Rose Veranda @ Shangrila Hotel

"Don 't hurry. Don't worry. You're only here for a short visit. So don't forget to stop and smell the roses." - Walter Hagen

I made an attempt at smelling the roses with the besties over the weekend...Rose Veranda has long been on my list of "High Tea Places" since the day I secretly wished upon Tai-tai-hood.

No arm candy this time round after the recent reports on bag thieves who prey during buffets though arm candies are a yardstick of how good service is. Down with these people!

Not to nitpick but the folks at Rose Veranda are very particular about timing..any earlier than 3pm, nobody's allowed in.

Ordinary on its own when put together, sounds so Chi-chi and British.



It could be pure coincidence or deliberate but these gorgeous roses were found at every turn at Rose Veranda. Pinkish delight, nice!



Enter and you'll spy the dessert corner already! Shooters and more shooters, I was silently disappointed after all the dessert shooter nightmares I've had.



A chiller for the Japanese delights to maintain freshness.



Two table's length of high tea items that proved to be wildly popular.



Greenery to complete the Shang experience. Shangrila across the globe has maintained its standard consistently...always away from the city.



High. Tea. The equivalent of Breakfast at Tiffany's? Boy, the movies are getting to me. Idealism at best.

102 teas are iconic of High Tea at Rose Veranda. I doubt anyone has ever completed tasting all of 102. We spent a good 10 minutes scrolling through the menu and getting tempted...!



Linen table cloth, traces of East India Company or the likes.



Dimsum (Har Gao/Siew Mai/Chicken Pau)

I should have remembered the dismal dimsum at The Line, Rose Veranda probably shares the same kitchen as well. Limp bites that included a bun with a stiff meatball within.



Caesar Salad

Well tossed, a good beginning to yum.

Preserved apples and raisins

Preserved fruit never tasted better, there should have been cheese available!

Chickpea and Red Beans

Anything peas rock my plate.

Smoked Salmon Sandwich with Rockets

Absolute boredom with dry bread.

Smoked Salmon

I can never say no to smoked salmon, this tasted better than the sandwich!



Vegetable Spring Roll

It lost its crunch after awhile.

Turkey Picatta

"A classic Italian dish that consists of veal or chicken that has been seasoned and floured, sautéed, and served with a sauce made from the pan ." - Wiki saves the day! It's really just pan-fried Turkey with salsa.




Prawn Zucchini Salad

Over salted and overly artificial prawns.

Smoked Ham and Melon

A nice interpretation of parma ham and melon!



Bread Basket

Nothing could save this gorgeous looking basket of loves. Painfully dry and coarse textures that pure butter could not even save.

Sandwich Selection (Tuna/Egg Mayo/Cheese)

Good enough for a homemade picnic basket.



Sashimi

Nothing wow.



Sushi Selection

Rice was way too hard, chilled stiff.



Lentil Soup with Cumin

If there was a better alternative to good ole' wild mushroom soup..it had to be lentil soup with cumin! Lentils gave this soup the crumbly potato texture whilst cumin added to the wholesome fragrance! Acquired definitely for I was the only one who headed for seconds!



Silken Beancurd with Earwood Mushroom, Carrot, Celery, Potato, Dried Banana Flower Soup

Thick enough for the cantonese soup lover in me.



Steamed Jasmine Rice

Too hard for me.

Mee Siam Goreng

Commendable effort on the dry meesiam, executed with the right spice.

Deep Fried Red Garoupa

Firm filets of garoupa, an unusual way of dealing with garoupa methinks.

Lamb Stew in Dark Soya Sauce

On the sweet side.

Beef Rendang

Spicy meaty rendition of one of my favourites.

Peranakan Mixed Vegetable stewed in Salt Bean Paste

Unimpressionable.

Chicken Stew in yellow Tumeric Sauce

Was expecting curry chicken given the yellow gravy but was just stewed chicken.



Roast Shoulder of Lamb with Mint Sauce and Gravy

The edges were toasted too long, beyond chewing at all. The tender portions were good though.

Samosas

Deepfried potato snacks.



Macaron

I liked it enough for countless plates. Certainly not the ideal with crispy shells and chewy innards, these were crumbly sweet pops. I figure the delicate chocolate design that came with it made it more appetizing than not.

Panfried Red Bean Pancake

I was expecting a chewy dough base but this was like biscuit.



Cream Puffs

Good to look at only.



Assorted Nonya Kueh


Kueh Dadar

The best of the lot! Fragrant kueh skins stuffed with coconut.

Lapis Sagu
Kueh Salat

Nothing fabulous.



Fondue

Marshmellows dusted with orange sugar and bland strawberries.



Durian Cake

A bite later, I declared to the bemused gfs "Goodwood is better". Sponge cake with durian mousse, that is really just about it.



Chocolate chip Financier

Rougher than the butter pound cake.

Butter pound cake

Rich soft butter cake!



Chocolate Cremeux Shooter

Bittersweet accurately captured in a shooter.

Chocolate Pudding

The choco-addicts found this too sweet.

Lemon Meringue Tart

The tart should be crunchier but with such petite portions, I found the meringue nicely torched.




Scones with jam and whipped cream

Dry. Biscuit-like. Tragic.



Tiramisu

Too soaked in nespresso.

Mango Minestrone

Fruity love!



Bread and Butter Pudding with Vanilla Sauce

Not blown away.

Creme Brulee

Smooth curd though too sweet.



Strawberry Shortcake

Just the way the palette has been tamed to like only soft Japanese sponge. I liked how spongey soft the sponge is, paired with light whipped cream and strawberries. It probably is strange saying this but I'm liking this version of Strawberry Shortcake as opposed to the authentic ones with genoise sponge (as enlightened by Ice!).

Oreo Cheesecake

Wish it were slightly harder and stronger in flavour.



Another of this dessert I had so many slices of.



Chocolate Selection

Truffles makes the heart skip two beats. Smooth chocolate shells with a burst of surprise within. I made an attempt on the greennies only, white chocolate shells with green tea filling and smothered with green tea powder which spoilt the taste. The bitter green tea powder did not work for me. The other dark chocolate truffles went down well with the gfs.

Assortment of icecream (Strawberry/Chocolate) and toppings

I would not classify these as ice-cream, at least not for strawberry that was more sorbet. Too frozen to even scoop properly!



Fruits (Pineapple/Watermelon/Honeydew/Dragonfruit)

It's probably not the season for fruit judging from these.



The kind of teaset I would go weak in the knees and buy cos' they're so pretty!



Sifting the tea, like a connossieur.



Strawberry and Crisp Tea
Irish Whikey-Cream

The two teas I attempted...overwhelming fragrance but that's what the teas are.



A peep into the lovely pot. I actually excited scooped up the dried flowers and fruit thinking the crisps could really be eaten...tasted just how potpurri should.



Coffee the bestie could not resist and she was smirking satisfied.

Rose Veranda  is picture perfect, the tea cups, plates...roses even!

Think High Tea, I think all things British...scones, pies, tarts...openfaced sandwiches and pastries. It could be globalisation at play when hotels try too hard to include international delights in an attempt to please every customer. Somehow in Singapore, the only "high tea" about high tea is the timing.

For Rose Veranda, the only British connections are scones, tea and bread and butter pudding..of which, none striked an outsanding pose. Good not great, with the 38% promo...things just get sweeter from a pricing point.

Service is attentive, plates get cleared..glasses get refilled...nothing to fault. Overcrowded is what Rose Veranda was, packed with like minded folks..that could have had a slight impact on the supposed leisure that high tea should be.

Stop and smelt the roses I did, I liked this rose...not love though.

$40++

Rose Veranda
Shangrila
Mezzanine Floor