Notch 8 at Fairmount Hotel Vancouver has come with quite the themed events and one of the latest ones is the Silver Screen Hollywood Afternoon Tea, celebrating the Old Hollywood glory when Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn. This afternoon tea set is available now until March 30th with sittings at 11am, 1pm & 3pm from Wednesday to Sundays and priced $65 for adults and $32.50 for children.
I was fortunate to enjoy the tea service as the plus one of my friend Areta (@foodgressing). It was quite the experience with black and white flicks being projected on a big screen on the wall in the centre, but the delightful food and drink items were the true shining stars.
The decorative setting of the classic tea room is filled with objects representing the golden era of the film industry, such pictures of the stars of the movie and other classy artifacts.
The menu
The tea set is presented as a show and consists of three acts: “The Red Carpet”, “The Matinee”, and “The Silver Screen Premiere”.
Tea
There were 8 types of to choose from, and I picked the Ice Wine, with a pleasant grape flavour but also hints of exotic fruits, which set the delightful tone of the afternoon.
The Red Carpet
The first edible dish to make the appearance was the Raspberry & Cranberry Cremeaux. The combination of berry refreshingness and luscious cream made a great palate cleanser for the upcoming courses.
Serving English scones is the afternoon tea classic. Today we received the Cranberry and the Giandujia Chocolate, with clotted cream and citrus butter on the side. The scones were moist and delicious but I was even more impressed with the flavourful cream and butter.
The Matinee
The items from “The Matinee” are all winning tasters in flavours, including:
- Steak “Oscar” Truffle Sandwich,
- Cobb Salad on Melba Toast,
- Green Goddess Salad with Lobster and Ruby Red Grapefruit,
- Chicken A la Keene Gougère, and
- Caviar and Smoked Salmon Deviled Eggs.
I was impressed with the couple generous slices of black truffle on top of the Steak Oscar, consisting of layers of tenderloin, Dungeness crab, and finished with a beamaise aioli, all bursting with flavours.
The Caviar and Smoked Salmon Deviled Eggs impressed just as much as the ultra deluxe version of all forms of deviled eggs, with fine caviar popping in my mouth.
The Premiere
The sweet level of the afternoon tea tower consists of
- Chocolate Tuxedo,
- Lights, Camera, Action,
- Reel to Reel,
- Walk of Fame, and
- Marilyn Linzer.
As a fan of chocolate cakes, my favorite was the Walk of Fame.
Cocktails
There are also classic cocktails available but the price is not included in the tea set. The Marilyn ($16) pays a tribute to the silver screen icon Marilyn Monroe, featuring Finlandia vodka, fresh raspberries, fresh lemon with sparkling water. The booziness is subtle with the acidity from berries and lemon, and frizz from the sparkling was the best fun part of the drinking experience. The Bogart ($16) is inspired by Humphrey Bogart, featuring Kraken Spiced Rum, Crème de Cacao, Fernet Branca, and chocolate bitters, very well-balanced in flavours, also garnished with Luxado cherries imported from Europe.
There is a Children’s Tea featuring kid-friendly finger sandwiches, scones, and sweet treats, as well as options catering to guests with specific diet-dependent conditions such as gluten-free, or vegetarian and vegan diets.
January 10th – March 30th
Notch8 Restaurant & Bar
Wednesday – Sunday, sittings at 11am, 1pm & 3pm
Adults $65; Children $32.5 (ages 12 and under)
For reservations or more information, please call 604-662-1900 or email hvc.concierge@fairmont.com
My debut experience of hotel high tea is quite a memorable one. The food here has the Fairmount quality as expected, with bits of luxury such as thin slices of black truffle in the steak oscar sandwich and luscious caviar on the deviled eggs. All the tea classics, such the tea, the English scones, and the sweet treats, all beautifully presented and incredibly delicious. And I would also recommend their cocktails, all made with fine craftsmanship.
Price: $$$
Rating: [wp-review id=”13362″}
Notch 8
900 W Georgia St, Vancouver, BC V6C 2W6;
(604) 662-1900 or notch8-dining.com
* All dishes and beverages tasted in this post were complimentary. Opinions are on the reviewer’s own.
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