It is said that the rituals of afternoon tea began with the 7th Duchess of Bedford named Anna, back in the early 1800s… Back then people only ate two main meals a day, with breakfast served early in the morning and dinner occurring late in the evening. Since Anna suffered from hunger pangs, she decided to make some time to take tea and snack each afternoon. It began furtively in her bedroom, but over time with her friends joining her, the idea and practice also spread.

Nowadays, it is common in tea rooms and hotels in the United Kingdom, as well as other parts of the world to indulge in this centuries-old relaxing afternoon tea.

My mini me and I were over at The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur for a stay and well, we had a chance to partake in their English afternoon tea with a Malaysian twist.

 

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The unique thing about having afternoon tea here is that you actually have three venues to choose from: afternoon tea in the Colonial Cafe or Tea Lounge (RM60 nett on weekdays/ RM70 nett on weekends per person), The Drawing Room (RM80 nett on weekdays/ RM90 nett on weekends per person) and The Orchid Conservatory (RM110 nett on weekdays/ RM120 nett on weekends per person).

The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur’s afternoon tea is served between 3 to 5 pm daily. It’s always crowded during the weekend; so you really have to make a reservations or call  03 2785 8000 , and ask for Colonial Cafe to check if there is  a seat available before coming… to avoid disappointment especially The Orchid Conservatory where seats are super limited and highly sought after.

 

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Yours truly here was just sheer lucky that there was a cancellation /no show and therefore allowed into the hallowed Orchid Conservatory, where I got to enjoy a lovely afternoon tea surrounded by thousands of beautifully well-tended orchids in a glass house…

Yours truly heard that the idea of the Orchid Conservatory came to be because Tan Sri Dr Francis Yeoh’s mother, the Puan Sri Chen Kairong was an orchid lover…and so, he decided to turn the glass house there into an orchid conservatory…

 

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Orchids are a group of flowering plants that provide beauty, colour and diversity . The orchids here at the Orchid Conservatory is painstakingly cared for to ensure they get sufficient water, sufficient light and the right temperature to keep them looking fresh and cheerful and not peaky all the time…

 The Orchid Conservatory is the only one of its kind in the country and features a seasonal range of phalaenopsis orchids; with thousands of stunning large-petaled blooms displayed in a re-creation of their natural habitat. The variety of orchids on display changes with the season and you can also spot some pitcher plants aka monkey cups/periuk kera hanging from the top where the ferns are…

 

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The afternoon tea is served in an elegant three-tier stand and includes a selection of sweet and savoury items, there is the familiar hammered copper box containing quiche, wraps and a cheesy potato ball as well as a pot of your choice of Twinnings tea, which you can select from 8 different varieties – I ordered the Rose Garden Black Tea… The tea is prepared before your eyes with some hour glass running to ensure your tea is ready to be served. The tea pot is again placed over a warmer to keep your tea warm in the air conditioned Orchid Conservatory…

What is an English afternoon tea without scones… and so well, you can find two types of scones served – the plain one and the one with raisins, served with some clotted cream and strawberry jam… I decide on which is nicer as I had the one with raisins… because, scones can be pretty filling…

Then there are some selection of finger sandwiches as well with smoked salmon, cheese and ham, egg mayo and vegetable as well as a couple of other buns with something in them…

For those with a sweet tooth, there is naturally some tarts – the strawberry pistachio tart in my case, a raspberry chocolate cake, an éclair, another pastry as well as little glass of strawberry cream meringue…

 

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My thoughts… how can it not be anything but perfect… since you are in such a beautiful ambiance – which yes, admittedly cost a pretty penny-and which some people like me might consider pricey, but after some consideration, personally, I would say it is well worth it, unless you do not like flowers, then you would be better off just dining in the Drawing Room or the Colonial Café or Tea Lounge and save some money…, as one of the fairer sex, I was definitely in love with the ambiance.. and the desserts, scones and savouries are pretty yummy as well as the tea – I had the Rose Garden Black tea which made me think of even more flowers with its delicate flavors… so yes, I truly enjoyed my afternoon tea here as well as the rare opportunity of being in such a gorgeous and highly sought after setting… and with that, I tick off yet another on my bucket list –  afternoon tea at the Orchid Conservatory…

And for your information, you can actually also choose to take away a set of these afternoon tea goodies if you so fancy… it does come in a pretty box as well…

Address – The Orchid Conservatory, The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur, 5 Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin, Kuala Lumpur

For more info, be sure to check out http://www.majestickl.com or to read my review on the Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur, check it out here