Afternoon Tea @ The Fullerton (formerly The Westin)
The Westin is no longer the Westin - it is now the Fullerton. Despite the name change, what remains comfortingly steadfast is the quality of its afternoon tea.
I have previously reviewed it and proclaimed it to be the best afternoon tea in Sydney - and I stand by my proclamation. Before we discuss the food, I think one delightful thing about the Fullerton is the location in which you can enjoy the afternoon tea - beneath a glass ceiling, in an heritage-listed building, allowing the natural light to fall gently upon you and your food as you eat, drink and be merry with your loved ones. Even simply thinking about it filled me with joy.
Apart from its heritage afternoon tea, The Bar has limited-edition afternoon teas from time to time where the sweet layer get a themed innovation. For example, I have tried an Alice in Wonderland themed afternoon tea before; and on this occasion, we were lucky enough to catch the last of the Chinese New Year afternoon tea, with distinctly Chinese-inspired flavours.
Let's break it down, shall we?
The afternoon tea begins with some dumplings - prawn, and beautifully flavoured. The only criticism I have is that the skin is too thick and sticky. In an ideal world, these kind of "crystal skin" (as we call them) should be glutinous on the palate but not in the steamer. Of course to achieve that fine balance requires years and years of experience only achieved at lauded Chinese restaurants, so perhaps the comparison is not entirely fair. The bottom line is, these dumplings can't be faulted when it comes to flavour, and it is a lovely warm start to what is a culinary marathon.
The savoury layer is no mere assembly of sandwiches. It is filled with creative, pleasing little gems such as these goats cheese tarts - comfortably striding the border of salty and sweet, it is creamy and pleasing on both the eyes and the palate.
My favourite item on the sacoury layer is this lobster in waffle cone. The waffle cone is crunchy, fragrant with black sesame; the lobster meat delicately sweet and gently creamed with mayonnaise, topped with some fish roe which gives is a nice little crunch.
Mini hamburgers - only a bite-sized portion but made to look just like the real deal - even a slice of pickle included. I don't think the patty is actually beef - I rather think it is tuna. Slightly unexpected, but so much more delightful because of it.
As far as the sandwiches go, my favourite is the crab-meat on spinach bread. Of course you also have the traditional flavours of thinly sliced cucumber with cream cheese and smoked salmon, both on delightfully fluffy white bread. These, if not "creative", are beautifully executed and comfortingly familiar. I have often found that you really can tell the quality of an establishment by how well it does the most basic things. The Fullerton certainly passes the test with flying colours. The little proscuitto bagel was also a particular delight, the saltiness of the proscuitto balanced by a slice of cherry tomato.
Now, let's move onto the sweet layer, where the pastry chef can really showcase his or her creativity.
The macaron is filled with a smooth red bean paste that shoes some restraint in its sweetness - this is consistent with the Asian taste in desserts, we often prefer things on the less-sweet side. Each macaron is emblazoned with the character for luck, looking indeed very festive, and very Chinese.
Another familiar flavour in Asian sweets - black sesame choux pastry. Again, the flavour is not overly sweet, and the filling is so incredibly smooth and oozy. I really enjoyed this one, though perhaps it could have done without the little yellow sugar-flower.
The white pebble-like dessert is a tofu with soy bean powder. The flavours are more Japanese than Chinese - the soy bean powder is often used in the flavouring of wagashi, rain drop cakes and such-like - and the texture is completely runny despite looking like a beautiful river-rock. The minute it hits your tongue, it melts and is gone.
Mandarin is not an easy flavour to capture artificially (and by that I simply mean when it is not in its original fruit-state), and yet this Swiss roll does just that. The inclusion of the dehydrated mandarin segment on top is a nice touch, and the cake portion is wonderfully moist and soft.
Strawberry and matcha tart - the gold leaves certainly add a touch of glamour to these gorgeously sweet strawberries. The fact that I still found those strawberries sweet is really saying something, since we have been eating our way through all these sugary treats. Delightful dessert, though I would love to see restaurants being braver when it comes to matcha flavouring - let's have that distinctive tea-bitterness!
The lychee pana cotta was my favourite sweet treat of the day. The texture is beautifully smooth, balanced by the slight crunch of fresh lychee pieces and white fungus, which I thought was an inspired touch. White fungus may not have the most appetising name, but it is a highly prized and popular dessert ingredient in China, as we believe it comes with an array of skin-beautifying properties.
Finally, we finish off with some TWG tea (most people who know me know how I feel about those teas - love is an understatement) and small gems of scones. Though they are smaller in stature than those served in many other establishments, they are just what scones are supposed to be: warm, slightly sweet, densely textured. I particularly love the clotted cream and home-made jam served at the Fullerton. What a delightful, if rather filling, way to finish the afternoon tea.
All the above is washed down with a glass a champagne - and I do mean champagne, not sparkling wine, as one can taste the celebration with each sparkling, naturally-formed bubble.
Score: 5/5
Address: 1 Martin Place, Sydney NSW
Website: https://www.fullertonhotels.com/fullerton-hotel-sydney/dining
I have previously reviewed it and proclaimed it to be the best afternoon tea in Sydney - and I stand by my proclamation. Before we discuss the food, I think one delightful thing about the Fullerton is the location in which you can enjoy the afternoon tea - beneath a glass ceiling, in an heritage-listed building, allowing the natural light to fall gently upon you and your food as you eat, drink and be merry with your loved ones. Even simply thinking about it filled me with joy.
Apart from its heritage afternoon tea, The Bar has limited-edition afternoon teas from time to time where the sweet layer get a themed innovation. For example, I have tried an Alice in Wonderland themed afternoon tea before; and on this occasion, we were lucky enough to catch the last of the Chinese New Year afternoon tea, with distinctly Chinese-inspired flavours.
Let's break it down, shall we?
The afternoon tea begins with some dumplings - prawn, and beautifully flavoured. The only criticism I have is that the skin is too thick and sticky. In an ideal world, these kind of "crystal skin" (as we call them) should be glutinous on the palate but not in the steamer. Of course to achieve that fine balance requires years and years of experience only achieved at lauded Chinese restaurants, so perhaps the comparison is not entirely fair. The bottom line is, these dumplings can't be faulted when it comes to flavour, and it is a lovely warm start to what is a culinary marathon.
The savoury layer is no mere assembly of sandwiches. It is filled with creative, pleasing little gems such as these goats cheese tarts - comfortably striding the border of salty and sweet, it is creamy and pleasing on both the eyes and the palate.
My favourite item on the sacoury layer is this lobster in waffle cone. The waffle cone is crunchy, fragrant with black sesame; the lobster meat delicately sweet and gently creamed with mayonnaise, topped with some fish roe which gives is a nice little crunch.
Mini hamburgers - only a bite-sized portion but made to look just like the real deal - even a slice of pickle included. I don't think the patty is actually beef - I rather think it is tuna. Slightly unexpected, but so much more delightful because of it.
As far as the sandwiches go, my favourite is the crab-meat on spinach bread. Of course you also have the traditional flavours of thinly sliced cucumber with cream cheese and smoked salmon, both on delightfully fluffy white bread. These, if not "creative", are beautifully executed and comfortingly familiar. I have often found that you really can tell the quality of an establishment by how well it does the most basic things. The Fullerton certainly passes the test with flying colours. The little proscuitto bagel was also a particular delight, the saltiness of the proscuitto balanced by a slice of cherry tomato.
Now, let's move onto the sweet layer, where the pastry chef can really showcase his or her creativity.
The macaron is filled with a smooth red bean paste that shoes some restraint in its sweetness - this is consistent with the Asian taste in desserts, we often prefer things on the less-sweet side. Each macaron is emblazoned with the character for luck, looking indeed very festive, and very Chinese.
Another familiar flavour in Asian sweets - black sesame choux pastry. Again, the flavour is not overly sweet, and the filling is so incredibly smooth and oozy. I really enjoyed this one, though perhaps it could have done without the little yellow sugar-flower.
The white pebble-like dessert is a tofu with soy bean powder. The flavours are more Japanese than Chinese - the soy bean powder is often used in the flavouring of wagashi, rain drop cakes and such-like - and the texture is completely runny despite looking like a beautiful river-rock. The minute it hits your tongue, it melts and is gone.
Mandarin is not an easy flavour to capture artificially (and by that I simply mean when it is not in its original fruit-state), and yet this Swiss roll does just that. The inclusion of the dehydrated mandarin segment on top is a nice touch, and the cake portion is wonderfully moist and soft.
Strawberry and matcha tart - the gold leaves certainly add a touch of glamour to these gorgeously sweet strawberries. The fact that I still found those strawberries sweet is really saying something, since we have been eating our way through all these sugary treats. Delightful dessert, though I would love to see restaurants being braver when it comes to matcha flavouring - let's have that distinctive tea-bitterness!
The lychee pana cotta was my favourite sweet treat of the day. The texture is beautifully smooth, balanced by the slight crunch of fresh lychee pieces and white fungus, which I thought was an inspired touch. White fungus may not have the most appetising name, but it is a highly prized and popular dessert ingredient in China, as we believe it comes with an array of skin-beautifying properties.
Finally, we finish off with some TWG tea (most people who know me know how I feel about those teas - love is an understatement) and small gems of scones. Though they are smaller in stature than those served in many other establishments, they are just what scones are supposed to be: warm, slightly sweet, densely textured. I particularly love the clotted cream and home-made jam served at the Fullerton. What a delightful, if rather filling, way to finish the afternoon tea.
All the above is washed down with a glass a champagne - and I do mean champagne, not sparkling wine, as one can taste the celebration with each sparkling, naturally-formed bubble.
Score: 5/5
Address: 1 Martin Place, Sydney NSW
Website: https://www.fullertonhotels.com/fullerton-hotel-sydney/dining
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