Exquisite Royal Afternoon Tea

I've had many three-tiered English afternoon teas and tried several Chinese afternoon teas, but I've never seen anything as extravagant as this royal-themed one. Recently, I had a royal dinner at the Lion's Room in the Royal Plaza Hotel and was deeply impressed by the chef's creativity and the flavors of the dishes. When I heard that the hotel was now offering a royal afternoon tea, I knew I had to make time to visit. I was lucky to get a window seat that day, enjoying the afternoon tea while gazing at the Lion Rock view—it was truly a delightful experience. As a regular at the Royal Plaza, I know the chef's meticulous attention to detail in dish design, and the drinks are no exception. The hawthorn jasmine milk tea with milk foam not only looks appealing but also features dried hawthorn skewered with a hairpin to maintain the royal theme. Another drink, the longan red date goji tea, is nourishing and beautifying, and the tea set is also quite exquisite—very impressive. Next, the staff brought out a large platter of food with a strong ancient flavor, both savory and sweet, with an impressive presentation that excited me even before tasting. The savory sake abalone with plum wine jelly radish was tender and not chewy, exuding a hint of sake aroma. The plum wine jelly at the bottom was smooth and refreshing. A heap of crab meat and caviar on cucumber, with the sweetness of the crab meat complementing the salty freshness of the caviar, and the crisp sweetness of the cucumber elevating the small savory bite to a higher level. Two crispy toasts sandwiching lobster, simple and delicious. There were simple and straightforward lobster toasts, as well as unexpected puffs. The chef ingeniously mixed Spanish pork with truffle salad and stuffed it into the puffs, combining a chewy texture with the refreshing salad for a surprising taste. Then came two small bites with a royal appearance, one savory and one sweet. The savory cumin beef puff had a well-made crust with just the right amount of cumin aroma. The sweet matcha custard lava cake had a Chinese presentation and felt like eating a matcha custard mooncake—quite interesting. The next few pieces were all sweet treats. The lychee pudding was shaped exactly like a lychee, with a white chocolate shell encasing a smooth pudding. One that looked like a lion's jade seal was a black sesame cake, with a QQ texture and a rich sesame flavor. Finally, the most eye-catching 'brush'! Opening the brush box, light smoke wafted out, creating an ethereal atmosphere. The brush tip was actually a purple sweet potato mochi puff, with a great texture, and dipping it in the black honey syrup 'ink' added a unique flavor. Overall, this royal afternoon tea is very Instagrammable, yet it doesn't sacrifice taste for appearance. I truly admire the head chef's skills. Restaurant Information: Lion's Room 3/F, Royal Plaza Hotel, 193 Prince Edward Road West, Mong Kok