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By Michael
Moore
“There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour
dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.”
Henry James, Portrait of a Lady
Afternoon tea in Bangkok?
Of course! The city is very cosmopolitan and most people feel the
need of a break after a day of sightseeing or hard shopping in Bangkok’s
hot and humid climate. The British custom of tea and a snack in
the afternoon has caught on in the City of Angels. For those of
you who would like to sample this bit of British culture - Bangkok
style - we suggest the following.
The most traditional setting for afternoon tea is undoubtedly the
Author’s Lounge located in the old section of the Oriental
Hotel Bangkok. The whie rattan furniture and ambiance conger
up visions of another time and place. Enjoy your tea and scones
where Joseph Conrad, Somerset Maughan and other famous authors have
sipped their tea in the past. It’s very British, very traditional
and very delicious.
Adjacent to the Oriental is the Shangri-la
Hotel Bangkok and its afternoon teas in the Lobby Lounge offer
dramatic views of the Chao Phraya River. Sumptuous cakes, sandwiches,
ice creams and savory snacks are available and there is often live
music in the background. Available between 15:00 and 18:00, it is
a relaxing way to spend an afternoon. The Shangri-la is especially
fond of promotions so you might want to phone 9-2236-7777 to see
if they have something special going on.
Across the river at the Peninsula
Bangkok, string music plays during its well-known “high
tea.” Served in The Lobby, this is grand living at it finest.
The Peninsula is one of the city’s most elegant hotels and
offers some of the finest views of the Chao Phraya River. The hotel
is easily reached by taking the complimentary hotel operated ferry
across the river.
The elegant Regent
Hotel is located near the World Trade Center and other busy
shopping centres. For those who want to rest their tired feet, it
has long served tea, homemade scones, finger sandwiches and delicious
soufflés between 2:00 PM and 5:30 PM each day. The ritual
is observed in the lobby, one of the best places in Bangkok for
people watching.
Nearby is the Le Royal Meridien Hotel and its Tower Lounge is the
home of one of Bangkok’s most elaborate afternoon teas. Each
day between 2:30 and 5:30 there is a buffet with a rotating selection
of bakery items. On Fridays different spices are featured, on Saturdays
fruit is on centre stage and on Sundays pastry items based upon
chocolate are the stars of the show. On other days of the week,
there is a general selection of goodies available. Call 656-0444
for more information.
A little more laid back is the Bistro Bar at the Pathumwan
Princess Hotel. Located at the Mahboonkrong Shopping Center,
it is an ideal spot for an afternoon tea after the rigors of shopping.
There is usually some music being played in the background.
The Silom Road area of town is home of the Dusit
Thani Hotel’s Lobby Lounge. Each day between 14:30 and
17:30, it features a selection of sandwiches, delicious pastries
and warm buttered scones with fresh cream and strawberry jam, followed
by a choice of teas and coffees. Things can’t get much more
British than this!
Another Lobby Lounge with afternoon tea can be found at the Imperial
Queen’s Park Hotel near the Emporium Shopping Center on
Sukhumvit Road. Each afternoon between 2:30 and 5:30, Austrian Pastry
Chef Manfred Kroell creates a variety of elegant pastries. There
is, of course, a selection of tea also available. The hotel can
be reached through Benjasiri Park which is located adjacent to the
shopping centre.
Several independent restaurants also have afternoon teas. One of
the more interesting is the Acoustic House on Soi Langsuan. This
charming little hideaway changes its face several times during the
day. In the afternoon it serves Fortnum and Mason tea on elegant
China. It is very popular with Japanese shoppers and simply a good
place to relax from the rigors of Bangkok.
The custom of having afternoon tea started around 1840 when Anna,
the Duchess of Bedford, had a problem. The length of time between
lunch and dinner left her feeling peckish. To alleviate her hunger
pangs, she started enjoying a snack of bread and butter and a pot
of tea in the afternoon. A gregarious woman, she eventually tired
of dining in solitude and began inviting some of her aristocratic
friends to join her. They all quickly decided Anna’s afternoon
tea was a capital idea and began engaging in the practice themselves.
These ladies were trendsetters and before long were being mimicked
all over Britain. In a very short time, the whole affair became
ritualized and eventually became a British institution. For those
who could afford it, tea sets imported from the Orient became de
rigueur and Anna’s snack of bread and butter became increasingly
elaborate. Every hostess, regardless of her station, sought to serve
a tea that reflected favourably upon her status, hospitality and
generosity.
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For some there was an element of “one-upmanship” in the
proceedings and these ladies tried to make their afternoon tea more
elegant than previous gatherings. The Duchess of Bedford’s
snack of bread and butter quickly gave way to more sumptuous spreads.
Toward the end of the 19th century, Mrs. Beeton, in her famous cookbook
for the middle classes, suggested summer and winter menus for afternoon
tea. For the warmer months she recommended: Cucumber Sandwiches,
Foie Gras and Cress Sandwiches, Anchovy and Salad Sandwiches, White
and Brown Bread with Butter, Rout Cake, Madeira Cake, Pound Cake,
Petits Fours, Raspberry and Cherry Ices, Strawberries and Cream,
Tea, Coffee, Claret and Champagne Cup. For a winter tea she suggested:
Caviar Sandwiches, Tongue Sandwiches, Sardine Sandwiches, White
and Brown Bread with Butter, Plum Cake, Seed Cake, Fancy Cakes,
Almond Cakes, Crystallized Fruits, Sweet Biscuits, Tea, Coffee,
Claret and Sherry. If this is what ladies in middle stations served,
you can imagine what must have passed for a light snack with those
in the upper reaches of society!
Although the snacks served in Bangkok’s afternoon teas haven’t
become as elaborate as they were in the days of Mrs Beeton, there
is some one-upmanship going on. Late afternoons are traditionally
a slow time in hotels and restaurants. To attract customers many
of them are serving excellent afternoon teas with lots of tasty
little goodies to eat. It’s a buyers market so take advantage
of the opportunity to rest your weary feet and recuperate from the
rigors of shopping and sightseeing. It’s very British, but
this hasn’t stopped it from becoming very Thai and very much
a part of the Bangkok scene.
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