Butterfly Tea Time at the Veranda

Paradise Monarchs, a company known for their butterfly chrysalis boxes, will now be fluttering to the Moana Surfrider on the second Saturday of every month to make afternoon tea extra special. The special Butterfly Tea Time is for all ages and features a butterfly release during the event. Guests can get up close with the monarchs in a special interactive dome tent. 

The Butterfly Keiki Tea Set is $75 and includes a chrysalis box, milkshake, butterfly wings. Upcoming Butterfly Tea Time at the Veranda dates are May 11, June 8, July 13, August 10, September 14, October 12, November 9, and December 14. Reservations can be made calling the Veranda or on Opentable.com

Feeding the butterflies 

Interactive dome

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Afternoon Tea at à la Maison

 à la Maison is a flower, drink, and vintage store that holds monthly themed afternoon tea events. Headed by owners Mami and Yuji, along with Chef Sabrina, "Trois" Afternoon tea offers guests a menu of savoy and sweet items as well as scones and three tea pairings at $75 per person plus tax. The room and table decor is incredibly unique and personalized to the theme that it feels like you're sitting in a wonderland. So very special when compared to other afternoon tea options.

We enjoyed watermelon gazpacho, chicken & banana blossom salad, sandwiches, and sweet treats. Everything is home made!

This watermelon and matcha drink was my favorite!

Hibiscus teas are perfect for summer.

Delicious scones were paired with biscoff cookie butter and peach melba butter.

 à la Maison is offering afternoon tea events for September and October before taking a break in November and returning in December for a special holiday season event. You can purchase tickets online at their website. 

à la maison, 2080 S King St, Unit 203, Honolulu, HI 96826

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MW Afternoon Tea is Back!

I was a loyal fan to MW's monthly Afternoon Tea and was so happy to hear they were bringing it back.  With the tea, you'll get your choice of hot or iced tea, served with savory bites followed by the sweet bites.  You can expect the same MW restaurant quality and delicious flavors from the tea menu.  This past tea we were served savory bites of: Kusshi Oyster, OK Farms Deviled Egg, Kona Kampachi Sashimi Salad, Jidori Chicken & Barlotti Bean Ragout, Hamakua Mushroom Poke, Mountain View Farms Pork Pastrami Sandwich, and Smoked Salmon Rosti.  The items are bite size, but trust me, you will leave very full!  

The next tea is scheduled for Sunday, April 24, but hurry reservations are almost gone.  You can check Open Table for availability or call the restaurant at 808-955-6505.  The Sweet and Savory afternoon tea is priced at $59 per person.  

The Sweet: Okinawan Sweet Potato Macaron, Strawberry Hibiscus Roll Cake, Lemon Cream Puffs, Ka'u Coffee Butterschotch Opera Cake, Pineapple Yuzu Almond Cake, La'ie Vanilla Flan, and Cherry Blossom Raspberry Frangipane Tart.  

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Tea Chest Hawaii and Halekulani Revamp Tea Program to Offer a Sense of Place

Over the past year, Tea Chest Hawaii and Halekulani have been working together to revamp the hotel's tea program to offer guests a sense of place, and in doing so, the hotel has incorporated Maui Tea Farm's Haleakala tea, along with other teas that perpetuate the islands' heritage.

The Haleakala tea is currently offered exclusively at Halekulani properties.  Its limited supply and the painstaking procedures to grow and hand-process the tea make it coveted and highly-prized.

At a recent event, we learned about the efforts it takes to cultivate the quality Haleakala tea.  We also sampled the lovely tea, which has notes of dried banana and honey.

In addition to Haleakala, we sampled the Kiawe, which had a prevalent smokiness; the Orchid, which had accents of vanilla; the Mamaki, which is known as the "forest fixer" in local culture, and has a number of health benefits.

At the event we had the opportunity to try a variety of other teas in Halekulani's collection as part of the Afternoon Tea Service at Orchids.

 I chose the Hau`oli, a mild, slightly sweet tea, which I found very pleasant.

The Afternoon Tea itself was lovely, with bites including: 

Lemon Poppy Seed Financiers and Currant Scones

Coconut Bavarian with Kaffir Lime Pearls, Jasmine Praline Eclair, Dark Chocolate Almond Toffee Bar
Chicken with Horseradish, Ham & Watercress with Grain Mustard, Cucumber with Cream Cheese & Chives, Smoked Salmon with Lemon Cream

On December 7, Orchids will debut a brand new Afternoon Tea menu!

I enjoyed the thoughtfulness behind the new tea program, and really appreciated the effort in providing guests with a more authentic, meaningful selection of teas.

Halekulani
2199 Kalia Road
Honolulu, HI  96815

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Afternoon Tea at Vintage Cave Cafe

I love afternoon tea and have been wanting to try Vintage Cave Cafe's tea for awhile now.  I finally had the opportunity last month.  The tea service starts at 11am and runs until 3:30pm.  For just $18, you will receive your choice of coffee or tea accompanied with an array of savory and sweets: clubhouse sandwich, quiche lorraine, salmon roll with ricotta, mini croissant sandwich, chilled creamy corn soup, homemade pickles and olives, financiers, panna cotta, petit cake, and scone with blueberry jam and mascarpone cream.  

Most afternoon tea places in Hawaii come with a gorgeous ocean view, but I can easily let that go and enjoy my reasonably priced and delicious afternoon tea in the elegant (and airconditioned) ambiance of the Vintage Cave Café.  The restaurant also has private rooms which would make a perfect setting for a get together or shower.        

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Afternoon Tea and Happy Hour Offered Daily at Mariposa

In addition to recently launching new menu items, Mariposa at Neiman Marcus Hawaii also launched daily Afternoon Tea and Happy Hour.

Afternoon Tea is offered daily 2-4pm (reservations required 24 hours in advance) for $35 per person.

The Afternoon Tea experience includes:

• Dammann Freres Tea Selection
• Tea Sandwich: Egg and Chive Salad & Asparagus; Curried Chicken Salad
• Savory Selections: Smoked Salmon with Herb Cream Cheese & Cucumber Crostini; Spinach, Mushroom, & Parmesan Quiche; Crab Salad in Croissant
• Sweet Selections: English Scone with Guava Butter; Lemon Madeleines, Tea Cake, Profiterole, Chocolate Candy, French Macaron

The Happy Hour takes place Sunday-Thursday & Saturday from 3-6pm, and on Fridays from 3-5pm.

The Bites are all $10 or less!

Petite Loco Moco ($8)

Grilled Salmon Tacos ($10)

Chef's Charcuterie of Meat & Cheese with Lavosh ($10)

Pork Belly Sliders with Hurricane Fries ($10)

The prices are such a deal for the amount of food you get.  And everything was delicious!  My faves were the Loco Moco and the Pork Belly Sliders.

A variety of sips, including martinis and wines, are available for just $8, as well as beers for just $4.


Mariposa at Neiman Marcus
1450 Ala Moana Blvd.
Honolulu, HI 96814 
808.951.3420

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Yum Cha at Yauatcha Waikiki

The members of the Hawaii Mom Blog team are all BIG fans of Yauatcha Waikiki.  So much so, that the three times we've gotten together this year (which is a record number of times for us!), have all been at Yauatcha Waikiki! 

On this most recent visit, we all opted for the Yum Cha afternoon tea menu, which is available on Saturdays and Sundays from 3 pm - 5 pm only. The nice thing about their Yum Cha menu ($32) is that it takes the guess work out of mostly everything since the dim sum selections are pre-set. All you have to do is choose between the regular or the vegetarian Yum Cha menu, your individual tea selection, and dessert.

There are six teas to choose from: 

• Roasted tender branch Jade Oolong tea with Hawaiian hibiscus flowers 
• Straight Leaf Jasmine green tea 
• Classical Beauty Oolong tea
• Lapsang Souchon black tea
• Heirloom Emerald green tea
• Anxi Tie Kuan Yin roasted Oolong tea

Our teas were delivered first, followed soon after by three baskets of steamed dim sum ...

Phoenix tail shrimp shui mai, char siu bun, pork and shimp shui mai, har gau

three plates of fried dim sum ...

Roasted duck pumpkin puff, crab and Kalo croquette

And finally, three plates of Shrimp and gai lan cheung fun.

For dessert, we all selected the Tropical dome (ice cream is normally not included).

As usual, everything was amazing! The pumpkin puff and cheung fun were my favorites, but that's not to say that I didn't like the other dumplings. They were all enjoyable. As for the quantity of food, honestly, when the dim sum was first presented to our table, I thought I was going to be hungry at the end of the meal, but it turned out to be very filling, and I actually had to take some of it home! 

Each visit to Yauatcha has been nothing but phenomenal. We'll be back again soon!

Mahalo to Yauatcha Waikiki / Hakkasan Group for the amazing meals. Gratuity was paid on our own.

Yauatcha - Waikiki

Inernational Marketplace

2330 Kalakaua Ave

Honolulu, HI 96815

(808) 739-9318

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Afternoon Tea at the Moana Surfrider

The first time I ever went to Afternoon Tea was almost 13 years ago.  The day before my wedding, my maid of honor and another friend treated me to Afternoon Tea at the Moana Surfrider, and I had such a lovely time.

A couple of weekends ago, I went back to the Moana Surfrider, a Westin Resort & Spa, for Afternoon Tea at The Veranda at the Beachhouse, but this time with my family!

We were presented with six teas to choose from.

Moana Royale is one the most popular teas offered.  It is a tropical black tea blend with lilikoi, papaya, mango, banana, and coconut.  I loved the fruity essence of this mild tea.

Moana Royale

My husband opted for the Veranda Breeze - a blend of black tea, Big Island vanilla, and caramel.

Veranda Breeze

There are three tea experiences for adults to choose from, and we chose the Veranda Tea, which includes tea, three savory tea sandwiches, blueberry orange scones, and a sampling of pastries and petit fours.

Pastrami on Focaccia  / Truffle Egg Salad  / Smoked Salmon on Rye with Furikake Cream Cheese

Blueberry Orange Scones with Devonshire Cream and Lilikoi Curd

Lilikoi Cream Puff / Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Cookie / Guava Macaron / Haupia Roll Cake / Chocolate Raspberry Mousse Ladybug

It sure was a lot of food.  I finished all of the savories, but I couldn't finish all of the sweets.  I really enjoyed the Pastrami Sandwich, as well as the Lilikoi Cream Puff and Haupia Roll Cake.

Kids have the option of juice or tea, and each of my kids opted for Cranberry Juice.

My kids were surprised at how much food was placed in front of them, and the presentation was just the cutest!

The kids were given the same sweets, as well as a bowl of potato chips, and the sandwiches consisted of Peanut Butter & Jelly and Egg Salad.

Keiki tea bites

Potato Chips

Egg Salad / Peanut Butter and Jelly / Blueberry Orange Scone

The sweets - the macaron and dark chocolate hazelnut cookie were the kids' faves

Such a cute treat!

The finale to Afternoon Tea was a scoop of Green Tea Lemongrass Sorbet. The lemongrass cut into the bitterness of the green tea, which made the sorbet very refreshing.

Green Tea Lemongrass Sorbet

The pleasant ambience, the friendly service, and the wonderful tea and food all combined to create a delightful Afternoon Tea experience for the entire family.  

On May 13, the Moana Surfrider is holding its annual Mother-Daughter Tea and Fashion Show.  At noon guests will be served a special tea menu, with the fashion to follow at 12:30pm.  You can find out more information here.

Mahalo to the Moana Surfrider for hosting our Afternoon Tea.  Gratuity was paid on our own.

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New Tea Service at Disneyland and Our Top 5 Afternoon Tea Spots in Honolulu

Sweets at MW Restaurant's Afternoon Tea

I just heard the news that Steakhouse 55, located in the Disneyland Hotel, will be hosting afternoon tea from noon to 3pm starting January 22.  Guests will be able to choose from three different types of tea parties:  Classic (with traditional scones, tea sandwiches, desserts, teas and herbal infusions), Premium (with sparkling wine, Mickey-shaped scones, salad, tea sandwiches, desserts, teas and herbal infusions and a farewell truffle), and Kids' (with scones, tea sandwiches, desserts, herbal infused teas, milk or hot chocolate).  Be still my heart!

In celebration of this fun news, here is my very subjective Top 5 list of Afternoon Teas that I have enjoyed in Honolulu.

Number 5.  The Veranda at the Kahala Resort.  Afternoon Tea is offered daily from 2pm - 5:30pm.  Be on the look out for special occasion tea events like Tea with Santa in December.

Number 4.  RumFire's Spiked Afternoon Tea at the Sheraton Waikiki.  For a low price (currently just $22), you'll get a tea cocktail, 2 sliders, a scone, and a dessert! 

Number 3.  The veranda at the beachhouse at the Moana Surfrider.  Enjoy tea with a beautiful ocean view.  New revamped tea menu expected in February!  

Number 2.  Veranda at the Halekulani.  Afternoon tea is available either in their elegant Veranda or ocean side at the beautiful Orchids restaurant. 

Number 1.  MW Restaurant.  Not your customary afternoon tea, but the most delicious bites of savories and sweets more than make up for the lack of tradition.  Available every third Sunday of the month. 

 

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Visit Seattle: Afternoon Tea at the Historic Fairmont Olympic

While planning my Seattle itinerary, I stumbled upon an article from a couple years back naming The Fairmont Olympic Hotel as one of the best hotels for Afternoon Tea.  Built on what was originally the site of the first campus of the University of Washington, the Fairmont Olympic Hotel is one of the Seattle's most celebrated historic landmarks and a premier luxury hotel home to the award-winning restaurant, The Georgian - an elegant AAA 4 Diamond restaurant featuring French-inspired Northwest cuisine and Afternoon Tea.  

As a big fan of tea, I was sold and just had to figure how to get my friends on board.  But being such awesome friends, they were up for anything; including their very first Afternoon Tea.  Lucky for them, it will most likely be the grandest and most elegant they experience as The Georgian is a splendid setting with high ceilings, large Palladian windows and spectacular chandeliers.

The Georgian offers two tea menus:  the Traditional Georgian Tea ($39 per person) and the Olympic Tea ($49 per person) which is the Georgian Tea plus your choice of a glass of Prosecco, Mimosa or Kir Royale.  We were feeling super fancy so we opted for a glass of the French cocktail with our tea.  As we sipped on the bubbly, we took in the scents of some of the loose leafed tea offerings.  The cherry rose, a vibrant green tea, was delightful, but as a fan of black tea, I selected the 1907 Blend - a luxury black tea with hints of oak cask and a dusting of delicate citrus created in celebration of the Fairmont Hotels and Resorts Centennial Anniversary.

Our savories (Smoked Salmon Roulade, English Pea Macaron with Minted Goat Cheese Filling, Truffle Deviled Quail Egg, and Tarragon Crab Salad), house made blueberry lemon scones, and desserts (Chocolate Coconut Cube, Lime Sugared Churro, and Fruit Tart Cherry Rose Tea Shot) were presented beautifully on tiered trays.  My favorite savories were the quail egg and crab salad.  I could have easily eaten more.  The delicious scones were perfect in texture.  The sweets were all delightful, but I favored the perfectly bite sized lime sugared churro.

While the tea exceeded all my expectations, I was so happy that my friends had the best time as well.  They loved the fancy experience and I was delighted to introduce them to it. 

  

The historic Fairmont Olympic

The Georgian

Vaulted ceilings, chandeliers; a grand setting for Afternoon Tea.

Cheers!  A glass of Kir Royale with our Olympic Tea. 

We enjoyed taking in the scents of some of the loose leafed tea offerings.

Starting off with fresh berries. 

Tea is served. 

Our tray of beautifully arranged sweets, savories, and scones.

A close up of the sweets.

The crab salad was easily our favorite.

The blueberry lemon scones were served with Raspberry rose water jam
and Devonshire cream. 

A bird's eye view.

Definitely a highlight of our trip to Seattle!

Afternoon Tea at The Georgian is available daily.  Reservations are recommended and can be made by calling The Georgian directly at (206) 621-7889.  The attire for The Georgian is smart casual, but a jacket is not required.  A children's tea menu is also available upon request.   Menu items are subject to change as they reflect the latest seasonal ingredients.
  

Thank you to the Fairmont Olympic for sponsoring my Afternoon Tea.  All gratuities were paid on my own.

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