Carcosa Seri Negara

"A spot of tea gov-nah?"

This is certainly what I felt like saying when I sat down at Carcosa for tea. The historic Carcosa Seri Negara is a colonial mansion and residence of the former British High Commissioner to Malaysia. This place offers a touch of England in the heart of tropical Malaysia where you can sit back and dream of what life must have been like for British officals in Colonial times.

This colonial mansion is surrounded by 14 hectares of landscaped gardens and has been transformed into a super deluxe hotel. Among foreign dignitaries who have stayed there are Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.

Carcosa's history is what makes it a popular place for a traditional English Tea which costs RM60++ per person for a set tea menu.

The waiter will first ask you to choose a pot of tea from the list. I went with 'Granny's Garden' a fruit infusion that I'm told takes 15mins to steep to bring out the flavours. The set also consists of

Sandwiches:

Smoked Salmon with Horseradish, Cucumber with Creamy Cheese, and an Egg Mayonnaise with Fresh Watercress.

Pastries:

Carrot and Walnut Cake, Hazlenut Chocolate Brownie, Raspberry Macaroon, Mocha Cheese Tartlet, Lavender Cotton Cake and an Orange Marmalade Cup Cake.

Scones:

Plain and Raisin served with Clotted Cream and Strawberry Rose Petal Jam

And last but not least fresh Strawberries with Chantilly Cream.

This is certainly a tea fit for a King! Or Queen...