Above & Beyond: An Asian afternoon tea

We’re inundated with afternoon tea choices here in HK, so it’s refreshing to find something a little bit different. If you’re sick of scones, the delectable Asian inspired bites at Hotel Icon’s Above and Beyond restaurant are the ideal alternative. The swanky setting, with its spectacular view of the Hong Kong harbour and city skyline, makes for a sophisticated dining experience no matter what time of the day… a cup of tea never felt so suave.

One of the things I love most about Hong Kong has to be… dim sum! Yes, these bite-sized delights really do ‘touch the heart’ of a HK girl. That’s why I was excited to try Above & Beyond’s dim sum style afternoon treats, which were made even more tempting by their beautiful appearance.

To begin, we had a refreshing sweet almond cream with lotus seeds and lily bulbs – the perfect light, palate-cleansing starter. We then moved on to the savoury options and they certainly lived up to expectations. The crispy fried puff with prawns was perfectly crunchy, and the pork dumpling with halibut and black mushroom took the simple ‘siu mai’ to a whole new level!

The Cantonese influence fused with French decadence in the baked goose liver and pineapple puff was an interesting combination of flavours that was rich and indulgent. Of course, a bit of bao always completes a dim sum session, and the smoked duck breast in the soft white bun went down a treat.

The next best thing to dim sum is… dessert of course! These sweets were gorgeously presented, and looked delicate and refined. My favourite had to be the chestnut creme brûlée, which added a Chinese twist to this typically Western dessert. The combination was perfect and the chestnut puree at the bottom was deliciously sweet.

If you don’t have much of a sweet tooth, why not try the chilled jelly with lychee and osmanthus? This light, refreshing dessert really made the most of the simple Asian fruit, and don’t be wary of the raspberry lemon cheese ball! It may look heavy, but it is surprisingly light and airy, whilst still having that cream cheese texture and flavour.

Wash all these tempting treats down with one of Above and Beyond’s teas. I couldn’t get enough of the rose and jasmine tea that they had specially created… and I especially loved the glass teapot that you could see the rosebuds in!

You certainly won’t be leaving Above & Beyond hungry with all these delicious and unique options, and you definitely get some bite for your buck! At only $588 per set (for two people!) this is one afternoon tea that’s worth checking out. Dim sum and afternoon tea, two of our favourite things… it can’t get much better!

Above and Beyond  Level 28, Hotel Icon, 17 Science Museum Road, Tsim Sha Tsui East, Hong Kong
3400 1318  www.hotel-icon.com/…