Last minute Mother’s Day idea: Try the Pan Pacific hotel
Mother’s Day is on the horizon and with canny timing the Pan Pacific hotel has launched an afternoon tea centred around childhood memories in its elegant Orchard Lounge. Award-winning executive pastry chef Cherish Finden recalls her own Singaporean childhood during either a traditional English tea or a fully Asian affair, the latter of which I opted for.
We were offered warm, scented towels on arrival, sat by a roaring, glass encased fireplace and given the largest menu of teas I have ever seen, with china pots warmed above candles on the table. Tea is all very well, but I was more delighted by the fantastic selection of English sparkling wines and opted for a glass of 2016 Gusbourne’s Rosé followed by Nyetimber’s Cuvée Cherie, a demi-sec so a touch sweeter without being sweet and perfect for the delicate chocolate and pastries.
A golden birdcage beside the table held steamed mushroom bao and crispy chicken gai gok, while the amuse bouche was a nod to the fact chef Finden used to be given a raw egg every day before school to knock back like a shot from the eggshell. I won’t ruin the surprise but her new version is a lot tastier than the original.
After the steamed dim sum, or crustless sandwiches if you have chosen the traditional menu, there is a clever transition to dessert, with the ‘taste of umami’ sesame shortbread tasting savoury to some and sweet to others.
Unsurprisingly, the beautiful pastries, made with their exclusive home-blended 67 per cent Guanaco chocolate designed with Valrhona stole the show. Charming, clever designs and absolutely delicious flavours of lychee, coconut and chocolate all served with freshly grated lime. An enchanting experience throughout, it was enriched even further by learning the general manager of the hotel has given rooms to all their Ukrainian staff’s families at this difficult time; a hotel with heart – perfect for Mother’s Day.
• Afternoon teas start from £72
Wines of the week
Dom Perignon Rosé 2008, £240, The Champagne Company
Newly released from one of Champagne’s premium houses, this is something very special. Scents of turkish delight and dusky dark fruits open up to a savoury, velvety champagne with a hint of salinity that embodies sophisticated, grown-up fun.
Bollinger La Grande Année 2014, £135, Harvey Nichols
Born of ‘craftsmanship, perseverance, and friendship’ this tricky year has produced a stunning champagne. Golden in the glass, this carries a precise freshness of orchard fruits and ripe mirabelle plums, rounded by those delicious toasty brioche notes and underpinned by its fine mineral purity. Perfection with seafood.
Langham Culver Classic Cuvée NV, £29.50, Lea & Sandeman
Another exquisite wine by this fantastic English estate. Based on the 2019 vintage this smells like a plate of buttered toast in an English country garden and tastes of soft red apples, toasted hazelnuts and lemon shortbread. Langham is once again doing our little green isle proud.
Vilarnau Rosé Delicat Reserva, £12, Ocado
An award-winning rosé Cava, this would brighten up anyone’s day. A beautifully aromatic sparkling that bursts with bright strawberries, red berries and pretty floral notes. The bubbles are creamy and refined and the freshness of the fruit makes this a happy aperitif or a delicious pair for a spicy paella.
Palmer & Co Blanc de Blancs, £53, Waitrose
Multi-award winning and recent BdB World Champion at the 2021 Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships, this is a sumptuous bottle that radiates premium quality. Fine finesse, balance and an elegantly long finish, this wine sings of white flowers, toasted almonds and classic purity.