A Hilton High Tea Stay

The Hilton's end year staycation deal included an afternoon high tea that carried the promise of seafood platter and bottle of champagne.

And since I'm someone who refuses to resist any opportunity for a leisurely afternoon tea- never mind the menu- I took the deal.

We got there a couple of minutes after noon. 

Perfect timing- there were no queues, the room was ready, and best of all, our slot for afternoon tea came in at less than an hour. 

We had a bit of a wait at the restaurant after we got seated (during which my companion got a little hangry).

Good thing it didn't take too long before a large bowl full to the brim with mussels, oysters, prawns, and lobster arrived at our table.

I had a fine time with the mussels, the oysters and the prawns. 

Easy to peel, easy to eat. 

The prawns were firm and fresh, and there were a variety of dipping sauces, all of which I had, but in the end, went back to my favorite of Thousand Island instead. 

The mussels (with their pretty shells) were plump, and the oysters (all pre-shucked) were juicy, with none of the briny taste that some oysters seem to have. 

The lobster, however, proved a bit of a challenge- I never know how to work the pliers and I don't know which part of the shell I should clunk the pliers on. Fortunately my companion knew just what to do and better yet, had the strength to do it, so I just ate. 

Along with the fresh seafood came the platter of bites and as much as I wish I could tell you exactly what they were, it has been a while, and so all I can remember is that there was a small-sized (chubby) wrap stuffed with vegetables and little bits of seafood, there were two kinds of open-faced sandwiches- ham and cheese on one, smoked salmon on the other- and there were this cute little burger with a deliciously fried scallop placed snugly inside.

Next to this were the scones- cute little cubes served with clotted cream and jam. And then the macarons- passion fruit (I think) and earl grey. Then the cubed cakes- I don't quite remember the flavors- red velvet maybe, and the gourmet chocolates- most of which I gave away.

It was a wonderful afternoon tea, and we had a lovely, leisurely time, but the best part had to be the champagne. Hey, it's not every day I get to have bubbly and at tea time! But since I'm a near teetotaller, I had only one glass, my companion had two, and the rest I carried back up to the room. 

Which, by the way, this time had a most lovely view overlooking Orchard Towers, Palais Renaissance, the Royal Thai Embassy, and various buildings on Scotts Road.  

A pleasant stay it was- the room was bright, the bed was comfortable- and it didn't matter very much that there were still the lack of frills. The absence of notepaper and pen, or bags of chips, or little bottles of alcohol- does not any less a Hilton experience make. 

I showered well, I rested well, and next morning was back down to the lobby for breakfast at the allocated time. 

They'd altered the menu a little this time.

Instead of only being able to order the main just once, now they split the whole main up into the individual dishes and you could order as much of those as you liked. So, instead of being able to order only two eggs, you could now have three or four done in a variety of ways- scrambled, overeasy, fried, omelet. 

I didn't take that many. 

My companion did. 

Four eggs, whites only, omelet with mushrooms, onions, cheese and ham. 

Me, I had mine scrambled- because I like scrambled- and along with it came the orders of bacon, sausage, hash browns, more mushrooms, and baked beans. 

Then a bowl of rice krispies, noodle soup (soup only!), croissants with butter and jam, toast, pastries, yogurt, fruit platter, orange juice and coffee.