Afternoon Tea at The Ritz, London

What could be more quintessentially English than afternoon tea, and what better place to have it in, than at The Ritz? This iconic hotel on Piccadilly played host to Margaret Thatcher during her final days, featured prominently in the film Notting Hill, and regularly provides catering services to Prince Charles who has since, awarded it a Royal Warrant for catering services.

Afternoon tea takes place in the The Palm Court, which keeps in tune with the hotel's Louis XVI style architecture. Tea here requires a reservation be made way in advance and compliance with a strict dress code. One is entitled to a two-hour slot where you are allowed to eat to your heart's content. Needless to say, my friends and I starved the entire day in order to ensure we got the most out of it.

Afternoon tea began with a selection of rather traditional sandwiches. The Scottish Smoked Salmon with Lemon Butter remained a personal favorite, with the Ham Sandwich with Grain Mustard Mayonnaise coming in close second. Both of these were highly satisfying and got us craving seconds. 

The Chicken Breast with Horseradish Cream was alright, though the Cheddar and Chutney, Egg Mayo and Watercress, and Cucumber and Cream Cheese sandwiches were rather disappointing. I expected more refined a taste and more superior a quality for a place as esteemed as the Ritz. 

We were then served some Plain and Raisin Scones with Jam and Clotted Cream (pictured below). These were undoubtedly one of the best scones I've had. Cutting through them were like through knobs of butter - a smooth and clean slice. The marshmallow-like texture magically transformed into a crumbly satisfaction upon it hitting the mouth. With the Cream and Jam, it was simply divine. 

There are a wide variety of traditional tea blends - about 16 in total. I had ordered myself the Darjeeling First Flush - a delicate floral flavor - to begin with, ending with the Ritz Royal English - a deep malty blend consisting of Assam and Ceylon teas. It was definitely satisfying and up to a standard that one would expect from the Ritz. Quality silver teapots and bone china helped keep it warm and drinkable.

We were then offered a selection of delicious patisserie.  These desserts were decadent, yet light - encapsulating a multitude of flavors and textures within each bite. The Rhubarb Dome proved to be our ultimate favorite as mousse, cake and jam went hand-in-glove. The Salted Caramel Macaron with a chocolate disk sandwiched between was also another favourite of ours.

There were trays of cakes being wheeled around by waiters in tailcoats, as we were offered a choice between Lemon Drizzle and a Pecan Cake with a Toffee-Cream Frosting. I was too full to have tried the lemon drizzle, but zesty scents of it emanated from every slice my friend had made. My pecan cake was dense and deep in flavour - incredibly satisfying but quite the belt buster!

As we munched on our dainty morsels in the gilded surroundings of the Palm Court, we were surprised to have found out how quickly two hours had went. What happened as a result was what I was most disappointed with: we were simply handed our bill, and the card machine brought to us without question. It was unfortunate that such an enjoyable experience was brought to an abrupt end. 

I understand the rationale for this, seeing as The Ritz is often considered 'the' place for afternoon tea - but traditional London hotels such as Goring and Claridge's often do not have such limits, as afternoon tea is generally regarded a leisurely activity. In conclusion, afternoon tea for £47 per person at the Ritz would definitely be worth going for once. But think twice if you plan on coming back again. 

Address: The Palm Court, The Ritz, 50 Piccadilly, London W1J 9BR, United Kingdom

Presentation: 7/10

Ambiance: 8/10

Service: 7/10

Overall Taste: 7/10

General Impression: 6.5/10

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Cheers,

BrianandRepublic

Kings Road Steakhouse & Grill by Marco Pierre White

Marco Pierre White was the celebrity chef that arguably started it all, mentor to Gordon Ramsay himself. And though he may have descended from the heights he used to reach, his name stops in their tracks those familiar with the British culinary scene. Therefore I was very much looking forward to the opportunity to dine at one of his restaurants  - the Kings Road Steakhouse in Chelsea. 

It was all warm smiles when we were greeted into a restaurant with an ambience that simply exuded elegance and class. I could not help but feel a little under-dressed in my leather jacket. The restaurant serves up honest British fare, albeit with a little bit of pomp and class, or so it seemed. As we were quite hungry, we decided to forego the staters and saddled up with the mains and sides instead.

I had ordered myself a medium-rare grilled Ribeye Steak with a roasted tomato and mushroom cap. It arrived just a tad-bit overcooked - more medium than medium-rare, but reasonably tender nonetheless. It was served up with a side of béarnaise sauce, the tanginess of which aptly accompanied the steak.

My friend had ordered herself a Gammon Steak. Upon having tried a piece of it - I found it a little bit tough for my tastes, and without any accompaniment - proved to be somewhat of a disappointment. I'd have expected a pineapple chutney or something sweet to have been served with it, which to have cut through the flavors of the gammon.

We had ordered ourselves some Mashed Potatoes and Onion Rings (not pictured) as side dishes, because who needs greens right? The creamy potatoes were rich and smooth, but noticeably lacking a form of garnish. Some chives with it would have been perfect. Our onion rings were seasoned perfectly a crispy coating and were satisfying.

I had a Sticky Toffee Pudding with Vanilla Ice Cream for dessert - an English classic which was executed wonderfully. The pudding itself was dense and moist, its flavors lifted by the sweetness of the toffee, which in turn was lifted to even greater heights by the smooth vanilla ice cream. Needless to say, I was on cloud nine!

My friend had herself a Bread and Butter Pudding with Custard. Theres a fine line between rustic and burnt, and I believed the dish's surface might have crossed that line ever so slightly. The consistency of the pudding was satisfactory, though I was seriously expecting more from an establishment associated with Marco Pierre. Maybe consider infusing it with a hint of nutmeg next time? 

The bill between the two of us came up to about £50, and all in all proved satisfying for me. I doubt my friend left feeling the same way though. Our time there seemed to have been a hit and miss experience, and I was expecting more finesse in all honesty. It was good, honest food we had that day, but for the price that we were paying, good just was not good enough. I mean, its Marco Pierre White we're talking about!

Address: 386 Kings Road, London SW3 5UZ, United Kingdom

Presentation: 6/10

Ambiance: 8/10

Service: 7/10

Overall Taste: 6/10

General Impression: 6.5/10

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Cheers,

BrianandRepublic

An Irish fare at Malones

Authentic Irish food is something that I've desperately tried to find, here in KL. Whilst in KLCC, my mother and I stumbled upon an Irish restaurant by the name of Malones, and decided to give it a try. Malones is situated on the Ground Floor, right beside The Appartment - facing the water-fountains in KLCC.

The restaurant's interior is filled with dark, wooden furniture, green chairs and antique lamps - in order to give its customers that old, English pub-like vibe. Even its outdoor seating area gave us the exact same feeling.

We ordered Sausage on Colcannon and Guinness Onion Gravy, worth RM 29. The lukewarm sausages consisted of Jumbo Chicken Sausages and Steamed Veal Bratwursts, while the colcannon, butter-filled mashed potatoes with cabbage and spring onion, was dsmooth and divine. The subtle sweetness of the sauce added extra flavour

We were also in the mood for some Irish stew, thus ordering the Guinness Beef Stew worth RM29 too. The beef cubes were surprisingly tough, though the root vegetables were soft, and the sauce was flavourful. The bread served, on the other hand, was very stale.

On the whole, I felt that Malones could have offered better quality food, especially when considering the price that we had to pay for the above dishes. Though the waiters were incredibly attentive and nice, and we were served our food promptly. I wouldn't grumble if I had to come to this place once again, though I wouldn't have high expectations from my next visit either.

Presentation: 5/10

Ambiance: 6/10

Service: 7/10

Overall Taste: 5/10

General Impression: 5/10

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Cheers,

BrianandRepublic