30 August, 2012
Eat & Drink

Cle de Peau afternoon tea at Cafe Gray Deluxe

30 August, 2012

When I heard that Café Gray Deluxe was doing an afternoon tea set inspired by Cle de Peau Beaute’s 30th Anniversary, my first thought was, “They’re putting La Crème moisturiser in their pastries!” Thankfully, this was not the case; instead they have created an elegant and rich collection of goodies, just like the cosmetics brand itself.

To pair with our pretty pastries, Rach and I ordered the Café Gray Deluxe signature, a rose tea infused with lemongrass that left us feeling summery and relaxed. Thankfully it was a clear day out, and you could see the glossy reflections of buildings and the top of the ICC right across the harbour. We had a great time admiring the magnificent view through Café Gray’s huge windows… and before we knew it, our pastries arrived!

The first things that grabbed my attention were the bold blue and yellow sweets inspired by La Crème’s precious diamond case, but I held back and started with the savories. A delicate (literally… it fell apart in our hands!) poached shrimp and cucumber roll was rather bland compared to the tasty smoked salmon with salmon caviar on pumpernickel. Meanwhile, the mini pastrami reuben looked super-cute (like a teeny tiny burger!) but the pretzel buns were so tough that they almost took our teeth out! On the other hand, the less conspicuous short rib curry puff was absolutely delicious and a lot more satisfying, filled with melt-in-mouth perfectly seasoned meat; lesson learned – never judge a pastry by its cover!

On to the sweets! Though the borderline neon yellow lemon quark cheesecake looked like it would melt in the mouth, it actually had just the right amount of bite and the fresh lemon flavor shone through. The blueberry macaron was as much plain sweetness as actual blueberry taste (but who says that’s a bad thing?!) whilst the sugary rose and strawberry Swiss roll will definitely appeal to those of you with a super sweet tooth.

My favourites by far were the scrumptious milk chocolate tart (although I must confess I’m extremely biased towards chocolate goodies!) and the blackcurrant scones paired with lashings of Devonshire clotted cream and jam, which Rach and I swiftly demolished!

The cute cakes and charming Café Gray ambience make this a tea set worth making the trip for… Plus, you get a gift voucher for some Cle de Peau Beaute La Crème and balancing lotion samples, as well as a lipstick trial kit and a hand massage. Now that’s what I call an afternoon well spent!

Café Gray Deluxe Afternoon Tea in celebration of Cle de Peau Beaute’s 30th Anniversary is served from 3:30-5:30pm daily throughout September. It costs $240 per person or $420 for two people (plus 10% service charge).

Cafe Gray Deluxe 49/F, Upper House, Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty
3968 1106 www.cafegrayhk.com

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