverage.
THE LOUNGE, Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur, 145 Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur. (Tel: [phone]. Business hours: 10am-­10pm.
This is the writer's observation and is not an endorsement by StarMetro.