This shop Epoch has been there just across the street from my apt. for a year. Every time I passed by it, I was hesitant in going in. This shop has another store in Central and has been quite talk of the town for its renowned 7 layer chocolate cake. So yesterday I went in for a try of their high tea for 2 at HK$128 net.
1/2. the shop is in a simple red/dark deco. 3. Iced coffee by Illy - one of my favourite brands. The shop did a nice job in making it not too strong but yet at the point of tasting a refreshing coffee flavour.
4. Usually I don't put much milk and syrup in the iced coffee as too much milk and syrup would take out the original nice coffee flavour. Note on the leaflet that they serve Thanksgiving dinner set with a slice of roast turkey and gammon ham with chestnut filling plus a pumpkin soup and pecan pie. Tempting! 5. the tray for the high tea set.
6. Avocado egg mayo on mini toast - superb! They put some black pepper to balance the stuffed feeling of avocado and egg. The toast was still warm and pretty crusty! 7. smoked salmon on toast. The smoked salmon is not salty and I really like this way smoked salmon was made.
8. scallop on veggie in salsa dressing. The scallop is very fresh with a slight touch of olive oil. Then when I took it together with the crispy veggie in salad dressing. The soft tender scallop, the crispy veggie and the little hot and spicy salsa dressing just made you feel like you are taking an icy lemonade in a 4pm sunbathing! 9. The lemon tart on the right is awesome. Lemon tart seems to be easy to make. This one is so good, not too bitter but zesty enough and the sweet wouldn't cover the whole flavour. The custard crumble tart is also good. Crunchy on the top and silky smooth inside the tart!
10. Dark choco. madeline (not sure the exact French spelling), cut in half. I really like this shop which made their cakes not too sweet, moist but not greasy. 11. the strawberry preserve is not too sweet either - reminding me of the home made strawberry preserve made by Tea Room by Grand Hyatt BKK. :)
11. OK, the renowned 7 layer choco. cake on the right. So it turned out it deserves the name of it. The choco. aroma wouldn't overwhelm the vanilla mousse in the middle and the moist cake in the middle takes the balance of the choco. and vanilla flavour. Then the top layer is with some tiny crusty bits. So when you bite it on the whole, the various texture and flavour do impress you and get you a fond memory of it. So devil! 12. the shop inside.
13. HK$6 for one cm (minimum 2 cms) for a slice of the choco. or marble pound cake. I'll try it some time later. 14. See the array of their cakes.
15/16. more to go....
17. the shop entrance. HK$128 net for such a nice high tea set and it would be an alternate choice for me to get a pleasant afternoon. 18. the shop.
9 comments:
$128 net for 2 with this kind of good food and good setting is a bargain.
Yes, it's much worth it. So I have a very nice place nearby for a nice afternoon snack.
I saw this shop in IFC. yes, their cake is very good. the high tea set is nice and cheap too. buy one coffee and one cake from starbuck is $60.
You are right Anonymous.
Since there are so many good choices of good afternoon tea places in HK, it is not worth to go to Starbucks. Whereas in LA we don't have too many choices so we only get stuck with Starbucks.
By the way, Starbucks now has special, one latte with a ham and egg muffin only $4.95 US. And lots of Starbucks closed in my area(3 closed within 2-mile radius).
Yes, it's a very good deal and happy to have this one just across the street downstairs. :)
Starbucks isn't bad but just it has over-expanded a bit too much and the others have been very competitive.
You are right. Starbucks is not bad at all. In fact I like its cozy setting, its atmosphere, its friendly staffs, etc.
But they shall create more products to serve other than the coffee.
Just like the Taiwan brand 85 Degree C Coffee Shop, it was for coffee originally but now its sales rely more on its pastries and bread(also their pineapple cake and moon cake are quite good too). My customer brought me some last month. Their pineapple cake is not as sweet as those that Dick brought from "Li Kee" recently(the brand shown on your post during Mid Autumn Festival).
SS, to be frank, Lai Kee isn't that good actually. There are several times I got told by the local Taiwanese friends "this is the original" or "that is the best as it's very old"... but then it turned out it's just some "talk". I didn't make it up because lately one of my Taiwanese friends told me I told her the true finding and that she no longer trusted those internet hit talks of this or that.
You are so right SEA. Sometimes famous brand may not necessary be as good as its name. Just like Lai Kee, the pineapple cake is so sweet. There is another famous brand called "Kai Duck" which is better. But still it is not as good as 85 C Degree(because not that sweet). I hate to eat cake/pastry/chocolate too sweet as I feel like my "quota" is being wasted.
Besides quota, extreme sweetness would just take away the original taste.
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