The marketing coordinator from YVR Fairmont contacted me through Instagram to inquire about my previous afternoon tea experience. Furthermore, my response to a fellow IGer was very vague as I only mentioned Hotel Vancouver provides better service and would only revisit YVR Fairmont if I had a voucher. After responding to the marketing coordinator, she forwarded my e-mail to the Outlets Captain who invited me and a guest to another afternoon tea experience because the restaurant was planning to launch a new menu.
The invitation from the upper management is very appreciated because keep in mind my first experience was a voucher based visit, and my comments were quite vague on IG. In addition, the comments on my previous blog post were taken into consideration; i.e I mentioned the place mats are not very sanitary because the staff does not sanitize them and merely brushes off the crumbs. And on my revisit, I noticed the place mats were gone! The shiny glass table tops that are now properly wiped down not only look nicer, but is more sanitary.
TEA MENU $42.00 || JUNIOR TEA $18.00
In the response to my e-mail, the Outlets Captain mentioned she will take a look at their storing methods for tea because both teas on the previous visit were very average. I am not sure whether the storing methods have changed or perhaps our selection of tea, but both teas on the revisit tasted more fresh.
Ti Kuan Yin "Iron Goddess", "A distinctive light tea bearing hints of orchid-like flavour. A resemblance to chamomile calm yet bodying an Asian affair".
Ti Kuan Yin is a very common tea for Chinese people to drink and it is very easy to tell how high the quality is. The tea has a strong but clear settled flavour and the quality is better than most Chinese restaurants'.
Safari Masala Chai, "A journey of tea and spice, robust cup pairs malty deaths of a second flush assam with intoxicating malabar spice".
As for myself, I went for a more "adventurous" choice and tried the Safari Masala Chai. The tea has a light exotic aroma flavour and I liked it.
Smoked Turkey (cheddar, candied pecans, cranberry filone), Curried Egg Salad (chopped scallions, mini croissant), Rare Roasted Striploin (arugula, carmaelized onions, grainy mustard, pretzel loaf) and Smoked BC Salmon (dill cream cheese, grated horseradish, cucumber carpaccio, dark rye).
Beginning with the Smoked BC Salmon, the rye tastes very fresh and soft like the previous visit. There is a rich smoked salmon flavour and the cucumber provides a refreshing taste along with a soft crunch. In addition, the dill in the cream cheese actually stands out this time.
Next, the Rare Roasted Striploin has a rich roast beef flavour and tastes much better than the one at my former tea time. The pretzel bun also tastes moist and not even slightly dry, along with a light mayonnaise. Continuing along, the Smoked Turkey sandwich has a light crunch (not soft or soggy at all) from the pecans and some sweetness from the cranberry bread. The light mayonnaise also provides a bit of moisture and the addition of cheddar make the sandwich filling. The sandwich tastes a lot better than the former "generic" turkey croissant. Last up, the buttery croissant has a light curry flavour but does not taste overwhelming. There is no awkward lingering curry taste and only a perfect amount along with a nice creaminess.
Throughout the plate, I was quite surprised and found myself saying "wow, it is actually better" after each treat. I am glad the selection improved and is something I would actually revisit for.
Orange and Cranberry Scones, Clotted cream from Devon and Strawberry Jam.
The scones at Fairmont have always been a favourite of mine and are served warm (as always). However, the whole plate along with the strawberry preserve and clotted cream were heated as well. I am personally not a fan of having heated clotted cream because I find the consistency slightly thinner and lacks that rich thick creaminess, although my guest prefers that. As for the scones, oddly they taste a bit different this time. The scones have a light crisp exterior but are not as heavy, crumbly or buttery compared to usual. Regardless, I enjoyed the first plate earlier so did not mind the scones.
Opera slice (almond chocolate cake, coffee cream), Fresh Peach Clafoutis (hazelnut, cinnamon, vanilla), Matcha Cheesecake (white chocolate, black sesame shard) and Raspberry Chocolate Mousse Tart (raspberry jelly, dark chocolate).
Following, the Peach Clafoutis tastes very "healthy" and has a multigrain flavour. There is no sweetness which I did not like, but at the same time it made me realize Fairmont tries to caters to different levels of sweetness. Furthermore, a blackberry and a white chocolate curl did provide a bit of sweetness. Moving along, the Opera Slice is a very light but rich dessert. The almond cake tastes moist and the coffee cream tastes rich, but not overwhelming.
Finishing with the best, is the raspberry mousse tart. I rarely use the word decadent because I do not use the word freely. However, the quality chocolate ganache tastes rich, decadent and smooth. The fresh raspberry also helps cut some of the heaviness. As for the crust, it tastes soft and buttery.
TOTAL: $102.90 (Afternoon tea excluding gratuities was compensated).
The new afternoon tea menu at YVR Fairmont is noticeably a lot better than my previous visit and is what one would expect at a fine dining establishment. As for the service, our server checked up on us and it was not hard to wave someone down this time around. In addition, the sous chef along with the manager came by to check how things were going and I am glad the restaurant actually improved. The rating overall for the service is a 5/5 because of the invitation from the upper management, the introductions from the sous chef as well as the manager, and the fact that the restaurant actually changed a few issues from my previous blog post. I am glad YVR Fairmont actually listens to feedback and takes them into consideration.
POSITIVES
- Above average food
- Professional service
- Parking is validated
- Nice atmosphere and clean restaurant
- Feedback is taken into consideration
- Restaurant offers "2 for 1" afternoon tea vouchers for future visits
NEGATIVES
- One of the pricier places for afternoon tea
Food: 4/5
Service: 5/5
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