A Hot Day in Brighton with Fabulous Tea and Gelato

Here are two little places in Brighton in which they were never there when I was living in Brighton. It was a hot day when I paid a visit to this little beach town. As I was strolling from Brighton Pier through Pool Valley, I popped by a gelato shop called Boho Gelato in Pool Valley before stopped by Blackbird Tea Rooms for afternoon tea chitchat with my cousin. But hey, these two places were awesome, especially, Boho Gelato. What a delicious ice-cream.

Blackbird Tea Rooms @ Brighton

Map: Blackbird Tea Rooms @ Brighton

Charged Price: GBP7.00 per person

Visited: 1 July 2015

Food: 8/10

Atmosphere: 8/10

Value for money: 8/10

Services: 7/10
Scale: [1=poor ---- 5=average/standard ---- 10=outstanding/exceptional]

Blackbird Tea Rooms is located in the famous shopping area of Brighton, The Lanes. It is rather small. The atmosphere is lovely which would bring you back to the rustic old time of England. It was a fine summer day when we paid a visit to Blackbird and we were fortunate to be able to grab a table in the backyard. There were on a few tables there in the backyard. Believe me it could be great sipping tea in the old fashion atmosphere here but it was fantastic, in my view, in the backyard on a fine day.

Blackbird Tea Rooms store front

getting more rustic inside

old fashion counter

a perfect day for courtyard afternoon tea

Typical and classic afternoon tea here. We had Cream Tea and Banana, Pecan & Date Cake and we did not disappoint. Scone came in a big chunk. It was not just about the size of scone here. It was delicious too. Soft on the touch and delicate. Wonderful scone indeed. The cake was as well in par with scone. Large slice and yummy. Perfect with its frosting. As for tea, there were around 10+ choices ranging from something classic to more exotic choices: English Breakfast, Earl Grey, Rose Congou, Rooibos, and etc.

In short, this is an excellent place to stop by for tea, snack, and dessert. A must return for me (if I have a chance).

our afternoon break treat

Cream Tea (GBP6.00)

delicious scone with jam and clotted cream

Banana, Pecan & Date Cake (GBP3.90)

Blackbird Tea Rooms @ Brighton

30 Ship Street
Brighton
BN1 1AD
United Kingdom

Open Hours: daily from 08:30am - 05:30pm
Tel: +44 (0) 1273 249 454
Web: http://www.blackbirdtearooms.com/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/BlackbirdTeaRooms

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Boho Gelato @ Brighton

Map: Boho Gelato @ Brighton

Charged Price: GBP2.40 per person

Visited: 1 July 2015

Food: 9/10

Atmosphere: n.m.

Value for money: 8/10

Services: n.m.
Scale: [1=poor ---- 5=average/standard ---- 10=outstanding/exceptional]

Needless to say much about Boho Gelato. It is just a tiny shop with all about ice-cream. There are somewhat 24 flavours daily here. Again flavour ranges from something classic to exotic ice-cream. So so delicious ice-cream here. It was smooth, it was creamy, it was delicate, and yet flavourful. I had Cucumber and Rose on a cone on such a hot day and it was wowwww. Cucumber and Rose, what a combination. It somehow support each other pretty well. Freshness of cucumber seems to go unexpectedly well with aroma of rose. I miss it already as I am typing now. In two words, "MUST VISIT".

Cucumber and Rose on Cone (GBP2.40)

mini store of Boho

the menu board

Boho Gelato @ Brighton

6 Pool Valley
Brighton
BN1 1NJ
United Kingdom

Open Hours: daily from 11:00am - 06:00pm

Tel: +44 (0) 1273 727 205
Web: http://www.bohogelato.co.uk/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/bohogelato

2 East London Bakeries Within A Glab : Lily Vanilli and Violet

Returned to London for the first time after 7 years, we had a chance to visit a couple of bakery joints as well. Both of them are not quite in Zone 1 but still in an acceptable distance. One of them is lovely and adorable whilst the other one is nice but overrated in my opinion. It seems that there are certain trends going on in London either for local or for tourists. So I decided to hop by places with its own personality rather than typicity. Here are the two bakeries.


The Lily Vanilli Bakery and Flour Market @ Columbia Road Flower Market

Map: The Lily Vanilli Bakery and Flour Market @ Columbia Road Flower Market

Charged Price: GBP7 per person for a piece of cake and beverage

Visited: 21 June 2015

Food: 7/10

Atmosphere: 8/10

Value for money: 7/10

Services: n.m.
Scale: [1=poor ---- 5=average/standard ---- 10=outstanding/exceptional]

Lily Vanilli Bakery is my very first stop during the trip to UK. It is just a little bakery hidden in a courtyard on Columbia Road. The most important thing to remember when visiting this lovely bakery is it only opens on Sunday: i.e. when Columbia Road Flower Market gets busy with its visitors. Coming to Lily Vanilli can be a little tedious but it's worthwhile. If you are taking tube, the shop is approx. 15 minutes walk from Bethnal Green Station.

As mentioned, Lily Vanilli might be just a small bakery but satisfaction is not small at all. The place is kept clean and tidy with minimal but lovely decoration. There are a few tables and benches for you to sit while sipping your coffee and eating your cake. I believe it is best to visit during nice summer days when you can enjoy outdoor weather (fingers crossed for rain). It is more like a half self-service here. You choose your interested cake at the counter, where there will be choices to be chosen but the range can alter each week, order your beverage, pay your bill, and enjoy. Range of cake here is interesting and pretty too. I promise they are not those weird combination that would make you think "Uhhh....what is this?".

Lily Vanilli Bakery hidden in a courtyard

variety of freshly baked cakes on store counter

It's tiny but comfy enough inside

What I had during the visit was Elderflower & Almond Layer Cake (8/10) and Banana Choc Rye Cakes with Tonka Beans, Banana, Cacao, & Toffee Shard (7/10). I, especially, fall in love with the elderflower cake one. The texture was nice and dense whilst the frosting added sweetness to balance. The aroma was as well wonderful. Cheers for this pretty cake. On the other hand, banana choc rye cake was enjoyable too. However, its stiffness was a little too much to my liking. Each component played its role harmoniously well.

Indeed a cup of coffee or tea would be nice with these rich cakes. I had cafe latte and it was decent. Not the best but decent. Lastly, I do recommend this little place to anyone who is fond for cakes and those who are visiting Columbia Road Flower Market. It would be wonderful to have half an hour relax before strolling around and shopping your favourite flowers.

Elderflower & Almond Layer Cake (GBP4.20)

Banana Choc Rye Cakes with Tonka Beans, Banana, Cacao, & Toffee Shard (GBP4.20)

nicely together with cafe latte

The Lily Vanilli Bakery and Flour Market @ Columbia Road Flower Market

6 The Courtyard
Erza Street
London, E2 7RH
United Kingdom

Open Hours: Sunday from 08:00am - 04:00pm

Web: http://www.lilyvanilli.com/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/lilyvanillicakes


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Violet @ Hackney

Map: Violet @ Hackney

Charged Price: GBP7 per person for a piece of cake and beverage

Visited: 1 July 2015

Food: 6/10

Atmosphere: 6/10

Value for money: 4/10

Services: n.m.
Scale: [1=poor ---- 5=average/standard ---- 10=outstanding/exceptional]

Violet is another interesting bakery. However, it is a little further from Lily Vanilli in Hackney area. The concept of Violet is chic bakery making american style cake. You can find those classic range of pastry here: cupcakes, loaf cakes, muffins, cookies, brownies, and etc. This place is kept in an even more plain style: hardly any decoration in a two storey house. Yes, it is small and there is no seat indoor. There are some seats in front of the bakery and a few more in the backyard.

Walking inside the store, you can find ranges of pastry in a window shelf on your right and on your left, you will find working space for staffs: i.e. open kitchen right there. To me, this place is enjoyable but not really kick my butt just yet. Things tend to be on the sweet side here but thanks to minimal amount of frosting that keep it alive. In term of pricing, it is expensive in my opinion, especially for a place outside centre of London.

the very local bakery but chic in Hackney

American style cake and bakery products

sliced cakes range

cupcakes of the day

For the day, we Chocolate Violet Cupcake (6/10) and Chocolate Caramel Rum Slice (6/10). Both are kind of similar for me. The chocolate violet cupcake has frosting with violet floral scent whilst chocolate caramel rum slice is topped with cream cheese frosting and is richer on the palate. The texture of both were decent with softness and moisture. To coupling with cakes, we had Iced Coffee: Salty vs. Sweet (5/10) to attack the heat of such a hot day in London. Both were brewed in the same way but one was stirred with a touch of salt and the other one was obviously sugar. They were different in contrast but were just similarly enjoyable. It was ok to drink this beverage. But GBP3.00 per small glass of coffee is just too much indeed.

If I have to choose to go back between the two places, Lily Vanilli indeed has won my heart. I would not hesitate at all to return to the place.

Chocolate Violet Cupcake (GBP2.90)

square cut view of Chocolate Violet Cupcake

Chocolate Caramel Rum Slice (GBP3.50)

Iced Coffee: Salty vs. Sweet (GBP3.00)

Violet @ Hackney

47 Wilton Way
London, E8 3ED
United Kingdom

Open Hours: Tue - Fri from 08:00am - 06:00pm, Sat from 09:30am - 06:00pm, and Sun from 09:30am - 05:00pm

Tel: +44 (0) 207 275 8360
Web: http://www.violetcakes.com/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/violetcakeslondon

Erawan Tea Room @ Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok - เอราวัณทีรูม @ แกรนด์ ไฮแอท เอราวัณ กรุงเทพ

Cuisine: Thai

Map: Erawan Tea Room @ Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok - เอราวัณทีรูม @ แกรนด์ ไฮแอท เอราวัณ กรุงเทพ

Price: THB400 per person without alcohol (what we paid for)

Visited: 3 May 2014

Food: 5/10

Atmosphere: 6/10

Value for money: 5/10

Services: 3/10
Scale: [ 1=poor ----- 5=average/standard ----- 10=outstanding/exceptional ]

It was one fine but extremely hot Saturday that we decided to give Erawan Tea Room at Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok a go. The Erawan Tea Room is located on the 2nd floor of Erawan Bangkok Mall which is the shopping part of Grand Hyatt Erawan. The place is pretty big with large windows through out the area. The inner decoration is somewhat Thai style but with fusion regime of contemporary. For me, though it at least gives comfortable and relax sense, there are still some weird feeling of unbalance mix and match. The part that we do not so in love is the fact that some tables can be so close to each other. When we say so close, we really mean it: just turning back and you can be face-to-face with the next table. Erawan Tea Room surely fails the privacy category.

To travel here is rather convenient as Erawan is just a few minutes walk from BTS Chidlom station, else driving is perfectly fine too with spacious car park. The part that we would particularly like to complaint is the service. Staffs were pretty much ignorant and unfriendly. The first impression was the bad one. We were here for afternoon tea. However, Erawan Tea Room starts serving afternoon tea from 02:30pm, we happened to arrive 15 minutes earlier. The welcoming staff did not look so happily to welcome us at all. All she mentioned was afternoon tea wouldn't be served until 02:30pm and we may return 15 minutes later. I supposed that a good service should be like offering us to take a seat and wait or order some soft drink while waiting. Anyway, let not mention the other not so impressive experience. Perhaps we were wrong to be local and Erawan Tea Room happens to be famous amongst tourists.

Erawan Tea Room @ Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok

shop front

During lunch and dinner, Erawan Tea Room serves ranges of Thai food. However, the famous part of Erawan Tea Room is obviously the afternoon tea. Afternoon tea (THB390 per person) here is different from other places in the way that range of savoury bites and desserts is not the Western style but Thai style with mix and match of some Western dishes. For beverage choice, you can choose any of tea or coffee range from the menu. For us, we went for Thai Milk Tea and Lemon Iced Tea this time. The Summer heat in Bangkok this year is pretty bad and we could not really insist for hot tea. Both Thai milk tea and lemon iced tea were still short of tea concentration. They were too light indeed. For food, they were on average, meaning enjoyable but not a must try thing. What surprise us was the scone. It happened to be better than expected. Scones in many places in Thailand are really not so nice from our point of view. The one at Erawan Tea Room was not bad at all. They were soft but chewy and tasteful. If they do serve clotted cream instead of whipped cream that would be much better.

The tea set came in 2 parts: Savoury Bites and Desserts. Here are the savoury bites part of the day we visited.

Larb Goong Sod - ลาบกุ้งสด (spicy minced prawn salad with chilli and mint leaves in cucumber cup)
Tod Mun Pla Krai - ทอดมันปลากราย (deep-fried fish fritter with cucumber and peanut sauce)
Chor Muang Sai Poo - ช่อม่วงไส้ปู (steamed flower-shaped dumpling filled with crab meat)
Mieng Kratong Thong - เมี่ยงกระทงทอง (roasted coconut, lime, chilli and ginger with betel leaves in crisp basket)
Mar Hor - ม้าฮ่อ (minced pork and peanuts on fresh pineapple)

Thai Milk Tea and Lemon Iced Tea

afternoon tea set

savouries

The range of dessert is as below. They came with the mix of Thai and Western choices. For macaron, the texture was good but the filling was strange, especiall the pandan and lemongrass. The part that we did not like was the seasonal fruit skewer. It was just fruit really and too plain in fact.

Kanom Krok - ขนมครก (crispy rice pudding with taro, corn, pumpkin or spring onion)
Kanom Bueng - ขนมเบื้อง (crispy bean crepe with sweet or salted filling)
Thong Muan - ทองม้วน (crispy sesame roll)
Chocolate Macaron - ช็อกโกแลตมากาฮอง
Pandan and Lemongrass Macaron - ใบเตยและตะไคร้มากาฮอง
Mini Organic Passion Fruit Tart - ทาร์ตเสาวรสออร์แกนิค
Khao Niew Mamuang - ข้าวเหนียวมะม่วง (mango with sticky rice)
Polamai Ruam - ผลไม้รวม (seasonal fresh fruit skewer)
Look Chub - ลูกชุบ (sweet bean paste fruit shapes)
Scones with Whipped Cream and Chiang Mai Strawberry Jam - สโคนและแยมสตรอเบอรี่

Anyway, the overall taste and atmosphere was ok. Only the service that was not so great from our view. We wish they can improve on this as well as the attitude of staffs. What we feel was that the afternoon tea is not really the one must try thing, however, the range of Thai food looks not bad at all. We may perhaps find another occasion to try their Thai dishes. But no more for afternoon tea here.

By the way, do book in advance if you would visit Erawan Tea Room for afternoon tea during weekend. It can be really packed.

dessert 1

dessert 2

scones with whipped cream and strawberry jam

Erawan Tea Room @ Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok - เอราวัณทีรูม @ แกรนด์ ไฮแอท เอราวัณ กรุงเทพ
494 Ratchadamri Road
Pathumwan
Bangkok 10330

Thailand

Open Hours: 10:00am - 10:00pm daily

Tel: +66 (0) 2254 1234
Web: http://bangkok.grand.hyatt.com/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/GrandHyattErawanBangkok

Afternoon breaks at Hua Hin / Pran Buri : Eighteen Below Ice-cream @ Hua Hin and La a Natu @ Pran Buri

Towards the end of February / beginning of March, we had a chance to take a short break to relax at Pran Buri. Having heard rumour about the famous Hay Lobby and Eatery @ La a Natu Bed and Bakery and Eighteen Below Ice-cream @ Naeb Kehardt Road, Hua Hin, we did not hesitate to find sometimes to visit them. In brief, we are not so impressed with both places, especially Hay Lobby and Eatery in term of taste but they are ok when not crowded and happen to be nearby.

Cuisine: cafe food / afternoon tea

Map: Hay Lobby and Eatery @ La a Natu Bed and Bakery, Pran Buri, Thailand - เฮย์ ล๊อบบี้แอนด์อีทเทอรี่ @ ลา เอ นาตู เบดแอนด์เบเกอรี่ ปราณบุรี

Price: THB210 per person without alcohol (what we paid for)

Visited: 1 March 2014

Food: 2/10

Atmosphere: 8/10

Value for money: 5/10

Services: 3/10
Scale: [ 1=poor ----- 5=average/standard ----- 10=outstanding/exceptional ]

La a Natu is set right on the quiet beach of Pran Buri. The place has been resembled to give the natural relaxing ambient by using haystack for most of its accommodation. Hay Lobby and Eatery of La a Natu is well-known for afternoon tea and even the place itself is proud of its reputation. The Hay Lobby is not really a big which can probably accommodate around 30 guests max. The very best part is the cool and relaxing atmosphere. The dining room provides a good sea view but bear in mind of hot weather and strong sunlight in the afternoon.

La a Natu @ Pran Buri

village style surrounding

Hay Lobby and Eatery

relax ambient for afternoon tea certainly

The pricing of menu is not so cheap nor so expensive, modest in fact for a hotel. However, we are not really so delight with the taste of it. The first impression goes for the tea. La a Natu is supposed to be famous for afternoon tea. But we were served with Twinings. Good god, I could not believe and it was tea bag instead of loose leaf. In addition, the staff tried to pour us a cup immediately after the tea had arrived out of the kitchen. For heaven sake, the tea was nowhere near being properly immersed and infused.

The next disappointment was the pastry set in the afternoon tea set (2/10). If I remember correctly, there were 7 kinds of dish that were served: cheese sandwich (I really mean the simply cheese only), scones with whipped cream and jam, panna cotta, cheesecake, brownie, carrot cake, and chocolate cake. The scones were the first one to make me laugh. It was sure not a scone with that spongy texture and served with whipped cream and somewhat sour strawberry jam which was supposed to be the classic homemade. The panna cotta was the worst. It melted after a while leaving us with creamy liquid with strawberry sauce (that tasted like the strawberry jam). Not so whether the weather was too hot or there was too little gelatin in the panna cotta. The rest of pastry were just ok to eat.

On the service side, it was nowhere near hotel standard. Notwithstanding the aforementioned tea pouring service, we encountered a long wait for bill checking. We waited for quite sometime for changes to be returned and when asking, the answer simply was they had run out of change and needed to go somewhere for exchange. I presumed that I should have been warned or else something could have been adjusted. Well, I guess I had enough experience of this place. They are not so professional in the service. We sure will never return to this.

pastry and tea menu

happen to be just Twinings

afternoon tea set (THB350)

again, really great ambient

Hay Lobby and Eatery @ La a Natu Bed and Bakery, Pran Buri, Thailand - เฮย์ ล๊อบบี้แอนด์อีทเทอรี่ @ ลา เอ นาตู เบดแอนด์เบเกอรี่ ปราณบุรี

234 Moo 2
Samroiyod, Pranburi
Prachuap Khiri Kha
77120
Thailand

Open Hours: all day but 02:00pm to 05:00pm for afternoon tea daily

Tel: +66 (0) 32 689 941-3, +66 (0) 81 731 8688
Web: http://www.laanatu.com/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/laanatubb

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