L'Espresso: Victorian English Afternoon Tea


Known for its premium durian desserts, Goodwood Park hotel holds the realm of being one of the best dessert makers, where hotels are concerned. L'Espresso is proud to be dishing out a Victorian English theme high tea buffet till the 22nd July. Boasting a huge variety of savoury pastries, fresh fruit, sweets and bite-sized pastries, you'll feel the imminent tug of your waistband. Here are some of my favourites.

From the assortment of sandwiches and croissants, the '3 Little Pigs' Sandwich and 'Ham and English Cheddar Cheese' croissant gets my votes. The former is a delicious stack of smoked pork, gammon ham and meat loaf, which proves to be a satisfying bite for meat lovers. Despite the croissant's unassuming appearance, the combination of buttery flaky pastry alongside ham and cheese, was melodious and addictive. Another worthy mention would be the 'Crabmeat Salad with Corn puree and caviar' open faced sandwich, this one comes decked on generously in fresh crabmeat that boosts a nice seafaring credential. 

Moving past the D-I-Y salad bar and Cheese stand, we went straight in for the cooked food and chanced upon a classic English dish - 'Toad in the hole'. A traditional English dish of sausages in puffed up Yorkshire pudding batter, this one piqued our interest, however was less flavorful than expected. The Braised pork with stout closely resembles the Chinese rendition albeit less salty in its makeup. There were smatterings of golden fried treats, that we regrettably report to have been cold and soggy. Skip those.

At the carving station, Baked Salmon Florentine Puff was served up. Despite it's unimpressive outlook, this was one of the better dishes on the line. The crispiness from the baked puff boding well with the freshness and sweetness of the salmon, while the wisps of horse radish cream working to provide contrast.

At the dessert counter, you'll find a myriad of beautifully crafted sweets. My favourite was the Molten Chocolate Cake which had the perfect consistency of firm crust and liquid lava centres. For something a little more tart, get the Orange Vanilla Pound cake which is a citrus tangy treat that will enliven the taste buds. Dive back into the cake game with the Baked Cheese Cake, yielding a tangy cheese flavour, this dense square sure packs a punch.

Running only till the 22nd July, the high tea buffet spread at L'Espresso gives you a bang for your buck, offering quality food items together with 2 drinks from the extensive coffee and tea menu. Priced at only $48++, it is a great deal for all who would like to take an afternoon chilling at one of Singapore's most iconic hotels.

L'Espresso Afternoon Tea
t: 6730 1743

Afternoon tea is served at:
From Mon - Thurs: 2pm - 5 30pm
Fri - Sun: 12pm - 2 30pm (first seating); 3 - 5 30pm (second seating)

Words and photos by Belinda Yong who wishes that every time of the day is food o'clock. She loves trying new cuisines and creations, and prays hard for a higher metabolism.

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