Afternoon Tea

Being an expat in Thailand is weird, because you generally end up spending a lot more time at hotels than you might if you still lived back home. I don't mean staying at hotels, I just mean generally being in hotels. For example, the gym that I use is in a hotel. Some of the city's best restaurants are inside hotels. People meet at hotels for dinner or to have a drink. People visit hotels to go to the famous Bangkok sky bars, which offer the best views of the city. 

Today, I went to the Centara Grand Hotel for their Afternoon Tea promotion (tea for two 799 THB). 

The Lobby Lounge

Around 11 o'clock in the morning, Pinky and I walked over to the Centara Grand. It's a nice hotel located not too far from where I live. The Centara Grand has several restaurants, including the famous rooftop Blue Sky, but today, we were headed for the quiet and peaceful Lobby Lounge, where a few businessmen and airline pilots sat reading the Bangkok Post over a cup of coffee while quiet Chinese music (it's nearly the Chinese New Year) played softly throughout the lounge. We took a seat at a low table and ordered the Afternoon Tea set.

tea time 

Afternoon tea is NOT high tea! It's actually very different. High tea is a heavy meal made popular with the 18th century British working class. It consists of a cup of strong black tea, heavy bread, and something like a meat pie. It's called "high tea" because it is served at a high table.

Afternoon tea is a more elegant meal consisting of light sandwiches, scones, and pastries. It's also called "low tea", because it's served at a low table.

our afternoon tea set has arrived 

Twenty minutes after our tea was served, the food arrived. Afternoon tea is generally eaten in courses. First the sandwiches, next the scones (served with butter and jam), and finally the sweets. Needless to say, by 1pm I was stuffed! This would end up being both my breakfast and my lunch for the day.

sandwiches, scones, pastries, and cakes 

It's nice to slow down sometimes and enjoy a leisurely day. This year, I want to take more time to enjoy experiences like these. Over the next few months, maybe I'll try to review afternoon tea at a few of Bangkok's grand hotels.