Raffles & Fairmont Makati

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Who says afternoon tea at the Fairmont Makati is only for the ladies, or comprised of dainty little things? Kap-approved price-wise & content-wise, your better half will love it too, I guarantee. 😉

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If you don’t know it yet, Kap my Kap is a king. A selfie king, that is. ;P He loves to take our selfies, or in this case we-fies. 🙂

This Fairmont Makati Pinoy Afternoon Tea spread on a wooden sungka is filling as it is unique.

We actually fought over the crunchy chicharon! <3

and fawned over the delectable kakanins. The presentation alone beckons you to come & try.  Your balikbayan & foreign guests will surely love this spread.

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Meanwhile, our girls, who I have a feeling were princesses in another life, chose the Royal Afternoon Tea featuring Queen Victoria at Raffles Makati.

After the success of its last Royal Afternoon Tea Series with the theme Marie Antoinette, Writer’s Bar is featuring its second series with Great Britain’s longest reigning monarch Queen Victoria. Available for a very limited time only from now until November 30, 2-5 pm daily for only PHP 1150 for 2 persons.
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The Queen Victoria Afternoon Tea is inspired by the British monarch and her reign. Her time & efforts resulted to a positive period of industrial, cultural & political change in the UK.

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What is a Queen without a King? Oh I don’t know, but let’s ask Cleopatra, Nefertiti, Hatshepsut, Sammuramat, Victoria, Elizabeth, Amina, Tzu Hsi & the countless other kingless queens who turned mere kingdoms into the greatest of empires. And that is what I wish for my 2 princesses. To be able to be empowered, independent, successful queens without having to rely on their Kings. I also want them to be queens who can go from royalty to gangsta in 5 seconds, if need be. <3

Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she adopted the additional title of Empress of India. Her reign of 63 years and seven months is known as the Victorian era and was longer than that of any of her predecessors. It was a period of industrial, cultural, political, scientific, and military change within the United Kingdom and was marked by a great expansion of the British Empire.

Indulge in a three-tier medley of sweet & savoury British classics, afternoon snack favorites, and delicacies created after the sovereign monarchs of England.

Scones with clotted cream & jam, and these vintage flora cookies inspired by charming Victorian design, were my favorites. I couldn’t resist asking for a bite (or 2) from my girls, even if I had my own set of Pinoy Afternoon Tea. 😉

Delightful confections such as the Victorian sponge cake, a time-honored cake filled with butter cream and raspberry jam named after Queen Victoria herself; all-time British-favorite, truffle chocolates filled with gin and orange; traditional lemon tart; classic English toffee cupcake; and popular Jammie Dodger—a British biscuit made from shortbread with flavored jam filling—create the charming Queen Victoria Afternoon Tea.

As well as delicate tea-cup sandwiches which include a London Bridge Roll with crab and cress, a favorite delicacy shaped like the arch of the London Bridge; Coronation Chicken, which was created in 1953 for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II; vintage cheddar cheese tart; and the age-old English tea sandwich with poached salmon, citrus cream cheese and dill.

while listening to this maestro playing classical music in the background.

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Ever wonder what the proper way to eat a scone is? Should you raise that pinky when drinking tea? And what passes for polite conversation over tea? Bring your manners to the table for an educational afternoon as Protocal Specialist Sheila Viesca of Talk Shop conducts Tea Etiquette Classes at the Writers Bar on September 34 & October 29 at 3 PM. Call 795-1840, or email dining.makati@raffles.com to book a slot.

(Tea etiquette classes are free of charge provided an Afternoon Tea for two is purchased. Limited seats are available for the classes, and prior reservations are required. Pre-payment may be required to reserve your seat.)

Points to remember when you find yourself in an afternoon tea session:

• Have your lunch first because afternoon tea is basically snacks. That way, you can fully enjoy the goodies and engage in lively talk. Also, don’t be surprised if the session goes on until early in the evening.
• During the olden days, participants of afternoon tea would come in their best gowns for the ladies and coat and tails for the gentlemen. In modern times, most places observe a smart casual dress code, so make sure to dress up nicely.
• To pour tea that’s served in a pot: first, put the strainer on the teacup, then pour the tea. Don’t fill the cup to the brim, only ¾ of the way to prevent spillage. Put back strainer to its place.
• To drink tea that’s served in a teabag: once steeping time is over, put away the bag. Never twist the string around the bag and squeeze the juices into your cup.
• When stirring the tea, make sure to do it vertically (from 6 o’clock to 12 o’clock position) without making clinking sounds. Always place spoon back on saucer.
• In a very posh setting, the teacup sets that are used are usually delicate little things that can break if not handled properly. Thus, when taking a drink, don’t hook a finger into the handle, but use index finger and thumb with middle finger as support to securely lift the cup. Contrary to popular belief, raising the pinky finger is not proper etiquette.
• If the table is low, make sure to take with you the saucer when lifting the teacup to drink. The teaspoon should always stay on the saucer even when lifting to drink.
• The three-tier afternoon set would usually have the following: scones on the top, dainty sandwiches on the middle layer, and finally, the sweets at the bottom.  Following the host, always begin with the sandwiches, then scones, then the sweets.
• No dunking of pastries into the tea when in public.
• To eat the warm scone, pull apart the whole into halves (no slicing), then break it into smaller pieces. Depending on your preference, you can go Devon-style by putting cream topped with jam, or Cornish-style by spreading jam before cream.

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Bits & Bobs also brings a display of the Wild Strawberry tea ware collection by iconic tableware maker Wedgwood to Raffles Makati, available for purchase..