Food for Thought: High Tea at The St Regis

I had high expectations when I placed reservations for High Tea for 2 at St Regis.  It was to be held in the hotel's French restaurant, Brasserie Les Saveurs and naturally, I was looking forward to 6-star treatment and service.

On entering the restaurant, we were enthralled by its decor and ambience.  It was definitely 6-star quality.  Unfortunately, for me the 6-star quality ended there.  Their level of service, in my humble opinion, is no better than that of a 3 or at most 3.5-star hotel F&B outlet.

6-star decor and  ambience

Once seated, we placed our order from its menu of 24 TWG tea blends.  Wifey's choice was Pai Mu Tan and mine was Emperor Sencha.  Both the blends were refreshingly light.

As far as food went, there were some hits and several misses.

Let's begin with the Quintessential 3-Tiered Silver Stand which to me, had a good number of misses. The top tier's Sweet Delights comprises Mocha Eclairs, Raspberry Tarts, Creme Caramel with Orange Compote and home-made chocolate praline.  These were left untouched.

Sweet Delights from the Silver Stand

The classic Finger Sandwich, 3 types in all - Smoked Salmon, Egg and Mayonnaise and Cucumber - would have been perfect if only the bread had been softer.  The chef chose cream cheese for the cucumber sandwich and gave it a fruity twist by adding thinly sliced tomato. I would have equally enjoyed a good old fashioned English cucumber sandwich with a simple dash of lemon on unsalted butter. 

3 types of finger sandwiches

Leaving the Silver Stand aside, I turned my attention to the Chef's selection of sushi which provided a delectable Asian zing to the otherwise predominantly Continental spread.  This was indeed a revivifying variation for a die-hard Asian like me.

The cold cuts were outstanding. The prosciutto was finely smoked with a tinge of saltiness and slight tones of earthiness.  The Terrine of Salmon, on the other hand, was creamy and light.  When placed on the tongue, it gently bursts into an explosion of peppy flavours.  

Smoked salmon, prosciutto and Terrine of salmon

Another highlight of the St Regis High Tea had to be its Scones and Conserve section. Besides the classic St Regis plain scones, there were also cranberry, duck and orange, pesto among others.  The conserves included cherry and gingered rhubarb.  Along with these were a selection of jams, clotted cream and Chantilly cream.

Cranberry scone topped with cherry conserve, apricot jam and clotted cream

At one corner of the dining hall is a counter where they serve piping hot waffles and crepes made to order.  I had waffle with maple syrup and a scoop of vanilla ice cream from a separate ice cream cart.  The waffle was crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside - just like the way momma would have done it.

For me, the piece de resistance  was the cheese platter with its condiments of nuts and fruits.  You get to choose from bowls of roasted cashew, peeled walnut, roasted almond and almond flakes. Although there were dried fruits at the counter, I selected mine from the fresh fruit section.

Crackers were not available from the cheese counter.  However, the very helpful Malaysian waiter was quick to bring me some when requested.

Despite several misses, it was overall a pleasing experience mainly because of the decor and ambience. The background music provided by an old gentleman on the piano added to our overall enjoyment.

Brasserie Les Saveurs
The St. Regis Singapore, Lobby level
29 Tanglin Road, Singapore 247911

Ambience:  9/10

Service:      6/10

Price:          $$$

Food:          7/10