Baan Lao (Afternoon Tea Thai Experience)

One of the more deluxe dining experiences in town can be found in the village of Steveston.  Baan Lao, with its renowned service and beautiful location, offers up a unforgettable fine dining experience that would be Michelin-star if it were located in Vancouver instead of Richmond (local tourism board builds partnerships so that they receive Michelin-rated restaurants).  Of course this kind of experience doesn't come cheap, but for now, one can have a taste of Baan Lao at a lower price point.  They have added a high tea service for $95.00 per person.  What better way to enjoy the sights and sounds of Steveston along the riverfront than dining on carefully-crafted bites in a beautiful space?

Well, Jackie and I were invited to experience this complete with the Gong Fu Cha pairings curated by TAC-certified tea sommelier.  But before we got to any teas or even the food, we were served the classic Lemon Grass Pandan Elixir.  I've had this a few times before here and it is supposed to be a palette-activator.  However, just looking at the menu and the promise of intricate little morsels, it was appetizing enough!  This was lightly sweet and fragrant while beautifully cold.

Off to the first course, we were served a trio of bites including Khao Kriap Pak Mo (stir-fried organic chicken breast with steam rice paper dumpling), Yum Salmon Fu (Thai crispy wild sockeye salmon salad in crispy golden pastry) and Kuai Tiao Lui Suan (rice noodle butterfly paper salad roll with Thai herbal sauce).  I've been always impressed with Chef Nutcha's attention to detail and the use of vibrant colours.  These were too beautiful to eat!  My favourite of the bunch was the dumpling as the wrapper was soft and glutinous.  Inside, the chicken was layered with flavour from the caramelization of the stir-fry as well as the intense sweetness of the palm sugar.  The crispy edible vessel for the salmon was crispy and light giving way to the different textures and flavours of the salad.  Definitely aromatic with sweetness and some tanginess.  Lastly, the salad roll was bright and full or crunch from the vegetables.  Definitely could taste the herbs.  All of this was paired with Chiran Fukamushi Sench Green Tea.  I found this both subtle yet impactful at the same time.  It didn't take away from what I was eating though.

Next course consisted of many different items that were even more stunning than the previous trio.  They included Thung Thong Nuea Kwai (stir fried water buffalo money bag), Khao Chi Nuea Yang (coconut sticky rice with marinated beef tenderloin with tomato Thai chili sauce), Thot Man Kung (crispy mangrove prawn cake), Tao Hu Thot (deep fried organic soft tofu and wild seaweed caviar) and Gai Sa Tay (homemade brioche and grilled yellow curry organic chicken breast).  I know it is an easy thing just to say, "it was all delicious", but really it was.  I've had the money bags before and believe me, beyond the crispy exterior wonton shell, the meat in the middle was sweet and flavourful.  Beef tenderloin was tender and was complimented well by the spicy tang and it sat atop fried sticky rice.  This was a study in textural contrast with crunchy and chewy.  Oh that soft tofu was so easy to eat and delicate.  Finally, the curry chicken mouse atop brioche was an aromatic and textural delight.  All of this was paired with Yiwu 2006 Shu Pu’er Tea that was both earthy and a bit sweet.

Our last course featured Kai Tao Phueak Sang Kha Ya Bai Toei (deep fried taro ball with pandan coconut custard), Phon La Mai Kae Sa Lak (hand carved seasonal fruit), Luuk Choop (mung bean paste coated with agar) and Khao Niao Ma Muang (sweet mango with coconut milk sticky rice).  Oh that taro ball was was crispy, then chewy while revealing a sweet custard inside.  It was aromatic and tasty.  The mango sticky rice was carefully-prepared and once I took a bite, this definitely showed.  The rice was chewy, yet soft while aromatic and lightly sweet.  The ripe mango was expertly carved and intensely sweet.  This was paired with Dong Ding Oolong which was rather smooth and aromatic.

Ending off our meal, we were served the Tropical Sunset, Flavoured Green and Black Tea Blend which also featured flower petals.  Hence, it was predictably floral with fruitiness.  Overall, the afternoon tea was a great experience and all of the bites were carefully constructed in terms of appearance and taste.  Teas were a good match and definitely a cut above "typical" teas.  Service was attentive as expected, but a little less polished than the dinner service (possibly less experienced-staff for the afternoon).

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:
- Stunning setting and dining space
- Carefully curated food and teas
- Attentive service

The Bad:
- It is afternoon tea, so don't expect to be stuffed, but for bigger appetites, it might not be enough
- Service was good, but less polished than the dinner service

High Tea @ Jess' Restaurant

Now that I've finally started trying out the spots I didn't get a chance to visit, it was time to get to Jess' Restaurant out in Kerrisdale.  I've heard varying opinions about that place, but as usual, I have to check it out myself to make my own assessment.  Joining me on this food adventure is another fabulous foodie, Ophilia, who I met at Chef Kristian's pop-up dinner in Squamish.  The first thing that struck us when we walked into the place was its glizty Vegas-like decor and vibe -  a bit different for Kerrisdale.  We considered doing the lunch menu, but ultimately decided on the 3-Tier High Tea.

Naturally, the whole experience started with our choice of tea.  Since I enjoy fruitier and more floral teas, I went for the Marco Polo which was a black tea with a fruity and flowery taste.  Sounded exactly up my alley!  That it was and it came with a big ornate pot of hot water as well as a sachet rest on the side.  So all of the accessories were pretty, how about the food?

We started on the bottom tier of savoury items first that consisted of Salmon Gravlax Canape (house-made blini, horseradish mascarpone and deep fried capers), Egg Toast (toasted brioche, 63° egg yolk, chives and marinated ikura), and Jumbo Seared Scallop (deep fried capers, crouton and lemon zest).  This was a great start as the salmon was buttery and the blini was soft without being too delicate.  That egg toast was the bomb.  Brioche was crispy and buttery while the egg yolks had a great mouth feel and were so custardy.  Although the scallop was hardly jumbo, it was perfectly seared and caramelized.  Beautifully delicate inside and sweet.

Our next tier consisted of a Corn Cheese Financier, Butter Scone, Maple Pecan Scone, Berry Compote and Crème Fraîche.  I really enjoyed the savoury financier as there was a sweet smoky outer crust giving way to a balanced moist cheesy sweet cake.  The butter scone ate more like a biscuit (looked like one too) with a crispy buttery crust  and fluffy centre.  Not as sweet as the name would suggest, the maple pecan scone was appealingly firm on the outside with intermittent pieces of walnut.

The top tier was all the sweets sporting a Strawberry Choux, Earl Grey Mousse Cake, Salted Vanilla Macaron and Matcha Chocolate.  The strawberry choux ate as good as it looked.  Delicately crispy with semi-sweet cream, this was appealingly light.  I thought the mousse cake was excellent being airy and just sweet enough.  Good hit of earl grey without being overwhelming while the lavender was in the background.  We weren't fans of the macaron as it was a bit too large and then there was far too much filling and being overly sweet.  Texturally, it was on point though with a crispy shell and chewy interior.  Ending off things was the delicious matcha chocolate.  It was creamy and smooth with a good hit of matcha without being too bitter.  As you can see, all the treats were relatively small and quaint.  Even though that might not satisfy those with big appetites, you have to remember high tea is supposed to be delicate and not in huge portions.  The quality and execution on nearly on the items was really good, so we enjoyed it.  Now we have to see if the lunch/dinner menu stacks up.

The Good:
- Carefully prepared
- Almost everything was spot on
- Attentive service

The Bad:
- Price is par for the course, but some might not find it a good value
- Still not sure about the Vegas glitz  

TracyCakes Bakery Cafe (Langley)

Let's be honest here.  High tea or afternoon tea is not generally frequented by dads.  More often than not, we see a bunch of girlfriends or mom and daughter sipping tea while snacking on scones.  Yet, that shouldn't be the case.  If moms can enjoy this on Mother's Day or really any other day, Dads should be able to get in on the action too!  I've always lobbied for "Man Tea" where we would find 3 tiers of appies such as hot wings, dry ribs and potato skins served with beer.  

That doesn't exist, but for now TracyCakes is offering a "Dad & Me High Tea" on June 17th and 18th for $20.00pp  that consists of the usual (such as finger sandwiches and scones) with the addition of deviled eggs, sausage rolls and cupcake "burgers" with a side of yes...  beer.  I was recently invited to give this a try along with the family.  We decided to hit up the Langley location on 48th at 216th.  There is also another store in Abbotsford as well.  Housed in a building that dates back to 1932, both the outside and inside were quaint and nostalgic.  Tastefully decorated, the dining room was filled with natural light.  It was a peaceful environment where we could watch all the cars circle the roundabout in front from the 5 corners.

Now I never did have a beer, rather I stuck with the usual tea in the Tropical Green Tea.  This was actually quite mild with a hint of fruit flavours that blended well with the light green tea.  Usually, green tea can exhibit some bitterness, but this was smooth.  Viv decided on the Vanilla Tea which was predictably aromatic.  There was no mistaking the flavour and it was even more impactful with the addition of some sugar.  My daughter chose the Very Berry and it was more floral than we would've expected.  Rather than berries, it tasted more like aromatic flowers.

Onto the actual goodies, we tackled the bottom tier first.  There was an array of Sandwiches that consisted of cucumber and cream cheese with dill, egg salad, pesto tomato and turkey with cranberry and spinach.  We found the bread to be fresh and soft while the pesto tomato was the most impactful.  Also on the plate was a sausage roll and deviled eggs.  The egg was quite good where the whites were not rubbery while the yolk was creamy and light.  It was mildly salted with a hint of mustard.

We moved onto the 2nd tier consisting of 2 types of Scones.  One was made with peaches and the other with strawberry.  They came with the requisite strawberry jam and Devonshire cream.  These were abnormally large where none of us actually finished an entire one.  They were pretty typical being slightly heavy, but still moist and tender (not wet though, even with the fruit).  It wasn't particularly crumbly though.  There was a minimal amount of fruit which was probably intentional as the moisture content would make the scone wet.

The last plate of goodies consisted of Cupcake "Burgers" with coloured frosting emulating mustard, ketchup and lettuce.  These were moist and not as sweet as they appeared.  We also found sugar vanilla cookies and lemon glazed cake as well.  I enjoyed the sweet, yet lemony glaze on the cake as it almost seemed light because of it.  We never did finish all of the cake and the cupcakes because there was more than enough for the 4 of us.  We also had 1.5 scones left too.  Definitely a good value for $20.00pp and loved how they are marketing it for Father's Day.

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:
- Well-priced
- Quaint spot
- Family-friendly

The Bad:
- A little far for those urban-dwellers
- Eggs could've used more salt

Afternoon Tea @ Wild Sweets

By now, I'm sure everyone is familiar with High Tea or Afternoon Tea.  Yes, there is the traditional type with the 3 tiers consisting of scones, clotted cream, cucumber & salmon finger sandwiches and some sweets to end things off.  There is also some modern interpretations which include macarons, some savoury seafood items and the sort.  Now we see a completely reinvented version that features deconstructed treats allowing people the opportunity to play with their food.  I was recently invited to try this "out-of-the-box" high tea at Wild Sweets.

To start, we were served a Chocolate Husk and Orange tea that was subtle, yet I could definitely taste both elements.  For our first course, it consisted of pickled Cucumber  with cocoa nib, pecan & cranberry bread, goat cheese gelée, puffed peas crunch and mint oil.  The bun itself was firm and crunchy while the goat's cheese was creamy and tangy.  There was more crunch from the bright and lightly acidic cucumber slices as well as firm pops of mildly sharp wasabi from the peas.  Next, we had the Biscuit with Tuscany ham and Jarlsberg cheese accompanied by mustard oil, twice pickled onions and crème fraîche.  I found the biscuit to be firm and dense, but flavourful nonetheless.  There were a multitude of flavours that did not interfere with each other.

Onto something that was a bit more constructed, we had the Coco-Air sporting dark chocolate & hazelnut praliné "air", foamed Chantilly cream and puffed rice crunch.  To me, it felt like I was digging into a dry malt.  It was definitely chocolatey with a background bitterness that gave way to a purposeful amount of sweetness.  I thought the cold temperature of the cream was appealing while the puffed rice added some pops of crispiness to each bite.  Back to constructing our eats, we had the whipped Egg Salad with cocoa nibs bread, sous vide egg shavings, crispy shallots, salsa verde and chive oil.  The shaved egg reminded me of a fluffy tamago.  When put together, the crunchy bread added a firm texture.  The salsa verde provided brightness while the shallots were aromatic.  I thought the chive oil was obscured by the salsa verde though.

When presented with the grape Tomato confit with cocoa nibs bread, pesto pulled mozzarella and crispy back bacon, my eyes were drawn to the heart-shaped bacon (hey, I love bacon no matter what type!).  When constructed, the star of the show ended up to be the tomato confit as it was sweet (kicked up by red pepper puree) and thick with acidity from apple vinegar.  The thinly sliced back bacon ate more like a chip and was salty enough to accent the soft mozzarella.  Looking like molecular gastronomy (but not), the Interlude consisted of citrus chocolate consommé, lemon vodka, semi-candied Kalamata olives and olive madeleines. The madeleines were a touch dry, but when eaten with the sweet consomme, it was fine.  There was no conservative squeeze of the vodka as we needed all of it for full effect.

From the interlude, we went straight back into constructing things (a la Maestro Fresh-Wes style...) with the chocolate and dried cherry Scone with red fruit confit, crème fraîche Chantilly, Kirsch mist and lemon zest oil.  Since the berry confit contained less sugar, there was a more pronounced tartness that was balanced off by the light and purposefully sweet Chantilly.  I found the Kirsch to be rather strong while the lemon oil added a mild bitterness.  Consisting of many elements including almond streusel cookie, créme brûlèe, lasagna of apples with caramel powder, French Brandy mist and apple chip crunch, this ultimately became a Tarte.  Interestingly, I thought there needed to be more tang.  Other than that, the whole thing was lightly sweet and full of crunch.

Moving away from apples, we went to pear with the Cheese & Fruit featuring biscuit sablé, pear panna cotta, pear vanilla bean confit and crunchy cheese chip.  Although aromatic and naturally flavoured, I found the panna cotta to be slightly gritty due to the pear.  The confit was sweet and smooth and once again emitted pear aromatics.  All of this was kept in check by the salty Jarlsberg chip and crunchy cookie.  Onto another fruit, we had the Merveilleux with caramel bananas, crispy meringue, dark chocolate thin, white chocolate Chantilly and almond banana crunch.  Normally, banana desserts do not interest me, but the bananas here were fresh-tasting and I loved the cold temperature of the caramel.  The meringue was airy while the white chocolate wasn't too sweet.

We finally made it to our last 2 courses beginning with the Cream Puff with textured pâte à choux, crispy praliné, orange caramel compote, milk chocolate Chantilly and orange zest oil.  I thought the choux pastry was good being soft with a crispy exterior.  The creamy filling was just sweet enough that was accented by a light orange aroma.  The crunchy praline added a mouth-pleasing texture to the puff.  With hot chocolate poured on top, the Grand Marnier Hot Truffle was slowly dissolved.  With tart hits of passion fruit juice, the hot chocolate drank a lot lighter than it appeared.  There was a nice rich smoothness that was slightly bitter and not sweet at all.

To go, we were all given a small box of cocoArt 'Spring' Limited Edition Chocolates consisting of liquid cassis caramel & Cassis reduction ganache,
pistachio nut praliné & Cherry caramel ganache, peanut butter praliné & Banana caramel ganache and liquid strawberry caramel & Dulce de leche ganache.  These were visually striking and tasted exactly like their descriptions.  In general, the entire afternoon tea experience at Wild Sweets was definitely different, fun and worth the price tag of $39.99.  If you are looking for a unique and interactive way of doing afternoon tea, I suggest you give this a shot.

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:
- Well-priced
- Interactive
- More than enough food

The Bad:
- Some repetitive ingredients
- Setting is at the back of their store, so it's all about the treats