Disclosure: I attended the Chocolate High Tea courtesy of The Langham and Nuffnang.
Last month I was invited to a food and fashion bloggers’ chocolate morning tea at the Langham, organised by Nuffnang. I don’t normally stuff myself with cakes and chocolates for breakfast – but you know what they say about not turning down an opportunity.
When I arrived, I walked past this table and thought, “Ooooooh is that for us?” And what do you know – it was! We were introduced to the German pastry chef, Chef Markus Bohm, who talked us through the various treats on offer. All of the items used a different type of single origin chocolate (apart from the Lindt and Callebaut) with the cocoas from places like Yucatan, Costa Rica and Madagascar. We'll take a closer look in a moment.
Our table was prettily set up, with napkins and mad hatter napkin rings, silver sugar pots, flowers and delicate plates under an LCD TV showing an image of a roaring fire. It was a shame it wasn’t a real one, because it was freezing. Never mind, a bit of tea helped warm me up!
We were asked if we would like tea or coffee – I requested Earl Grey, which came out in a cute little silver teapot and a little biscuit on the side.
Let's check out some of the food. These little cakes were the Langham torte, a marizpan and almond-cake covered with two different kinds of chocolate.
These little strawberry tartlettes with a white chocolate shell were one of my favourite items. They had a fresh creamy strawberry filling, with the tartness of the berries helping offset the sweetness.
The lemon, lime and bitters curd tarts were also favourites of mine. Aren't they just gorgeous? They had a very smooth, tart curd, and were topped with a blueberry.
On the left we have Jaffa chocolate shots. To be honest, I'm not a fan of chocolate and orange together, but they were very well done - smooth layers of jelly and mousse topped with a raspberry.
And on the right are Amarascata roulades with cocoa nibs. I really liked these too. They looked gorgeous, with the cherries encased with cream and a light sponge.
On the left we have the Chocolate marquise gateau with passionfruit mirror glaze. Beautiful, isn't it? It took a while before anyone dared take a slice of the cake - it was too perfect! Inside was a smooth chocolate mousse, with the passionfruit glaze providing a bit of tartness.
On the right were warm rich chocolate puddings. They were delicious - rather rich, but not too sweet because they were so dark. I would be super happy to produce a chocolate pudding like this.
Somehow I seem to be missing detail shots of several of the other items! On the left, you can see almond florentines, made with caramelized almonds and dipped in milk chocolate at the front.
On the right, behind the strawberry tarts, are granola clusters with Lindt milk chocolate. I don't think I managed to try this item.
Other items I didn't get a shot of were hazelnut chocolate éclairs, mixed nut biscotti dipped in Michel Cluizel chocolate, and the Alpine rocky road made with Lindt white chocolate. Not sure what happened there - can I blame too much sugar?
But WAIT. In case all of that wasn't enough, THERE WAS MORE. Chef Markus Bohm started cooking up individual passionfruit and chocolate chip souffles in a little portable oven. And out also came several tiered trays of scones and sandwiches.
Let's have a closer look at the scones. There were plain and fruit versions, served with jam and clotted cream. They were pretty good scones, with a firm crust and fluffy insides.
One of these things is not like the others. One of these things just doesn't belong. Can you tell which thing is not like the others by the time I finish my song? Oops! Sorry, trip down memory lane there. But yes, being the only savoury items, the sandwiches were the odd ones out. They were certainly welcome though! There was an assortment of flavours: smoked salmon, tomato and goat's cheese, chicken, plus cheese and prosciutto, and they all tasted fresh and looked appropriately dainty.
And finally, let's have a proper look at the souffles - oooh ahhh. Sadly, by the time I received the souffle I had eaten far too much and could only manage a couple of spoonfuls. This was the only thing I found a bit too sweet for me, which is pretty good considering all the decadent sweet treats on offer.
I really enjoyed the morning tea, although I wouldn't recommend eating such a decadent, indulgent breakfast every day! It's normally an afternoon tea, which to my mind and stomach is much more reasonable. It would be a very nice way of spending an afternoon. Although I must add that I would have loved a few more savoury items - so the poor sandwiches didn't feel so left out and to counteract all the sweet stuff!
For other posts of the morning, see:
Sarah Cooks
Melbourne Hot or Not
Addictive and Consuming
Nuffnang
Violet Le Beaux
Much Love
Aria Bar & Lounge
The Langham Melbourne
One Southgate Avenue
Southbank 3006
Ph: 1800 641 107
Posts
