One for the bucket list - The Hazendal Tea Ceremony
A birthday celebration gift for a friend and we both enjoyed the cultural and culinary experience.
The last time I visited Hazendal wine farm was about 15 years ago and much has changed on the estate since then. Ample parking spaces are available. The first interesting focal point is the showroom for antique cars. The mixed style of the Kaphollandse building with the Russian influenced interior of the tea room is very welcoming and creates a warm ambience. The fresco on the ceiling is out of this world and the decor is very intriguing.
The online booking was easy. The staff members are very friendly, professional and have a vast knowledge about the history and the menu items. After being seated you get a thorough explanation about the tea room and the ceremony itself.
The table wa set is a colourful display with crockery with flower design and Russian decor elements. A samovar was placed on the table; it is a unique tea urn in which large quantities of tea are brewed to give time to enjoy and relax and the samovar plays an important part of any Russian tea ceremony. The waiter demonstrated the function in detail. The samovar on the table is one of a modern version where the tea pot sits on top containing the first tea, which is black tea with a smoked flavour. This kind of tea came while traveling ont he silk route the tea was brewed on open fires and thereby the smoked flavour was infused into the tea. It is served in a porcelain cup with fruit jam for sweeting and the typical way is without sugar or milk.
Sushky is placed on a ribbon around the neck of the samovar. This is a sweet pastry with vanilla flavour that is shaped in rings.
The second menu item is Shuba which is a Russian herring salad with beetroot and carrot towering on a charcoal bun.
Next served is a variety of savoury items: Olivier potato salad, Blinchik, smoke salmon trout with dill and sour cream, 2 Piroshki - one with beef filling and one with spinach and feta filling.
Afterwards White Sky tea compliments the Kulich which is described as a Russian "Hot Cross Bun" with vanilla and saffron spice sprinkled with nuts.
The next tea is Rooibos Caramel Tea for the sweet treats: Tea cake, Cheese cake, Honey cake, Apple cheese cake, Ginger biscuit and a Fruit meringue.
The food is plentiful and delicious. We could not finish and had to take some home.
The ambience, the venue, the lovely service and the amount of food makes this a valuable affair.