19 December 2023

Hello brew-tea-ful! Adore Tea is back and just as glorious as ever

| Michelle Taylor
high tea

There are so many delicious savoury options at Adore Tea. Photos: Kazuri Photography.

Where did our beloved Adore Tea go? It has been a journey, but over a year after leaving their previous home in Gold Creek, owners Naz, Aman and daughter Habiba have recently launched their full tea-imbued menu at their charming tea house in Mitchell.

Go to browse their almost-too-pretty-to-touch store, where an expanding range of teas – more than 150 – sit on shelves alongside exquisite teapots, cups, candles and many other tea-related items.

Their new ecofriendly packaging is very pretty and 100 per cent recyclable. Grab a mini paper cup and sample one of the tea flavours of the day from the pots kept fresh on tea-light warmers.

Stay for a cuppa and cake in the bright, spacious tea-room, with its Instagram-able corner.

high tea

The sweet service has scrumptious highlights.

Nearly everything on Adore Tea’s menu is tea-infused, including the jams and the brand-new butterscotch and caramel sauces, although the coffee list is unadulterated.

The pretty plating, delicate teacups and plates, glass teapots and charming tea-light warmers all elevate the experience. The apple cinnamon scones with chai drizzle that first drew me to Adore Tea still feature on the menu. We see slices of cake with the signature rose butter go past as well.

Adore Tea’s Grand High Tea is a visual feast that changes seasonally and mixes traditional high tea staples with imaginative additions. Tiered plates display dainty sandwiches, assorted savouries, puddings, tarts and the perfect scone. Naz pairs each course with a unique tea-infused beverage.

woman next to a Christmas tree

Make yourself comfortable in Adore Tea’s Instagram-able corner.

Our spring/summer high tea service for two kicks off with a champagne flute of ice-cold Golden Hour green tea. Crisp and sweet from the tropical infusion of mango and pineapple, this refreshing drink is a delightful introduction to the tea-infusion magic of flavour genius, Naz. Her knack for blending teas and for creating tea-infused dishes has been recognised and awarded several times over the years, yet she remains humble and grateful.

“It is such an amazing thing to just play around with the teas,” she said. “There is a lot of love in it. I believe if you serve something with love, it makes all the difference.”

cold drinks

Champagne flutes of ice-cold Golden Hour green tea.

Standouts from the savoury service include the peri-peri chicken burger; the cutest mini burger ever in a soft herbed bun. A cheese slice soothes the bite of peri-peri in the tender chicken.

My favourite sandwich, vintage cheese and cucumber, is scented with mint tea chutney. I savor the herbed perfume of coriander in there. The tuna and avocado cones trick the eyes, looking so dessert-like. They are fun to eat.

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The satay sauce and mini chicken skewer brings enough heat to make my nose run. My favourite savoury treat is the deceptively simple beetroot and mango canape. It is a visual piece of art. Earthy beetroot mousse paired with sweet mango slivers and delicate plops of cream cheese on a crisp, substantial artisan cracker.

The sweet service has scrumptious highlights. Adore Tea’s blueberry, lemon and thyme scones sit plump and fluffy alongside dishes of lush, whipped cream and Earl Grey-infused strawberry jam. Fat profiteroles bulge with cream under a drizzle of ‘totally nuts tea’- infused salted caramel. The chocolate macaron is a deep luxurious chocolate, rich and smooth.

Also gracing the three-tiered serving tray, a raspberry Frangipane, infused with coconut cream pie tea and a strawberry and pistachio beignet. The blue butterfly pea flower and vanilla panna cotta is smooth and its pale blue colour appeals to my inner child.

Dainty chocolate caramel tarts, with snappy chocolate shortcrust pastry and an oozing caramel filling topped with a smooth, bittersweet chocolate, might be my pick!

I have two favourite teas from our afternoon. The orange pekoe is almost Christmassy with its spiced orange warmth and the Seven Fairies flowering tea is a visual experience. The tea bud expands and unfurls flower-like in the glass teapot as we eat. I feel like a fairy drinking it. This unique tea is sips of delicate lychee and jasmine sweetness.

a flowering tea

The Seven Fairies flowering tea is a visual experience.

Adore Tea serves its 100 per cent halal high tea at 11 am on weekends. Bookings are required. Adore Tea can create vegan, vegetarian, or gluten-free experiences. Contact Adore Tea with your dietary requirements. Also, check out their online tea menu. The descriptions are glorious.

Adore Tea is located at Unit 2/2 Dacre in Mitchell. It is open from Wednesday to Sunday from 10 am to 3 pm. Visit the website to book, or follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

Original Article published by Michelle Taylor on Riotact.

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