Teaophilic Treatise (Part III of IV): Grand Pacific Tea

The Hotel Grand Pacific – only a few minutes walk from the Empress – has its very own tea that’s very much worth a review post (not to mention a visit).

Recall, dear hedonists, part I of this 4-part “teaophilic treatise” in which  your Hedonista distinguished between the afternoon and high teas of Great Britain.

I bring this up once again, for, in your my humble (yet oh-so-hedonistic) opinion, the tea at the Hotel Grand Pacific – currently named the “West Coast Afternoon Tea” (due to the fact they support local farmers and serve “[a]fternoon tea with a distinctive West Coast touch) is, in fact, truly of the high tea variety. For not only do they hold this tea service later on in the afternoon (between 2:00 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., Thursdays through Sundays), they also serve hot nourishment.

Granted, they serve you with the formality of a traditional afternoon tea and do include much of the traditional culinary fare of the afternoon tea; however, they’ve added enough of a twist so that, really, it’s anything but.

When your Hedonista enjoyed this tea – with Ronaldo of Cornichon as her ever-loyal companion and partner-in-cuisine – the surprise came with warm dishes. Sure, there was the free run organic egg salad (on yummy croissants, no less – my preferred way to wrap this filling), the green tea-infused cured wild salmon lox with herb ricotta (served on a black pepper brioche), and the truly tasty smoked albacore & long English cuke pinwheel (complete with cucumber and celery leaves). But there was also a quiche (apple-strawberry-mango combo with goat cheese and rum raisins) and a vine-ripened tomato & David Wood’s goat cheese tart. Both super tasty, with the tomatoes tasting like they were just picked form the hot house (seeing that the visit took place in November) and the goat cheese is, quite simply, “wow” to the tastebuds. There was also Cowichan Bay Farms duck confit & Fraser Valley Mushroom Vol-au-Vent. And a poached wild spot prawn brochette.

But wait, there’s even more innovation: the traditional bannock (very de-lish and a wonderful Pacific Northwest representation of First Nations/Native American culinary influence) paired with the house made mini scones served with whipped clotted cream and preserves from Victoria’s Apple Berry Farms. There’s also the vanilla madeleines and brioche cinnamon buns. Oh, and the chocolate pot de crème with the almond biscotti (a wonderful pairing – perhaps my fav sweet on the entire tri-tiered tray). Let’s not forget the lime & grapefruit bars. And then, to finish, gloriously good truffles and gelées by Vancouver’s Thomas Haas.

All for $38.

At the risk of sounding like a late night infomercial … but wait, dear hedonists, there’s more.

For another $8, you can enjoy high-grade organic Japanese matcha from Jaga Silk (the folks there inform us that, technically, matcha should be translated as maccha) – whipped to frothy, chlorophyll green perfection, right before your eyes. It’s a perfect addition to the East-meets-West-meets-Pacific Northwest fusion tea service.

In short, talk about traditional British tea service with a twist! All this – when the Pacific Rim flare is also taken into account – makes the experience something more than an afternoon tea. It’s downright fusionistic.

So, let’s just call it their Grand Pacific Fusion High Tea, shall we?

When you stop in to try it – oh, and you will, dear hedonists – be sure to remind them of my proposed name change, will you please?

That’s a good hedonist. (A grand pacific fusion high hedonist, even!)