Sevva Afternoon Tea | Hong Kong

Rating: ❤❤❤

I have heard great things about the afternoon tea at Sevva so I decided to come here with a couple of girls as part of my birthday celebration this year. Since they don't take reservations, we arrived an hour earlier at 2pm to line up as I heard the lines can get pretty crazy. The process of lining up was pretty confusing and chaotic. First, there were lines for the elevators to Sevva from the G/F, which was controlled by one of the staff. Just because you were first in line for the elevators doesn't mean you were first in line for the tea because it was whoever that gets off the elevator first who got to the line up first. Second, there was nothing stopping people from taking the elevator to Sevva from 1/F or 2/F where there were no lines at all. 

Once on the 25/F, we were told to line up against the wall and asked for our party size so they can keep count on the total number of people they can accommodate. They started turning people away at ~2:30pm as they were had run out of tables at that point. We were also asked for our preference of indoor or outdoor seating, and since it was really cold that day, we opted for indoor seating even though Sevva is known for the fantastic views of the city from their patio.

Signature Tea Set:
There were 2 kinds of tea set offered with one being the signature tea set and the other being the vegetarian tea set. We all picked the signature tea set which was a bit pricey at $680 for 2 people. Our tea set arrived in 3 tiers with the first 2 tiers being all savory treats while the bottom tier was desserts. It was kind of disappointing that there were no scones for the afternoon tea here. 

Mini Crab Cake Burger (4/5) - this burger looked quite interesting as the buns were pitch black. In between the buns were the crab cake, tomato, onions and lettuce. Using the crab cake as a substitute for a patty was an interesting choice as it was crispy and delicious. The other toppings were also fresh to eat as well. 

Toasted Crumpet with Smoked Salmon & Chive Cream Cheese (4/5) - the smoked salmon was fresh and flavorful while the cream cheese complimented the flavors of the fish. While it was good, it was a standard treat which wasn't all that impressive or unique. 

Ms B's Turkey & Salad Sandwich (3/5) - this turkey sandwich just reminds me of a school lunch in a cafeteria. The fillings were decent enough but the wheat bread was dry and tough to eat. 

Mini Short Rib Burger (4.5/5) - one of the best savory treats of the tea set! The beef was really delicious as it had been marinated with rich flavors. Too bad it was cold though so it tasted a bit oily. The burger would have been even better if they can serve it while still hot. 

Chicken Roll Sandwich (4/5) - the sandwich was wrapped like a candy which was fun to unravel as it was like opening a present. It looked like a Tokyo Banana at first as the sandwich was white and round at the ends. It actually tasted more like a tuna sandwich than chicken (well I guess tuna is chicken of the sea...lol).

SEVVA Vegetable Spring Rolls (4/5) - crispy and crunchy, this spring roll was a delight to eat as the flavors were fresh and simple. 

Truffled Scrambled Egg on Toasted Poilane (3.5/5) - the truffle smelled amazing but unfortunately it was not pleasant to eat cold scrambled eggs. Some food are just better eaten while hot. The eggs here ended up tasting oily and stale. 

Wild Mushroom Ragout on Crispy Rice Cracker (3/5)- the rice cracker was a treat to eat as it was nice and crunchy but the ragout was not impressive as the flavors were not memorable at all. 

Onto the desserts! 

SEVVA Pineapple Carrot Cake (3/5) - I have to confess that I'm not a big fan of carrot cake in the first place. The carrot cake here was a bit stiff and hard while I couldn't taste the pineapple at all. 
Double Chocolate-dipped Strawberry (4/5) - the strawberry was fresh and sweet while the chocolate was pretty delicious. It was a simple dessert that anyone can make at home though.
Cigar Wafer Cookies (3.5/5) - these were pleasant enough to eat as they were light and crunchy with a vanilla taste. 

The Original Caramel Crunch Cake (4.5/5) - this was my favorite dessert of the tea set! I love the crunchy caramel bits on top while the sponge cake was soft and fluffy. The flavors were quite simple though with basic buttercream as fillings. 

Mini Mont Blanc (4/5) - the mont blanc was decently made with pureed chestnut sitting on top of a meringue biscuit. I liked the meringue, and the dessert was light enough and not too sweet to eat. 

Chocolate Fudge Cake with Marmalade (3.5/5) - although I love my chocolate, the fudge cake was really rich and heavy to eat towards the end of the tea set. The sweetness was offset a bit by the tartness of the marmalade, but overall the flavors were just average.

Latte (3/5) - the afternoon tea set came with coffee or tea of your choice. I ordered the latte which arrived in a pretty large mug. The absence of latte art was a bit disappointing and perhaps indicative on how serious they take their coffee. The microfoam was not fine enough while the coffee was lacking in aroma. It was also not strong enough so perhaps tea would have been the better choice here.

Verdict - I was not really impressed with the overall quality of the afternoon tea set here as only a few items stood out to me. There was just too much savory treats while the flavors were not all that refined or exquisite. The price was also pretty expensive compared to Robuchon for example, which is almost half the price and twice as good. With the chaotic lines and long waits, I don't think the afternoon tea is worth one's while at Sevva.

Sevva
25/F Prince's Building, 10 Chater Road, Central
2537 1388 

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