Tea drinking conjures up images of
gentility and ceremony. It can be
enjoyed by anyone with nothing
better to do in the afternoon than
chat with one’s friends or by weary
travelers hoping to relax and rejuvenate. And,
keeping pace with changing dining trends and
presentations, tea maintains a contemporary
appeal at hotels worldwide.
East/West Blend:
Mandarin Oriental
Washington, D.C.
The Mandarin Oriental
Washington, D.C., a posh urban
resort located discreetly in a
neighborhood of government
buildings, is connected to the
city’s waterfront and Tidal Basin
by a footbridge.
Upon opening four years ago,
a high tea was offered but was
not a hit. When Executive Pastry
Chef Alexander Haebe came to
the property last year from the
Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur,
he suggested implementing a
unique buffet-style tea that was
very successful at his former
property. The D.C. property now
offers a funky spin on the traditional tea.
Called Afternoon Savories and Sweets, an
indulgent and exquisite selection of rare teas
and coffees, combined with an ever-changing
presentation of desserts, attracts families as
well as birthday, bridal, and baby shower
attendees along with grandmothers and
grandchildren on special outings. Served
Thursday through Sunday from 2:30 p.m. to
4:30 p.m. in the Empress Lounge (inspired by
the hotel’s lobby painting of the last Japanese
Empress floating on a swing over D.C.), the
dramatic space overlooks an Asian garden
and the waterfront. Well-trained servers in
satin brocade Asian-styled uniforms add a
graceful and authentic touch.
“Everything is made in-house, and the
menu changes weekly,” says Chef Haebe.
“There is always a seasonal influence, plus
D.C. has many activities that inspire our
menu, such as the famous Cherry Blossom
Festival when, this year, we offered desserts
such as cherry-infused crème brûlée.” But
don’t look for cucumber and egg salad sandwiches
here. Instead, expect something more
along the lines of chicken salad in an Asian
wrap. Traditional scones, however, are a mainstay.
“We have the best scones in the city,”
says Chef Haebe, emphasizing that only
Devonshire clotted cream and house-made
preserves accompany them.
Chef Haebe consults with Dining
Reservations Manager Vicky Tsang in pairing
the menu with teas. Varieties include black
teas, such as Himalayan Peak Darjeeling
Organic, a single estate tea from India that
yields a subtle fruity and sweet, full-bodied
finish; scented and fruited black teas, such as
Mandarin Rose Petal, made of aromatic rose
petals and black China tea leaves combined
with a delicate lychee fruit essence and
chocolate notes; distinctive white teas; classic
and scented greens; and tisanes (herbal and
fruit blends). Numerous specialty coffee
drinks priced from $6 to $8 are also offered,
with and without spirits, “but teas are more
popular here,” Tsang says.
Pricing starts at $32 a person for all-you-can-eat, but “recently an à la carte option of $5
for three desserts of your choice was added,”
says Tsang. And, if only tea is desired, a pot of
the beverage may be purchased for $5.
Was it a good decision to forego high tea?
“I would say it’s up at least 60 percent from
the traditional format,” says Chef Haebe. “And
the most popular days are Saturday and
Sunday, especially Sunday, which was recently
added. The feedback is terrific,” he says.
“Guests who prefer the excitement of a buffet
are different from those who prefer high tea.”
What Is Old Is New Again at
China World Hotel in Beijing
A new Chinese tea service was unveiled
this spring at Shangri-La’s China World Hotel
in Beijing’s diplomatic and central business
district. The hotel has developed a tea service
that will appeal to the tastes—and curiosity—
of many guests. Drawing on ancient traditions
for its distinctive presentation, the program
will also include an extensive, modern
merchandising component.
Both Western and Chinese tea services
are available in all of China World Hotel’s
restaurants: Summer Palace, Aria, Scene a Café, Lobby Lounge, and Nadaman, with
Nadaman offering Japanese tea. “And, while
the Chinese tea menu is extensive in the
hotel’s Lobby Lounge,” says Derrick Siew,
Chinese food and beverage operations manager
of Summer Palace, “Chinese tea culture
is definitely a highlight of the Chinese restaurant,
Summer Palace, which recently
reopened after extensive renovations—and
with a renewed interest in tea.”
Summer Palace takes the Chinese tea
service an elaborate step further, with its performing
tea masters pouring tea into small,
delicate cups from long-nosed teapots. The
liquid, flowing motions associated with the
tea-pouring service, referred to as “Gong Fu
Cha,” are loosely adapted from an ancient
Chinese martial arts tradition.
Apart from serving Chinese teas in the
restaurant, there is a plan to sell Summer
Palace’s private-label premium teas in the
restaurant’s foyer area. According to Siew, it
is designed to resemble an ancient Chinese
apothecary shop and will feature a merchandising
bar that shimmers from afar.
In addition to private-label teas, the merchandising
bar will showcase Summer
Palace’s new collection of gourmet Chinese
culinary condiments, sauces, soup stocks, and
marinades, specially blended by Cantonese
Master Chef Stanley Yuen. The restaurant’s
top-range collection of Chinese liquor and
wines and its sommelier’s selection of French
Bordeaux vintage wines will also be for sale,
along with a series of hand-blown gourmet
wine glasses. All of the items will come with
stylish packaging, ideal for gift purchases.
At the Lobby Lounge, both Chinese and
Western tea service is offered all day during the
outlet’s operating hours. On weekends, the
Lobby Lounge offers a traditional English high
tea accompanied by a live classical music performance
by a 30-piece orchestra. Summer
Palace’s tea master pouring performances
occur daily during lunch and dinner.
Which guests are more apt to partake of the
Chinese tea service? “Because of increased
media focus on the health benefits of tea drinking,
there is a noticeable growing interest and
demand among the hotel’s Western guests for
Chinese tea,” Siew says.
Welcome Tea at Hotel Kabuki
Joie de Vivre’s Hotel Kabuki, located in San
Francisco’s Japantown, publicizes its welcome
tea service as one of the best reasons to stay at
the recently renovated boutique property.
F&B Director E. J. Verala has been at the
218-room Hotel Kabuki (Joie de Vivre’s only
Japanese hotel) since last fall. She emphasizes
that the welcome tea is integral to building
the hotel’s food and beverage program.
In addition to a $10 million renovation
incorporating Eastern and Western details, the
tea is a popular offering created by the new
team to revive the property’s image and guest
experience. Initial discussions
revolved around offering it in the
lobby, but the team decided the
personal aspect of in-room service
would be more appealing.
Guests checking in between 3
p.m. and 9 p.m. are asked if they
wish to receive complimentary
tea. Within 20 to 30 minutes,
those taking advantage of the
service are greeted at their door
by a host who announces himself,
wheels in a tea cart, and
describes the four selections.
These include Sencha (classic
Japanese green tea), Dream
Mountain White Cloud (sweet,
fragrant, and low in caffeine),
Buddha Blend (green tea with
ginseng and lemon), and Forest
Mint (an herbal post-meal stomach settler). A
Japanese tea set is already in the room, and
the host prepares the tea of choice—telling
the guest how much brewing time is
required—and offers sweet snacks presented
on a napkin. The entire process lasts five to
seven minutes.
Left behind by the host is a collateral marketing
piece that includes an educational component
describing the different teas, a tea
receipt listing the guest’s selection, and a
coupon for “a complimentary beverage with
the purchase of a full-price beverage” at the
O Izakaya Lounge, an American twist on the
Japanese izakaya houses (drinking establishments
that serve food shared by everyone at a
table). The lounge is the hotel’s only dining
venue, serving breakfast, cocktails, and dinner.
The tea receipt is important because it
indicates what teas sell best, which happen to
be the Sencha and Buddha Blend. And the
coupon encourages guests to come to the
lounge to drink—and eat.
Most weekday guests are business travelers;
only 12 to 19 rooms a day request the tea.
On weekends, 22 to 29 leisure guests accept
the amenity each day. And it’s mostly
Westerners who are receptive. Very few
Japanese, maybe 25 percent, accept the
offering.
Although there is no retail shop, the hotel
will sell any of its amenities, including the
teapot set and teas. “The cost of the welcome
tea amenity, including the products offered
and the labor is relatively low, about $2.18
per room serviced,” says Verala. “But we
make up the cost with every coupon
redeemed at our O Izakaya Lounge for the
complimentary beverage.”
Maragaret Rose Caro is the editor of HOTEL F&B.
