We stopped for lunch at the Erawan Tea Room and the hardest thing for us to do there was choosing the dessert. Therefore, the Erawan high tea set was the only reasonable option for us. They serve traditional Thai inspired afternoon tea, with all the traditional Thai desserts some of which we tried for the first time, so this was a high tea we were truly looking forward to. Erawan Tea Room is Bangkok’s gem.
Tea Selection
For this high tea, we chose the Fancy Sencha and fresh Thai butterfly pea flowers tea. I can still recall the taste of our cocktail with the main ingredient the Butterfly pea flowers. The butterfly pea flowers provided an earthy taste to the tea and a deep blue color that changes when the acid is added. This is a herbal tea rich with antioxidants and caffeine free.
A lot of us think that green tea is the healthier option, and Butterfly pea is one as well: it has been proven to boost brain activity and some of its flavonoids even increase collagen production. Maybe my tea was even healthier than Ian’s! Regardless, green tea is no joke either, especially the organic one. Ian’s Fancy Sencha is a green tea with a refreshing taste and fruity aroma. The whole tea leaves colored the water in light green shades, which also seemed yellow with the lighting change.
Savoury @ Erawan High Tea
The first we tried was a steamed flower-shaped dumpling filled with crabmeat: the seasoning was pleasant and it allowed the crab to really shine. The light blue color hinted that a Butterfly pea was also present in the dough.
Our next bite was a deep-fried cup generously filled with a delicate tuna salad. It was topped with some fresh mint, which gave it a nice color, and it counterbalanced the potential heaviness of the dough. We love bite-size servings that allow us to go from a crunchy crust to a soft mousse.
The curry mousse we had was worlds away from the previous bite. It wasn’t too strong to taste and the creamy texture complimented the soft prawn. The sweet steamed shrimp worked very well with the curry seasoned mousse.
Amazingly Good Sausage
The orange tapioca ball had a lovely “bounce” and an enjoyable chewy texture with a satisfying filling made of lychee and yellow beans. It was amazing how the ball didn’t stick to our teeth so we were soon ready for the beloved sausage. Thai people love their sausages, that’s a fact. After tons of street versions, we finally get one slightly more sophisticated!
Here they served us grilled sour pork sausages with pickled ginger. We liked the meaty filling that wasn’t too salty and the pickled ginger caused the flavor to evolve in more refreshing notes. The sausage was exquisite on its own so our habit of eating sausage with bread became just a memory, not something we craved. The last of the savories was the chicken puff with basil. The moist chicken was seasoned with curry that gave it more flavor and we liked it very much. To be honest, we weren’t even hungry, but we’re sure no one there could tell!
Scoones
Before the sweets, we stopped for mini-scones. We liked the taste of the bite-size scones with their crunchy exterior. Their petite shape was really lovely and they made a nice base for a very tasty homemade strawberry jam. This was the first time that we had mini-scones for afternoon tea and with such a diverse selection, we didn’t feel deprived. How could we, if we had all the Thai sweets still waiting for their turn.
Sweets @ Erawan High Tea
The first one was the crispy rice pudding with filling, which to our surprise really fitted in the sweet box. The pumpkin, spring onion, taro, and corn resembled, in our mind, more to the main course. However, with different seasonings, it made for a juicy and very pleasing start to this portion of the meal. Next, the traditional mango sticky rice had a succulent mango on top. The perfectly ripe fruit added juices to the coconut flavored rice.
Another nod to tropical fruit was the banana pistachio fritter, with an incredibly delicious and moist banana. It is not a secret that bananas in the tropics taste far better than the one we can buy in Europe or North America. Fresh is fresh and the varieties here are much more delicious. The same goes for the durian cheesecake with mango cream: its delightful durian mousse was gentle with typical cheesecake characteristics.
We consider this a perfect encounter for durian skeptics and lovers of this dramatic fruit. The raspberry-lychee tartlet was another mouth-watering delight. The caramel resemblance was very present in the crispy bean crapes, but it wasn’t too sweet. The same goes for a combination of invigorating passionfruit on top of the chocolate cup and sweet banana cream. The fluffy Thai tea castella cake was a nice finish to our afternoon tea experience.
Conclusion
This high tea experience at the Erawan Tea Room was a real culinary experience. All of the food was delicious and genuinely Thai. After all, the “tea” is in their name and they know how to serve tea here. And not only that, we finished our visit here with rare Black Ivory Coffee. There is not a lot of opportunities you can find this rare gem. Erawan Tea Room – all compliments from our behalf!
Erawan High Tea Review Card
- ATMOSPHERE – 9/109/10
- SERVICE – 9.6/109.6/10
- TEA SELECTION – 9.5/109.5/10
- PRESENTATION – 9.3/109.3/10
- BITES – 9.4/109.4/10
- VALUE – 9.7/109.7/10
Price and Location
If you would like to try this Erawan high tea set it will cost you about 18 USD per person, which is a bargain for what you get. Anyway, here is a link to a location, if you would like to give a try.
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