Tea at Three: Hojicha & Palmier

TEA: Hojicha [Harney & Sons]
SWEETS: Palmier [Épicerie Boulud]

Picked up a crispy and super flaky palmier (See the Best of 3: Palmiers) from Épicerie Boulud and paired it with an earthy and smooth Hojicha from Harney & Sons. The sweetness from the palmier went perfectly with the Hojicha. 

The lovely cup pictured is a one-of-a-kind; It was made by my sister in her pottery class. The best kind of design—pretty and functional.

Review: The Gotham Lounge at The Peninsula

On a rainy Sunday, I met up with a friend for afternoon tea. Went to The Plaza Hotel only to find out they were fully booked and we were turned away. A quick walk over to the Four Seasons and found out they no longer have afternoon tea service. Finally, we went to The Peninsula and thankfully, the third time was the charm. 

SETTING:
Afternoon tea is served in the hotel lounge so the room is not just for tea. The tables are spaced far enough apart so you don't feel like you're joining in on the next table's conversation. The lounge has a very business casual feel to it, perhaps a little too corporate. It didn't feel special.

SERVICE:
Great, except for one misstep. When the tiered tray was brought over, the server didn't stop to tell us what was being served. I like it when they go over what's on each plate on the tray. 

TEA & TEA SELECTION:
Small but varied tea selection. I got the Earl Grey Supreme, which was very good. Perfect for a rainy day.

Three-tiered tray for two.

SAVORIES:
Five finger sandwiches each. All made with fresh bread. The sandwiches were all very good, with nice touches of caviar. I really liked the egg salad and the smoked salmon sandwiches. Nice presentation and tasty!

SCONES:
Odd, we were given three scones for the two of us. I've always gotten even numbers of scones so I was a little surprised. Not sure if they forgot to give us another one or if that's how it's served. With the scones came the clotted cream, lemon curd and strawberry preserves. Scones weren't warm, but the size was good. 

SWEETS:
The pastries were adorable but they were a miss with me. The cakes were too dense and it didn't taste freshly baked. I ate only a couple of bites of each one.

OVERALL:
The afternoon tea here is $55 per person, which is the same cost as the tea at The Pierre, St. Regis, and the Ritz-Carlton but The Peninsula isn't on the same level as those three. Mostly, it's due to the setting. If the lounge had a more of a elegant or posh feel, it may be worth the cost. If this was a $40 tea service, I would have been very happy, but it's definitely not worth $55. 

LOCATION: The Gotham Lounge at The Peninsula | 700 Fifth Avenue at 55th Street | New York, NY 10019 | 212.956.2888
AFTERNOON TEA HOURS: Daily from 2:30PM - 5:00PM
COST: Traditional Afternoon Tea $55 | Menu

Hello Weekend! (05.17.13)

An outtake from my AmorePacific post yesterday. Adorable plant (orchid?) in the little nook area of the facial room. I want one! Although it's probably not a good idea since no plant has live longer than two weeks in my apartment...including succulents.

AmorePacific Soho Spa

A little while back, when I stopped in at the AmorePacific Soho shop to pick up their color control cushion compact, I noticed the spa in the back of the shop. Actually, it's more like a spa with a small shop in the front. I made a note to return for a facial, and I did last week.

I happened to be in Soho so I stopped in to see if I could get a facial without an appointment. 

I was greeted right away with a smile as soon as I walked in through the door. It's very serene and calm inside. The front of the space is the shop and the rest is used for the spa.

Yes! They had a facialist available and as a walk-in, I just waited about 10 minutes for them to set up for me. I took a seat in their lounge area and got to enjoy a lovely green tea. (The green tea served is the same tea used in their products.)

After a few sips, they led me to a cozy treatment room. 

The room feels luxurious and everything was laid out neatly. 

Love this little nook where you can get prepared for the facial in the room. 

I went with the Moisture Bound Age Delay Facial ($150 for 45 minutes) and Sylvia, my facialist, went to work on my face. The 45 minutes flew by with me going in and out of sleep. So relaxing and the best part? The facial massage. Sylvia worked her magic hands to give my face a gentle massage and found areas on my face that I didn't even know had tension. It felt amazing. No upsells from Sylvia either, which I was really happy about. I hate upsells. 

After the facial, Sylvia asked if I wanted to put on some of their cushion compact on since I didn't have any makeup on me. I did! She applied the foundation on me and I was good to go.

The customer service here is superb. Everyone, from Jessica at the front desk to Sylvia, made my facial a wonderful one; I felt like they genuinely cared about making sure I had a fantastic spa experience. 

INFO: AmorePacific Soho Spa | 114 Spring Street btw. Mercer St. & Greene St. | 212.966.0400

These Bensimon Sneakers Are My Favorite

Love the bright colors of these Bensimon sneakers I picked up from Madewell. I couldn't decide between the lemon and the coral so, naturally, I got both. They run a size small, so I got the next size up. Easy to slip on and comfortable, these Bensimon sneakers are my favorite.