Category Archives: Dessert

Afternoon Tea at Sketch

August 19, 2015 Fork & Talk Leave a comment

With a striking back drop Sketch makes every girl feel like a fairy tale princess. Afternoon Tea here is no standard English affair, in fact one would go as far as saying it is a magically event straight out of a surreal Tim Burton movie. You know this is worthy of the two Michelin stars that it has been awarded with its new again French cuisine.
Behind the hustle and bustle of Oxford St and in the heart of Mayfair sits Sketch, most of you will know it as the old house of Dior which it is most known for.

The interior is just breathtakingly beautiful. Playing on fantasy and dream worlds, each room has its own theme which is communicated so well. We were having our session of Afternoon Tea in the gallery room or as I have renamed it ‘the bubble gum’ room. The gallery exhibits the work of David Shirgley, one of my favourite artists during my college years. You could spent hours reading his work on the walls and never get bored. Quite the entertainment.

The Afternoon Tea is on another level of class altogether in comparison to anything we have had so far. With sandwiches filled with caviar and quails egg, fit for a princess. As we arrived we were served the most blissful cocktail ever created with hints of vanilla and raspberry. Yum.

The tea cake tray arrived with so much food and to our amazement it was all on an unlimited serving basis but trust me, you do not need to get seconds as there is just so much to be eating (okay we tried and ended up with left overs).

The sandwich selection was to die for and I’m not a sandwich person. There was one warm sandwich which was a toasted pesto and mozerrella sandwich which was heavenly. Actually everything was heavenly so I might as well drop that work. Each sandwich had a different type of bread so never did it feel repetitive like the sandwiches at regular afternoon tea can get.

The cake level was out of this world, with lemon cake, chocolate cake, strawberry tarts and a profiterole. All so light and airy. All tasting like nothing we have had before as the all seemed to have a surprise after taste for example, the profiterole had a raspberry filling and the lemon cake almost had this egg custard quality.

As soon as there was space we were brought our fresh scones served with clotted cream, strawberry jam and fig jam. One word, lovely.

The top layer of macaroons and cheesecake was the death of us and we found it hard to reach the end. £39 is a sum I would gladly pay again as its not just the food you are paying for but the overall experience.
The staff are lovely and attentive. They continuously monitor your trays to make sure everything is always looking fresh and full. They clearly love their job making the service even more outstanding.

We managed to get ourselves a great deal with the Open Table app. So we paid £39 for the Afternoon Tea set but we also got a free £15 cocktail upon arrival. Open Table is a great app and has given us some amazing deals over the years so check it out.

On to the next Afternoon Tea session.

Sketch
9 Conduit Street, London
https://sketch.london

Coffee Break, Dessert

Coffee Break: Madd Hatters

August 3, 2015 Fork & Talk 3 Comments

We are rather over the top British folk and love our high tea time. Ok, let be honest, tea is often replaced by coffee and savoury is missed altogether and sweets are increased, well we are as we have been coined Prosecco Socialites so it’s just part of the lifestyle.

As we strolled around Leicester Square one sunny afternoon we came across Madd Hattesr, looked very cute with its cake piled high in the window. Exactly what we were in mind for. The drinks menu was rather extensive, from lassi to coffee to fruit punches. Everything you could ask for given your mood.

The cakes were handmade and looked so inviting, naturally we had to have a few for reviews sake of course 🙂

The cakes were fresh, moist and delicious. We had a slice of Oreo cookie cake which was so rich and devilishly chocolaty the kind that sticks to your palette in a good way. We then had a nibble at the red velvet cupcake with its heavenly cream cheese frosting. So sweet and creamy, Elena has literally eaten a bowl of this in the past, yeh and she is still stick thin while I look like the marshmallow man from ghost busters, biting into my carrot batons.

Lastly, we tried a wedge of the salted caramel cake. OMG, it was stunning. Not overly caramel in taste and you only really taste the salted caramel in the cream cheese frosting which is perfect or it would be sickly. Again, such a moist and delicious cake.

The coffees we got were nice and mild in flavour, nothing fancy but when you are teaming it up with the fabulous selection of cakes you almost want an understated drink in order to be able to really enjoy those explosive cake flavours.

Madd Hatters isn’t the most cosiest place to chill out. It’s the front of house to a theatre so people are walking through all the time. So if you can handle that then you will enjoy some amazing cakes.

Madd Hatters
http://www.lovemaddhatters.co.uk

Dessert

Lab Made Cafe

May 25, 2015 Fork & Talk 2 Comments

A few weeks ago I walked past a place in Camden where the ice cream was being made while the customers waited. I was mesmerised and it had been a life long dream to be part of that creaming process and be able to add what I want.

“NOOOOO, you cannnn’tttt!” You say? Well it is possible with the help of liquid nitrogen!!!! However, we never got to try it out in London but decided go for every flavour that was offered when I found the Lab Made Cafe on the streets of Hong Kong.

Now unlike London the Hong Kong-ese tend not to go for your bog standard flavours so forget your vanillas or Oreo cookie for this event. We decided to try all four of the seasonal flavours. We tried: Tai Hing Chilled Milk Tea, Tai Mango and Coconut Rice, Sea Salt Gelto with crunchy caramel and Crispy White Chocolate with Greek Yoghurt and Strawberry Sauce.

Each cup of goodness is blended with cream and relevant flavours and then the dramatic stuff happens, the liquid nitrogen in poured in and the mixer over fills will cold smoke and then waaalaaa, your ice cream is ready. The flavours are so odd yet wholesome and nice, after a few scoops that is lol. Two scoops costs you £44 Hong Kong dollars which works out at about being £4.40 which is on the tad expensive end when you think about how much you get. It’s a cute but faddy ice cream place which Hong Kong is full of. A word of warning, the liquid nitrogen makes the ice cream melt ridiculously quickly so be prepared to knock it back quick. Interesting fact – Lab Made Cafe change their menu every two weeks so be prepared not to be able to try any of the flavours we mentioned.