Review: Afternoon Tea Set at Le Salon De Thé de Joël Robuchon [Hong Kong]

My food-loving dad brought me to my first 3 Michelin-starred restaurant at L’ATELIER de Joël Robuchon in Hong Kong a few years back.  Ever since then, I’ve been a huge fan of the food there.   It’s also a huge plus to be in Hong Kong, where we are blessed with multiple Joël Robuchon dining establishments for enjoyment, including a garden style restaurant, a cafe, and 3 french tea salons.

I occasionally liked to swing by the tea salons for a quick bite (they have awesome baguette sandwiches!), but their afternoon tea set caught my eye one day.  I had two hours to kill in between appointments, and decided to try their set for one person.  YAY for random walk-in and spontaneous solo afternoon tea!  One of the major perks of being on a break from working.

It was actually the first time I’ve sat down for an afternoon tea set alone.  To my surprise, I quite enjoyed it.  I was able to concentrate and savor every piece, without having to make conversation with any company (as much as I DO like to be around people).  My full attention went towards eating. 😉 It led me to really take in and appreciate the food even more, heightening an already splendid dining experience.

Afternoon Tea Set for One….a good balance of savories and pastres

JING Tea – Darjeeling 2nd Flush….they give a cute little timer for you to wait three minutes ☺️

Let’s first talk about these scones…one plain and one speckled with poppy seeds and dried fruit.  Not as soft as some other ones, I’ve had.  Firm in texture.  Both were delicious, along with the creamy and fruity spreads you get to top them with.

Homemade scones of the day with Devonshire clotted cream and homemade strawberry jam (8.5/10)

I have no complaints about the savory options.  It included ingredients that caters to the tastes of the people of Hong Kong (ie. avocado, smoked salmon), while offering a nice variety as well as, in terms of texture and visuals.

Crab and avocado in a lemon jelly (8.5/10)…I have a fondness for any seafood and avocado combination.

Tomato Burger with chorizo and mozzarella (10/10).  This sandwich surprised me.  A slice of heavenly mozzarella, chorizo with a pesto/basil spread across.  I love it!

Smoked salmon rolls with goat cheese and endive (9/10).  Beautiful presentation, refreshing crisp of endives went well with the saltiness of smoked salmon and caviar.

Foie gras with figs and hazelnut (9.5/10).  Really nice foie gras terrine.  The added sweetness and flavors of figs and hazelnut elevated it even further.

Mini croissant (10/10).  I absolutely ADORE croissants which are dusted with powdered or brown sugar, cinnamon, et cetera.  I forget the exact flavors of this one, but it was delightful.

Next came the pastries!  Generally I am harsher when it comes to rating sweet things, since I didn’t grow up having an inherent sweet tooth, so it takes more to get me excited about desserts.  However, the pastries at this establishment did not disappoint, and I was able to polish off every crumb.

Gianduja chocolate with apricots (…I think?)  (8.5/10)

White chocolate mendiants (7/10).  I’m not a huge fan of white chocolate, but this was pretty good.

Maple madeleines (10/10).  I liked it because it was simple, yet delicious and not too sweet.

Chestnut sponge (7.5/10).  Soft and creamy.

Raspberry macarons & rose cream (8/10)

So far, every experience I’ve had eating Chef Joël Robuchon’s food has been out of this world, consistently exceeding any expectations I have.  Needless to say, it’s one of my favorite restaurant groups ever.  I look forward to having their lunch set again next time, as well as a chance to try their MENU DÉCOUVERTE (discovery menu) for dinner … a very likely possibility for my upcoming birthday 😉

~~Overall Experience: 9/10~~

Address: Shop 315, 3/F, The Landmark, 15 Queen’s Road Central, Central (Other locations available)

Hours: 3:00pm – 6:00pm (Mon to Fri), 2:00pm – 6:00pm (Weekends and Public Holidays)

Cost: 280 HKD / $35 for single person set, 528 HKD / $68 for two person set

Website: http://www.robuchon.hk/

Date Visited: 4/12/17