Victorian Afternoon Tea in Splendor
Trip Start
Oct 25, 2012
1
19
22
Trip End
Nov 07, 2012
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Where I stayed
Doha, Qatar
Monday, November 5, 2012
The Victoria Tea Lounge is where I am going to take you next.
It is a lounge designed to resemble an old English parlour where tea and cakes are traditionally savoured along with pleasant company.
Here, I have the company of Yianni, but I know that many of you are here with us ….following me on this trip once again!
Victoria's lounge is elegant with stylish mahogany and burl-paneled interiors. Set up within the tea lounge is an old English library with hardbound leather books on shelves and antique-style seats made of leather and suede. These create an atmosphere that reflects the charm of a bygone era. Delicate white lace drapes stand behind gold-coloured heavy silk ones and chandeliers suspended from the ceiling that is covered with gold leaves, all of which truly recreate the feeling of being in an authentic Victorian living room.
(I am sure some British friends of mine Paula, Derrick, Allan, Jeoff and Martin would have loved to be out here with us this afternoon).
We shall have a Special High Tea Ceremony in a while by the Chinese tea master.
The atmosphere really travels you to a Victorian living room while the sound of harp music flows through the tea lounge…..until some locals enter and spoil my video!!! Luckily this happened the last moments when tea was almost ready. They were talking so loudly but who can say anything to them!!! Not even the management I am sure.
Ok…forget the others -they are sitting in the other corner. Let’s enjoy the moment!
Can you get the atmosphere?
It is not long when the Tea Expert approaches and introduces herself.
She is Yoyo and she truly knows so much! I am amazed when she starts telling us about the history of tea from its homeopathic benefits to its origin.
With very slow movements and in a very charismatic and ceremonial way we have our tea like never before.
We had the "Des Songes Blanc" –The very best one.
Time of infusion: 4 minutes
Water temperature: 70C
It is a recipe created by Le Palais des Thes combining white tea, flowers and fruit. It has a delicate sent and evokes rose, orange blossom and red fruit. Safflower petals and strawberry pieces have been also added to a delicious Bai Mu Dan, which is refined and delicate.
We also tried the “Perles De Jasmin. – The second best.
Time of infusion: 4 minutes
Water temperature: 75C degrees.
This second blend is of very rare and available very sporadically “Jasmine Pearls” are produced using best quality green tea leaves which are rolled into tiny round balls. By being folded in the leaf preserves the delicate fragrance of the jasmine flower with which it was scented.
This spectacular tea produces a beverage of the highest quality: the softness of the green tea is the perfect complement to the subtlety of the Jasmine.
The roundness and the smoothness of the beverage feels like a pearl of tea to the palate.
On the next entry I am going to write about Tea and Its Legends.
Comments
I saw the tea ceremoney in China, they had lots of tea, they had tea that was 30 years old, came as a large pressed cake, apprently in could cure everything from baldness to in growing toenails, but it worked out at $300 a 1/2 kilo, not your every day breafast tea
Did the jasmin tea smell of jasmin ?
It all looks very smart in there, do you think a back packer would be made welcome ?
Yes, the Jasmine teas has a strong flavour of jasmine, and you cannot imagine the catalogue's variety.....!
No, I don't think a backpacker could get out there. Usually backpackers are out for a normal coffee/tea shop.
Wow, tea in Dubai! I think I'd only drink iced tea there. It's funny how a lot of the 'English' tea salons and parlours in hot countries are 'Victorian'. I've noticed this in Hong Kong, India, Cambodia and the USA. Yet the golden era for tea houses was really Edwardian. Just being pedantic! It's a lovely looking place.