occasion

with thetime for tea

GRAND DAME

We propose afternoon tea as a better idea to spend some quality

time with dear ol’ mumsy; a cosy tete-a-tete nibbling on

sweet and pretty things. And don’t let the family crowd in or

it won’t be intimate anymore.This relaxed afternoon ritual

of taking fine tea and nibbling on delicate sandwiches and

exquisite pastries such as scones is famously English, but we’ve

made it our own now. Here’s a round-up of places serving

afternoon tea treats to suit the grand dame’s every whim –

some of these selections may not be available on Mother’s Day

itself, so celebrate earlier away from the madding crowds.

text lee khang yi

Special occasion cake from Mandarin Cake Shop. Right: Fine afternoon tea at Ritz-Carlton KL.

ENAKMothers know best. At Enak, she can en-joy dishes cooked with a lot of heart and soul culled from recipes passed down to owner Sherena Razly, such as the two new dishes for Mother’s Day: the Udang bakar serai Enak is succulent prawns with a lemongrass and turmeric mari-nade, and the Pucuk paku sisik kulat has delicate wild forest mushrooms topping the ferntops. Enak will also be launch-ing new eats for the month of May such as The trio seafood soup, a clear broth with dory fish, prawns and squid. The Ayam percik kulat paku is a twist on the street favourite of ayam percik served roulade style. Traditional Tapai pulut meets mod twist as the fermented rice is paired with cooling ice cream. The promotion is priced at RM145 per per-son for a set of three dishes. Mothers also get to dine for free with every four paying adults.

LG2, Feast Floor, Starhill Gallery, 181, Jln Bukit Bintang, KL, 03-2141 8973.

IL LIDODomestic goddesses also need a break from the kitchen so indulge that fine lady in your life with a little Italian magic. Crafted by Chef Andreas Zanella, the four-course menu starts with a re-freshing Crab salad with watermelon and tomato elixir. This is followed by a creamy Burrata cheese agnolotti with mushroom ragu. The main course is a choice of a light seabass fillet, served on a bed of fresh leeks, Taggiasche olives and new potatoes. For robust palates, there is a fork-tender Wagyu beef cheek with truffled mashed potatoes. End on

a sweet note with the White and dark chocolate mousse with berries compote. The four-course Mother’s Day Weekend Menu is available at RM88 per person for lunch and RM138 per person for dinner on May 12 and 13.

183, Jln Mayang (off Jln Yap Kwan Seng), KL, 03-2161 2291

LA VIE EN ROSEFor something really special, KL’s new-est French restaurant is offering a fan-tastic deal of a five-course meal at just RM130 per person on June 12 only. The menu: Cauliflower cream and salmon tartare with chervil oil, Terrine of foie gras with Armagnac and fig chutney, and for mains, a choice of Grouper bouillabaisse, parmesan crackers and saffron risotto or Duck leg confit with truffled mashed potato and ratatouille, and the special dessert of Melting choc-olate sphere with peach mousse. For fine French food, this offer is a steal.

La Vie En Rose, 39 Jalan Raja Chulan, KL, 012-290 7645, 03-2078 3883.

MANDARIN ORIENTAL KLSplash out on mum with a mega brunch spread. Boasting 188 dishes, the after-noon treat is spread across four outlets: Mosaic, Mandarin Grill, Lounge on the Park and The Mandarin cake shop. Their all-day dining café Mosaic has local and international fare such as Paella valen-cia, Braised Sardinian lamb ragout with fennel and Lamb briyani. Move over to Mandarin Grill for Chef Reto’s creations including Braised wagyu beef with garlic mashed potato and horseradish sauce. A carving station for Black An-gus rib eye on the bone is also offered. Don’t miss out handmade pralines, deli-cate macarons and exquisite desserts all prepped by Chef Holger Deh at the Mandarin Cake Shop and Lounge on the Park. Little ones are also taken care of

with a special menu at Mosaic. They also get interactive to decorate cup-cakes for their mothers. The brunch is from 12-3pm for RM288 per person. Af-ternoon tea is also available from May 5 to 12 for RM78 per person.

KL City Centre, KL, 03-2380 8888.

ELEGANT INN HONG KONG CUISINEBe bowled over with their sumptuous Happy Gathering ‘big bowl feast’. Re-nowned for fine cuisine, the restaurant will be serving the traditional Poon choy or Big bowl feast for the months of May and June. Modeled after Hong Kong’s traditional version served in the villag-es, it boasts a layering of 16 ingredients. Dig deep into the bowl to fish out deluxe South African abalones, Japanese dried scallops, sea cucumbers, smoked duck breast, kampung (free range) chicken and the list goes on. Accompany all these delicacies with greens and the aromatic claypot rice topped with fried shallots. Chicken oil is used to cook the fluffy grains to infuse it with flavour. You also get to enjoy the twin delight platter, a tangy appetizer topped with chilled seafood together with salt and pepper crispy organic oyster mush-rooms. End with a banana red bean Chi-nese pancake, crispy layers. The set is priced at RM988 for 10 persons. You can also order their set menus for RM88 per person and RM138 per person. n

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ELITE ELEGANCERelax admist luxurious surroundings as the gentle soothing sounds from the harpist play in the background. On offer are 40 blends from black tea to fruit or herbal infusions, from the Ronnefeldt brand brewed in a majestic samovar to enhance tea flavours. Their three-tier English afternoon tea set is also one of the best in town. The standout is the freshly baked scone, best eaten with lashings of clotted cream and strawber-ry jam. Even the biscuits, pastries, and savouries like finger sandwiches are exquisitely prepared. They also offer a Japanese-themed afternoon tea of green tea matched with nori crackers topped with crab stick salad, soft mochi, and scones topped with tangy yuzu marma-lade. Both tea sets are available daily from 3 to 5pm, except Sundays, for RM75 per person. Note that this is not availa-ble on Mother’s Day, when a special brunch is offered instead.

The Lobby Lounge, The Ritz-Carlton KL, Jln Imbi, Kuala Lumpur, 03-2142 8000.

MAKCIK-APPROVEDWho says afternoon tea is limited to sandwiches and scones? For a local tea-break, fill up on delicate roti jala, crunchy cucur jagung filled with sweet corn, cucur badak with its aromatic shrimp and coconut filling, murtabak, and the list goes on. Those from the East Coast will appreciate the Royal Plate – a selection of soft, creamy-centred akok, golden jalaemas, and buah tanjung. Unique to Ke-lantan, the golden sweets derive their colour from duck egg yolks. The high tea menu selection is available from 3 to 6pm daily. Do order a cup of milky teh tarik to wash it all down.

Kelantan Delights, Grd Flr East Wing, Wisma Consplant 1, No. 2, Jln SS16/4, Subang Jaya, PJ, 03-5611 7845.

COSY VIBEBump shoulders with fellow dessert lovers at this cosy space decked up in white and royal blue. Run by the friendly Goh Hui Li, or Li, as everyone knows her, regulars declare her warm buttery scones to be their weekend salvation. Highly recommended are the petite tea cakes, best eaten warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Inspired by her days in Melbourne, Li serves honest-

to-goodness bakes made daily.

The Haute Food Co., H-0-2, Plaza Damas, Sri Hartamas, KL, 03-62013168.

GARDEN TIMEPartake in the delightful afternoon tea ritual at their outer courtyard area. The faux garden is decked with large umbrel-las and iron-wrought furniture. From 3 to 6pm, their tempting HighT42 is available for RM59.90 for two to share. The ele-gant assortment has scones, quiche lor-raine, doughnuts, macarons and a choice of cake from their dessert counter. Sip on assorted T42 teas in ornate teacups poured from an elegant cast iron pot.

Bistro42, First Flr, Bangsar Village 2, Jln Telawi Satu, KL, 03-2287 6566.

GOLDEN OLDIEModeled after a quaint English tearoom, this café harks back to 1995. Bedecked with the owner’s teapot collection, it is well patronised for its Devonshire tea set, going for RM19.90. Regulars know that 3pm is scone o’ clock as they emerge piping hot from the oven. The buttery morsels are relished with homemade clotted cream and strawberry jam. Ac-company it with a pot of tea from a wide

selection of Dilmah and Whittard teas to suit your personal taste. The set also has sandwich and a slice of cake. Homemade bakes and local fare like mee bandung, and roti jala can also be relished here.

Teapot Café, 169, Jln SS2/24, PJ, 03-7875 3024.

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Mother’s Day FeastIf afternoon tea is not your cup of tea, there are plenty of

restaurants around town offering a special occasion feast.

“There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.”

TAKE AWAY TREATS: Ideal for homebodies, enjoy a spot of tea in the comfort of your home and sweets from these delectable joints. Pop by: Les Deux Garcons, 36, Jln Telawi, Bangsar Baru, KL, 03-2284 7833, for the macarons and oh-la-la dainty French pastries. If mum is an old-fashioned gal, she will love the unadorned but rich butter cake and fruit cake from Huize Van Wely, First Flr, FK2, Bangsar Shopping Centre, KL, 03-20110058. The esteemed bakery flies in their sweets and cakes from the Netherlands on a weekly basis. And don’t forget the

health conscious mother who watches her waistline. Those cloud-like fluffy cakes from Patisserie Rui, G1B, Mont Kiara Meridin, Jln Duta Kiara, KL, 03-6207 9282, will be ideal. This tiny bakery is a favourite among the Japanese expatriate ladies who can’t get enough of their straw berry short cake, tiramisu and fruit roll.

Ritz-Carlton’s three-tier English afternoon tea.

Enak’s Trio seafood soup

Elegant Inn’s ‘big bowl feast’.

– Henry James, The Portrait of a Lady