It seems that I am having quite a scone obsession lately as I find myself sitting down to an afternoon tea set practically every weekend~

So having heard about the renowned scones served at Mandarin Oriental accompanied with their special rose petal jam, I finally made a reservation for a Saturday tea. Originally, I was planning to book at the Clipper Lounge which is the usual place where afternoon tea takes place at the Mandarin, but since it was full already, I took the second option of tea-ing at Cafe Causette.

The lay out of Cafe Causette is like a long corridor, with a row of tables facing the windows. It's not exactly what you would call a relaxing environment, but is more like a casual setting. The Cafe actually adjoins the Mandarin Cake shop, so for those that plan to walk-in but end up waiting for a table, you can always admire their display of chocolate sculptures as well as their pretty, dainty cakes.

There are two variety of tea sets that can be ordered, the Classic Afternoon Tea Set or the Mandarin Tea Set. They both offer finger sandwiches, cakes and scones, but the only difference is that the Mandarin Tea Set allows you to select the fillings of your sandwiches and includes a third tier of warm savoury pastries.

I ordered the Classic Afternoon Tea Set with Earl Grey Tea. The tea was only so-so, but perhaps I have been spoilt by the Earl Grey from Fortnum & Mason so I really should not compare.Now to the tea set. First came the scones, raisin and plain, served warm and toasty in a basket.They are quite big in size which is good if you are a scone lover and the waft of buttery aroma really is quite comforting. The texture of the scone was balanced where the outside had baked to a firm shell while the inside still retained its fluffiness. So with the jam all spread evenly on the scone, I was really anticipating my first bite.. but.. the scone itself was slightly bitter which I assume is from too much bicarbonate in the mixture.I must say I preferred the raisin scone over the plain as the sweetness from the raisins helped mask the bitterness. The jam itself was a mixture of rose and strawberry and was noticeably more sour than your normal strawberry jam. Not really to my taste, but it was worth trying.The tiered stand soon arrived, with the top tier holding the sandwiches and the cakes on the bottom. The sandwiches consisted of york ham and mustard, cream cheese and cucumber in a soft roll and smoked salmon with sour cream. They really were not that special. The bread was dry and a little hard, and the fillings were minimal.The cakes however were surprisingly good, very pretty with pictures drawn on fondant icing decorating them. The left yellow square was their version of a New York cheesecake, but with no biscuit base. This was very good. Smooth and creamy with a rich flavour. Recommended! In the middle was a slice of coffee/tiramisu cake. Quite ordinary, it was not dry, but not exactly moist with a light coffee flavour. And on the right was a chocolate ganache cake. This is perfect for the chocoholics out there, dark and decadent with a full bodied cocoa taste. Also recommended~All in all, I will definitely come back for their cakes

Having heard so much about the limited edition pulled burgers @ Café Causette, Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, I finally had a chance to try them out with some fellow foodies.

At just $88 for a tasting platter of five different mini pulled burgers, it was definitely a steal. You can also vote for up to 2 of you favourite burgers so that they would be added to the menu (in regular size) on April 2.
(Just a small issue on the naming here - would it be more appropriate for them to be called pulled (meat) burgers as one of my fellow foodies rightly pointed out, it was the meat NOT the burger that was pulled ).Anyway...we were seated at Café Causette at 7 pm, and shortly afterwards we saw the burger platters started churning out from the kitchen.And before long we were served bread with herbed butter and onion chutney, yes the bread (with a little bit of melted cheese inside) was hearty, but by then our burgers had already arrived and we started snapping off from every possible angle so this bread sadly got ignored later on...

Here comes the burger platter. These mini burgers are usually called sliders and are popular pub food. I don't frequent pubs and have no further comments on this point. According to promotional material from the restaurant, the pulled burger meat is marinated and slow cooked in a particular combination of sauces for about 14 hours to keep the juices and flavours.

And these are the 5 kinds of burgers (not eaten in that order):
Slow-Cooked Short Rib Pulled BEEF: Kansas City Rib Sauce - the pulled beef shreds were sweet like beef jerky, not that impressive
Braised Pulled PORK Culottes: Kentucky BBQ Sauce, XO Mayonnaise - there was that bit of smokiness in the BBQ sauce, and the meat flavour was on the sweet side as well
[Stewed Pulled LAMB Shoulder: East Texas BBQ Sauce, Mustard Mayonnaise - OK this was voted my #1 favourite not only because I love lamb but also that it was really well executed. The lamb was gamey yet still tender, the mustard mayo was tangy and complemented the relatively strong taste of the lamb. I wouldn't mind having it in normal size, but for this one, small is more beautiful.

Confit Corn-Fed Pulled CHICKEN Leg: North Carolina BBQ Sauce, Hot Pepper Mayonnaise - the only things I remembered tasting in this burger were the small ring of onion and the piece of pickle, i.e. the so-called "hotness" in the sauces wasn't that prominent.

Pork BELLY: Kim Chi, Freshly Shucked Oysters -Hmm this is the 2nd best. Lucky that I ate this one first. The combination was quite innonvative: pork belly + kimchi + oyster - was it an imitation of some Korean dish? The kimchi was blended into a sauce which provided some pick-me-up sourness; the small oyster was juicy, and the slice of pork belly was rich but not greasy.

A good part of the credit goes to the burger buns though. Presumably backed up by MO Cake Shop fame (just my guess), the lightly floured buns were soft and spongy, but even better if the burgers were hotter on serving. (A bit hard to prove given that we'd been taking picutures of them for so long. )

Overall an interesting experiment on flavours, and I definite look forward to seeing which burger(s) eventually stay on the menu which may prompt another visit.

Cafe Causette will be hosting an American themed Pulled Meat Burgers event from the 12th to the 25th of March. A set of 5 Burgers are available at only $88 after 6pm during Dinner - after the tasting session, the customers are asked to vote for their favourite 2 burgers so they could find a place on the next menu update, as a permanent fixture!

The recipes are quite promising indeed, although I think they could do with a bit more sauces too. I have my favourite 2 choices, what are your ones?

******************************Bread and Cream Cheese spread has always been good here

.Set of 5 Mini Pulled Meat Burgers - $88 for 5

1. - Pork Belly with Freshly Shucked Oyster & Kimchi (Bo Ssiam inspired)

2. - Braised Pulled Pork Culottes. Kentucky BBQ Sauce & XO Mayonnaise

3. - Slow Cooked Short Rib Pulled Beef, Kansas City Rib Sauce & Bone Marrow Mayonnaise

4. - Stewed Lamb Shoulder, East Texas BBQ Sauce and Mustard Mayonnaise

5. - Confit Corn-fed Pulled Chicken Leg, North Carolina BBQ Sauce, Hot Pepper Mayonnaise

.Braised Pulled Pork Culottes with Kentucky BBQ Sauce & XO Mayonnaise burger..

.Pork Belly with Freshly Shucked Oyster & Kimchi (Bo Ssiam inspired)

.Salad & Chips, for additional $58

.Tiramisu with Shaved Chocolate $82
This is a very huge serving of Tiramisu and really good. Recommend to share between a few people!

.Warm Winter Drink -
Made by boiling Cider and a bit of Cinnamon and spice. Very enjoyable this one.

I am a regular at Cafe Causette. The food is generally solid and likewise the service. I feel comfortable because I know I will be getting consistency, quality of food ingredients and attentive (but not overbearing) service every time. I come here to decompress and just enjoy my meal time. This is the Mandarin so if you have a reasonable request they will try to make sure you get what you want. They are also very respectful of people's need to finish the meal by a certain time, so service is prompt. They will also let you know if a certain dish has a minimum preparation time so that you may choose something else if pressed for time.

I have not tried everything on the menu,. As noted above, I come here to decompress, not to be adventurous. Personal favorites of me and my significant other: healthy braised bean curb with brown rice, salmon pizza (special request), Singapore laksa, vegetarian noodle soup (special request), flower salad with hummus dressing. The pasta is OK, but I don't really come here for the pasta. Interestingly, I never eat curry in Cafe Causette (only in the Captain's Bar for lunch or the Chinnery for dinner), but Mandarin curry is a good, moderate curry that won't cause digestive explosions. Once upon a time when I ate chicken, had the Hainan chicken rice (a Cafe Causette signature dish apparently). Would recommend it to chicken eaters (can specify dark or light meat). Don't really eat the desserts from the cake shop, but on the occasions I have they are delicious (would expect that!).

Definitely need reservations for weekday lunch (regular spot for the business crowd) and weekend lunch/tea. Dinner I haven't found the need for reservations. This is a hotel restaurant so expect prices to be a bit more expensive. I regularly spend HKD400-500 for a business lunch for two or HKD600-700 for dinner for two. But I've spent as much or more at restaurants in Soho with cr@ppier service, so I consider Cafe Causette a relative bargain for no headache.

fresh blew Latte, good coffee aroma

The tea set has 3 layers including sandwiches, salty snacks and sweet patries, also has two scones. The scone is very soft and heavy butter tasty. They provide fresh cream and fresh rose jam. The Rose jam is the best part of the scone. The scone with the Rose jam cost HK$65 + 10% service charge. Now the two scones are included in the Tea set. The sandwiches are good. The pastries are not too sweet. I will not forget how tasty the Scone was!

Cafe Causette is a good place to hang out with friends or business chatting. It has comfortable seating and good service. I was there with my girlfriend on a Sat afternoon. We did not make reservation in advance but lucky enough to have table upon arrival. While we enjoyed our tea set and coffee, we saw a crew of TVB team was casting outside of our hotel. We watched their filming for the whole time, very fun experience. The tea set for one person could serve for two people if you don't eat a lot. We wanted to save room for dinner.

I'll definately bring friends and family to there again.

Didn't book table

had a Club sandwiches - is good, won't say is the best

Mexican hot chicken Penni- the bread is too hard, not enjoyable when eating and is not spicy at all , it comes with a salad. presentation is not attractive.

Nice place. will go back and try other dishes

Love the ambience, you really relax once you are inside. Great place with a wide menu selection for everyone. The variety on the menu is excellent - you can have Chinese, Indian, South East Asian, Pizzas, Japanese and Western and even a kids menu .. We think the Western dishes are better here though.

There is also a good selection of wine and alcohol. They even offer a cheese plate if you ask. Service is top notch. Best hotel cafe in Hong Kong I think. They don't have buffets so no big crowds!

Finally, Cafe Causette. Had been wanting to come here for some months now. Today my will was finally done. Thanks V.

Environment :
It is a rather beautiful place. Quite serene. Dark woody furniture, large tables, low lights. Very relaxing environment. We spotted 王敏德 sitting with 2 friends at the table near the entrance.
Nice ceramic teacups, thick grey napkins.


Service :
Excellent service. Professional and attentive, efficient. I think each waiter's name is embroidered on his sleeve?! Both the chinese and english name. I'm not sure - i didn't ask. But it's an interesting detail. One waitress who was passing by saw V squinting at the afternoon sun and asked whether she preferred having the blinds down. so 細心!

On the menu...




Hotel-in-the-heart-of-Central prices. But 2 scones = $68 + 10% is pretty....unreasonable? And $108 + 10% for waffles, strawberries and whipped cream...?!?! No way!

Food
Afternoon tea scones with rose petal jam

I can only say that the rose petal jam dominated the entire experience. I forgot how good (or bad) the scones were. The only thing I remember from tea is the jam. Period. So true to its name, so unique, and you can buy it by the jar at the counter <- yes i think this is true. You could find out.

Belgian waffles with strawberry

Nothing very special about these, really. Just...average waffles. They weren't even crisp at the edges. Not sure why they were worth $108. At least they were hot when served, and was drizzled with some sort of honey. Or syrup.

Conclusion:
Will come back again for lunch. I really like the environment. And on the way out I couldn't help taking a photo of this magnificent chocolate-colored sculpture of an ongoing chocolate fondue party:

Cafe Causette has been on my wish-list for some time. I've been wanting to visit for their a la carte menu (only been here for tea), and to my luck my mother was in Central for lunch.

Upon ordering, a fresh and very warm sour dough was promptly served, and I loved it. Crusty and crunchy exterior, hot and extremely soft inside....lovely!

Cafe Causette has a pretty extensive international menu, with so many things I wanted to try.... Finally, the three of us decided on the following.

Hainan Chicken Rice (breast or thigh available) $208
Chicken breast sitting on pak choy, chicken flavoured rice, chicken soup, condiments
The chicken here was quite disappointing for the three of us. Surprisingly, the chicken did retain the natural taste of chicken, but the breast meat was unbelievably tough, incomparable to what I tasted in Singapore. Perhaps chicken thigh would be a better choice?
The rice was not oily but was flavourful, which I appreciated, and the soup was mild and had quite a bit of chicken essence - yummy =)


Phad Thai ($188)
Rice noodles, prawns, tofu
Phad Thai here was quite moist and not oily, i.e. more liquid was used to fry this noodle dish. The prawns were huge and juicy, and the rectangular pieces of tofu and strings of egg and spring onions made for a colourful dish. G and my ma thought this was too 'wet', but I personally like fried noodles with a bit of gravy, so this was good. Most importantly, the seasoning was balanced - savoury, and only the slightest hint of sugar.

Barbeque Spiced Cod ($188)
Pearl barley risotto, maple cucumber dressing
The natural flavour of cod is unbeatable in this dish. This is one of the few cod dishes I've had where the seasoning of the fish (in this case a mixture of spices) did not mask the natural flavours of the cod. It was done so that the brown top had a crisp texture, whilst the middle was cooked perfectly - flaked well and was smooth.... yumm! The cod sat on top of a barley risotto which had barley substituting arborio rice, and an abundance of pine nuts for a variation of texture. Again it was seasoned very well, and I can't find any faults for this dish.

Save for the dry chicken breast, and very moist phad thai (can be good or bad depending on your taste), I had a very enjoyable lunch, and couldn't find space to order their lovely cappuccino....maybe next time!

For original post + pictures:
http://gastronomerr.blogspot.com/2010/10/cafe-causette.html

My boyfriend took me to Mandarin for breakfast in a sunny Saturday morning, enjoy a long long breakfast.

The environment was cosy and comfortable. service was excellent.

We ordered mandarin breakfast and we chose english muffin, it was fresh and crispy over the edge. Coffee was good.
The breakfast was big and includes fresh fruits, yogurt, juice, I love the sausage and portabello mushroom most.

Thanks to my Mr D .