Eastern Afternoon Tea Set at H Tasting Lounge in the Westin Bayshore

Eastern Afternoon Tea Set

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of being invited to experience the new Eastern afternoon tea set at the H Tasting Lounge in the Westin Bayshore. Does it seem like déjà vu to you? It's probably because the last afternoon tea experience I shared with all of you was also at the H Tasting Lounge but it was of the Western afternoon tea set. (Read about the Western tea set here.)

The lounge currently offers only two different tea sets - Eastern and Western. The two tea sets cannot be more different from each other. The Western tea set features all the usual items one would normally find in most afternoon tea sets: tarts, macarons, mini cakes and scones. In contrast, the Eastern tea set consists of treats that take its influence from the other side of the world. For the savouries, you'll find Asian delicacies like abalone, lobster roll and "Pekin Style" duck wrap. To satisfy your sweet tooth, there is traditional Chinese pastries like pineapple shortbread, wife cake, and an almond cookie just to name a few.

Aesthetically speaking, the Western tea set is displayed on a "traditional" 3-tier display (it's a very chic and modern looking one), while the treats on the Eastern set are nestled inside two exquisite jewel boxes. I'm still deciding which one I like looking at more 🙂

The different types of teas in their collection. You can smell the dry tea leaves before making your selection.

The majority of the treats in the Eastern afternoon tea is served nestled inside this Tiffany Blue lacquered jewelry box.

Some of the other treats can be found in this pretty mirrored box. Here is the "Wife Cake", a Chinese flakey pastry filled with winter melon paste; Mango Pomelo Sago dessert, a sort of Asian "pudding"; and a Green Tea Mochi filled with ice cream.

Left: Buttery and crumbly raisin scone. Right: Braised abalone tart topped with gold flakes. Abalone is a well recognized marine delicacy in Asia.

Left: "Kung Pao" Lobster Roll. Center: Taro puff stuffed with taro puree. Right: "Pekin Style" Duck Wrap tied with ribbon and secured with a mini clothespin.

East or West?

It's really hard to compare the two sets because they are completely different in every way. The only commonality between the two tea sets are the tea and scones. For tea, there is a modest-sized tea collection with a few unique teas in the Pacific West Coast category. And as for the scones, they are some of the best ones I've had in the city, comparable to Fairmont's signature scones.

Each set has their own unique selling points. In the Western Tea, the sweets are the stronger offering while the draw in the Eastern set are the savouries. The unique Asian inspired offerings on this set are a good choice for those who want to go outside of the box and quite literally - into one, in the form of a pretty and photogenic jewel box.

My advice? Go with a girlfriend and get both! Until our next tea date.

XOXO,
Mimi

"Peaceful Garden". This creation is from the "Free-spirited" collection of non-alcoholic cocktails on the menu. It consists of jasmine pearl cold tea, orange elderflower syrup, lemon juice, Animas Botica Balance Hydrosol and a strawberry & rose caviar. There are currently only two drinks listed on the menu in this collection, however, you are welcome to ask the bartender to create something suitable for your own tastes.

Notable Points:

- One of the newest afternoon tea offerings in Vancouver. (Hy Tea Lounge being another one.)

- Uber photogenic fairy floss tree.

- Unique Asian influenced tea service.

- "Free-Spirit" collection of smart non-alcoholic cocktails.

- Unique tea selection including a Canadian/Pacific Northwest collection, two of which uses a Canadian-pioneered processing technique and Canadian ingredients, respectively.

- Glamorous new lounge setting with lots of natural light.

- Alcoholic beverages available for order.

- Good selection of coffees.

- Complimentary valet parking for guests of the H Tasting Lounge.