My favourite high tea yet! Photography: Kazuri Photography.
If it isn’t already, Adore Tea needs to be on Canberra’s must-taste foodie trail.
Naz and Aman’s teahouse is a story of passion, good-old-fashioned hard work and a loyal community that it has nurtured and flourished from its origins, operating out of a Mitchell warehouse.
Adore Tea houses a tea store that tea lovers will find irresistible. Its ever-expanding range of teas – over 150 – sits on shelves alongside exquisite teapots, cups, candles and many other tea-related items.
This morning, we sit in the spacious tea room to enjoy Adore Tea’s latest Grand High Tea menu, its autumn offering.
The Grand High Tea is a visual feast that changes seasonally, blending traditional high tea staples with imaginative additions. Tiered plates display dainty sandwiches, assorted savouries, puddings, tarts and the perfect scone. Naz pairs each course with a unique tea-infused beverage.
The most refreshing sparkling iced rooibos tea: Jungle Fever! Photography: Kazuri Photography.
The delicate three-tiered tea trays, glass teapots and charming tea-light warmers all elevate the experience.
We begin with the savouries. I often feel like the savoury section of a high tea tastes the same, like an assortment from a supermarket’s frozen section, making up numbers on the tray. However, each savoury item here has a unique and well-thought-out taste.
I will only mention my favourites.
My favourite sandwich comes in a miniature, moreish house-made croissant that I would have enjoyed on its own, buttery and flaky, with tender laminated folds inside. Overstuffed with soft, China Oolong tea-infused chicken filling, the sandwich tastes wonderful.
The savoury tray. Photography: Kazuri Photography.
A roasted pumpkin and leek tart pairs fragrant creaminess with a thin, crisp shell. We love the nutty roasted sweetness of the pumpkin.
Our second favourite savoury is the Russian Caravan Smokey tea-infused chicken croquette. Chicken and soft potato, sublime with classic Indian spices that transform it into an exotic breaded and deep-fried delicacy. Wow! And if it wasn’t perfect enough, the dipping sauce of honey mustard and cilantro brings it all home.
Our absolute favourite savoury? The sesame toast! It looks almost bland and insignificant, but then we bite into it. Tall, layered, golden fried prawn toast deliciousness has us swooning.
The desserts are every bit as wonderful.
The small meringues are divine, their outer shells delicate as a hummingbird egg, with passionfruit curd piped into the centre and peppermint tea-infused cream on top. Everything just goes together.
We move to the scone.
Adore Tea’s scone game is legendary, but the sound of a currant scone actually does not excite me.
I slice into the crusty scone and slather each side with strawberry jam and whipped cream. And wow! The fluffy lightness inside delights us. And the small currants add pops of sweetness. Really, really scrumptious.
We love the lemon tart paired with matcha-infused meringue.
The Biscoff cheesecake. Photo: Kazuri Photography.
But my absolute favourite dessert is the Biscoff cheesecake, which is like eating a cloud of Biscoff goodness, with fine layers of crumb and mousse and sauce and cream that incorporate the nutty, gingery warmth and salty caramel delight that is Biscoff. It’s the best Biscoff dessert I have ever had.
This is my favourite high tea menu I have enjoyed at Adore Tea. We have appreciated that nothing has been added to the plate to make up numbers. Every item has been created with the love and ingenuity that is Naz’s trademark.
Adore Tea is located at Unit 2/2 Dacre St in Mitchell. It is open Monday to Friday, 8 am to 3 pm, and on Saturday and Sunday, from 10 am to 3 pm. Follow Adore Tea on Facebook and Instagram.
