Dessert trolley by Space Kitchen at QTea. Photo: Martin Conway.
Canberra hotel QT Canberra has launched a new high tea experience called QTea that promises Canberrans will experience love at fifteenth bite.
Taking place on the 15th floor of the lakeside hotel, and in collaboration with local patissier Space Kitchen, we went along to see what QT is bringing to the packed high tea schedule that Canberra is experiencing this spring.
We’re warmly greeted by the Director of Food and Beverage for QT Canberra, Ram Agrawal, who introduces us to our server for the afternoon, Grace Carstairs.
Walking us through the menu, Ram points out that the high tea is fully customisable to the customer’s beverage preferences, allowing participants to choose from the lowest price point of $69, which includes tea and coffee for the non-drinkers, then levelling up with options to add bubbles with a choice of two champagnes, Mumm or ‘Grand Brut’ NV Perrier-Joust Champagne.
For the day-drinkers (and really, who isn’t) you can go bottomless, which gives you unlimited bubbles plus a selection of cocktails.
Director of Food and Beverage, QT Canberra. Ram Agrawal. Photo: Martin Conway.
General Manager Steven Hollow introduces himself, keen to tell the story of how the high tea came about.
“I came to QT Canberra from QT Perth, and when I saw the space on the 15th floor with the incredible views, I immediately told the team that we’d be having high tea here.”
It’s easy to see why, to the north-east you see Mount Ainslie, to the north west sits Black Mountain and its iconic tower and to your south sprawls Lake Burley Griffin.
The champagne is swiftly poured as our tower of savoury treats is placed on the table. The savoury spread is credited to Executive Chef Josh Smith-Thirkell and is a visual delight with tastes to match.
Many of the savoury items are designed to look like sweets, a quirky spin on the concept, but the fun designs never overpowered what was a refined spread of bold and balanced flavours.
Savoury high tea tower and QTea. Photo: Martin Conway.
Where one might see cucumber sandwiches on a high tea, here they are done with cucumber and poached Queensland prawns.
The beetroot and fennel tarts are made with goat’s curd and topped with smoked almonds, a wonderful pairing of earthy flavours.
The wagyu bresaola sits atop a tiny stack of buttery, thinly sliced potatoes with crème fraîche and cured egg yolk, a rich and decadent morsel.
I thought the Wagyu stack was where my tastebuds were going to peak until I moved on to the last item, the duck liver parfait. Piped onto a darkly grilled chunk of Sonoma sourdough, the fluffy and sweet parfait balanced perfectly with the charcoaled bread, with the grilled grapes tying it all together. With the marketing campaign cutely promising love at fifteenth bite, I’d argue that if the parfait is your first bite, well, you’re already there.
As the savoury towers slowly disappear, the high tea moves into the tea and dessert phase of the event. Our host, Ram, also happens to be a trained tea sommelier. Learning under Australian tea master Sharon Johnson, he is the ideal man to take you on a tea journey.
Stepping us through the six varieties of tea – black, green, yellow, white, herbal and oolong – and how each developed its flavour profiles through the oxidation process, Ram then hands back over to Grace, who curates a selection of six to smell from the 28 on offer.
A curated selection of teas at QTea. Photo: Martin Conway.
Grace pins our preferences down to a white tea combining lycee, vanilla and rose and an oolong Chardonnay.
As we sip our tea, the famous QT quirk kicks in as the dessert trolley with four cakes crafted by Space Kitchen, makes its way around the room.
The selection of four brightly coloured cakes includes black forest, vegan Biscoff, QT’s signature red velvet and a unicorn cake with layers of strawberries and cream, lemon curd, blueberry puree and vanilla sponge.
After the savoury round, the cakes had a lot to live up to but managed to hold their own. Their complexity of mousses and jellies mixed with layers of cake makes them like a treasure hunt where different flavours and textures accompany each bite.
Throughout the event, a legion of staff were always available to refill glasses, take champagne and cocktail orders and explain your food and drinks. During the tea portion of the afternoon, Ram asked if we would like more of anything. Tentatively asking if it’s wrong to drink champagne with tea, Ram enthusiastically states, “There are no rules here”, and swiftly pours another champagne.
QTea is taking place every Saturday with sittings at 12 pm and 12:30 pm. With pairs of high-backed chairs set up along the windows, it’s an intimate spot for couples and friends.
There’s also a private dining space that can accommodate 12, large tables can be set up in the main space to accommodate up to 20 and the whole event can be bought out for groups of 50.
“We’re keen for Canberra to come and enjoy the incredible space we have here on the 15th floor. It’s perfect for hens’ gatherings, christenings, baby showers, family celebrations, so many occasions,” says Ram.
To find out more and book your high tea with QT, head to their website.
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