Memoirs of Aleisha

Here is afternoon tea number 4 out of 5 during my 7-day stay in Sydney last year.
This particular venue has on been on my Sydney high tea bucketlist for a very long time. It’s only offered on weekends and the ‘piece de resistance’ here is the tea-leaf reading. I finally got to go there.

From Langham afternoon tea

So on a Sunday afternoon, had a nice mother-daughter high tea at the Langham Hotel, Sydney (formerly the Observatory Hotel). The ‘Mystic Tiffin Afternoon Tea’ includes a tea leaf reading by (you guessed it) a tea leaf reader, as well as your standard 3-tier afternoon tea with a glass of bubbly.

I’ve never had my tea leaves read, but it was interesting enough, if taken with a grain of salt. And you know, I’m a girl, and us girls love this nonsense like horoscopes and tarots etc.
Basically, they brew a pot of tea using big tip leaves. Oolong tea and the like, work best, and then they pour some tea into a teacup, enough for you to drink a few mouthfuls. They then swish the leaves around in the cup and the leaves will stick to the bottom and side of the cup making different shapes and formations from which they “read” about you/your life/future etc. Basically, they interpret these shapes as different symbols and meanings. Yes, it’s a load of hogwash. But I like to indulge in this kind of fortune-telling stuff every now and then. I find interesting it to hear other people’s (ie strangers) perceptions of you. Of course, not a lot of it is true. And a lot of what is said can be quite generic and can generally be shaped/moulded into your life (as well as anyone else’s for that matter).

I recall being told that I’d find love (after having already told me that she thought I was already married!), have kids and all that jazz. At the rate I’m going, I do not foresee any of these things happening (not anytime soon, if at all). She did say my outlook/future was positive and she saw good things (so nothing too worrying). But ultimately, that rests on me. My life is is what I make of it and you can be damn sure that I’m going to do my darnedest to have an awesome life. I also recall the number 2 (concept of “double/couple/twin”) being of significance. Hmmm, not sure what to make of that. Although, last year I did get a double-yolk egg. I love getting double-yolk eggs. There’s something very auspicious about that.

Anyway, it was fun to do a tea leaf reading because I like that sort of thing.

Onto more important things….such as food.

Afternoon tea takes place at the Globe Bar/Lounge inside the hotel.

From Langham afternoon tea

From Langham afternoon tea

This is the table that we were NOT seated at:

From Langham afternoon tea

Nor this table:

From Langham afternoon tea

Nor any of these tables:

From Langham afternoon tea

The food here was nothing too overly gourmet. Standard fare. But I will say the service we received was outstanding. Very genuine, friendly and nice.

From Langham afternoon tea

From Langham afternoon tea

From Langham afternoon tea

Like I mentioned, the savoury plate was not so gourmet. I reckon schoolkids eat better than this for recess:

From Langham afternoon tea

From Langham afternoon tea

There were a lot of sweets:

From Langham afternoon tea

From Langham afternoon tea

From Langham afternoon tea

From Langham afternoon tea

From Langham afternoon tea

The scones were pretty good. But then Aussie scones are the best.

From Langham afternoon tea

From Langham afternoon tea

From Langham afternoon tea

A high tea with a tea-leaf reading, may not be your cup of tea, but beleave it or not, I thought it was fun and whimsical (in a good way).