[Asia Economy Reporter Yuri Kim] Major hotels are unveiling afternoon tea sets to celebrate Christmas and the season. They explained that they prepared desserts and teas full of Christmas vibes, targeting those who want to have a small but meaningful experience at the end of the year.
Andaz Seoul Gangnam, a lifestyle hotel in the Hyatt chain, is selling the 'Winter Wonderland Afternoon Tea Set,' which includes winter desserts and savory (palate-cleansing foods), until the end of February next year. It is available daily from 1 PM to 5 PM at the Jogeokbo Restaurant Bites & Wine Bar on the hotel's second floor.The savory and dessert items, presented in a secret box featuring colorful illustrations by artist Jeon Yeji, unfold with dry ice to offer a dazzling experience that captivates the eyes. The dessert menu consists of rose chocolate mousse, white Mont Blanc, festive macarons, bonbon chocolates, assorted cookies, and more.The savory menu includes raspberry and cheese scones, mini quiches with provolone cheese, bacon, and parsley spinach, and Gruy?re cheese sandwiches with honey-roasted ham. Unlimited tea or coffee is provided.
Fairmont Ambassador Seoul offers the 'Festive High Tea at Fairmont' at The Atrium Lounge on the hotel's first floor until December 31. It is available for parties of two or more. Seven different desserts are charmingly presented on a tray. The Ginger House is a gingerbread cookie representing Christmas, flavored with meringue and chocolate decorations. The mini Stollen is a mini version of the German fruitcake Stollen, decorated with a sugar ribbon reminiscent of a Christmas gift. The chestnut Paris-Brest is inspired by the round crown-shaped cake made with choux pastry, filled with chestnut cream, inner chestnuts, and marron glac? to emphasize sweetness. Other items include Santa macarons, strawberry ornaments, and homemade scones. The savory menu features Canadian-style lobster rolls, mushroom vol-au-vent, turkey tart, and smoked salmon quiche. Fairmont's homemade ice cream is also offered.
The Lobby Lounge Cafe Gallery at Grand Hyatt Seoul Hotel collaborates with the world-renowned luxury brand Jimmy Choo to present the 'Jimmy Choo Gallery Afternoon Tea' until December 31. Shoe shapes, pearls, and crystals reminiscent of Jimmy Choo are recreated in the Grand Hyatt Seoul style. The main sweets include Jimmy Choo high-heel cookies, ruby chocolate lollipops, caramel chocolate opera cake, raspberry cream tart, dark chocolate cake, and strawberry panna cotta. The display, reminiscent of jewels in a jewelry box, differentiates it from the usual three-tier tray afternoon tea.Guests can choose between coffee or tea to accompany the afternoon tea.The operating hours are daily from 1:30 PM to 5 PM.
The Lounge on the 8th floor of JW Marriott Hotel Seoul offers the 'Festive Delight Afternoon Tea Set' themed around Christmas from December 1 to 25. The sweet dessert plating, prepared with nine types, is handcrafted by the hotel pastry team featuring Christmas trees, snowmen, and Rudolph. Coconut mousse topped with a snowman shape on a biscuit, tree Mont Blanc topped with white bean paste shaped like a tree on a tart filled with almond cream, Rudolph cupcakes made with chocolate chantilly cream and chocolate, and berry mousse cakes creatively expressing the glowing Christmas season are provided. Two raspberry scones with clotted cream cheese and fruit jam, along with nine savory items suitable as a meal substitute, are served. Guests can select two drinks from nine types of organic handmade teas by the American brand Rishi Tea, six types of premium Korean teas by Ssanggyemyeongcha, and Omage coffee blended by the Trinidad Coffee headquarters in the U.S. exclusively for JW Marriott Hotel Seoul.
Millennium Hilton Seoul will introduce the 'Great Gatsby Afternoon Tea Set' starting next month on the 1st. Inspired by the eponymous novel by famous American author F.S. Fitzgerald, the hotel explained that they aimed to offer a special tea time fitting the luxurious lifestyle that flourished in the 1920s, the setting of the work, by using all-black items accented with gold. Sweet desserts such as canel?, chocolate mousse cake, black sesame brownie, black velvet cupcake, and black sesame roll cake are combined with savory items like tuna sandwiches using squid ink bread and smoked salmon rolls. In line with this theme, the Cilantro Deli Lounge also decorates a photo zone in Art Deco style using black and gold decorations, providing a unique experience for visitors. It is available daily from 11 AM to 8 PM.
Afternoon tea sets themed around strawberries, a popular winter fruit, also stand out. Lotte Hotel Seoul presents its signature dessert promotion 'Must Be Strawberry' from next month on the 4th until May 8 next year. It is composed of creative strawberry desserts by pastry chef Na Seongju, a gold medalist at the IKA Culinary Olympics. Each table is served ▲3 types of welcome food ▲22 types of desserts ▲2 drinks (coffee or tea). The dessert menu includes strawberry dungkaron, tiramisu, cakes, and 13 meal substitute menus such as sandwiches, salads, and hot dishes.With an additional fee, guests can also enjoy seasonal drinks like strawberry cocktails and strawberry lattes. Reservations made through Naver by the 30th will receive a 10% early bird discount. From December 1, a 5% advance reservation discount is offered.
Banyan Tree Club & Spa Seoul offers the 'Strawberry Special' afternoon tea set featuring seasonal strawberries with tea until December 31 for one month. It showcases a variety of strawberry desserts including fresh strawberries, strawberry dacquoise, strawberry panna cotta, white chocolate mud torte topped with strawberries, and strawberry jelly. For a light meal substitute, crispy shrimp and jambon turkey panini are included. Beverages include coffee or tea, with seven types of tea to choose from, including Sweet Berry, a subtly fruity tea brewed to a red color.
Notable afternoon tea sets can also be found in Busan and Gangwon. Park Hyatt Busan Hotel Lounge offers the 'Festive Afternoon Tea Set' for one month until the end of December. The dessert menu includes Christmas Santa tart representing Santa Claus, chocolate financier shaped like a Christmas wreath, Christmas chocolate opera, Rudolph raspberry mousse, and white chocolate B?che de No?l. The savory menu consists of peanut pumpkin panna cotta, red boot-shaped turkey ham and potato sandwich, broccoli tree with tuna, and truffle cheese bonbons. This afternoon tea set is available daily from 2 PM to 6 PM.For an additional 20,000 KRW, two glasses of sparkling wine are included to elevate the year-end atmosphere.
Park Roche Resort & Wellness in Jeongseon-gun, Gangwon, sells the 'Jeongseon Winter Tea Set,' composed of desserts inspired by traditional Korean sweets and wellness teas. It offers five sweet desserts made using Jeongseon specialties such as gondre financier and deodeok yanggaeng, along with rice cake ice cream, black sesame cream puffs, and sweet potato tarts. Tea options include Jeongseon deodeok honey tea, ginger honey tea, persimmon leaf tea, mugwort flower tea, coffee, and wheatgrass latte. It is available at the Roche Cafe from 2 PM to 5 PM.
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