Peyton and Byrne (London)

Covent Garden is full of cosy little cafes with an array of delicious desserts. Peyton and Byrne on Wellington Street is another one of these places. Although there are various Peyton and Byrne bakeries around London, and the company also has several restaurants under its belt, it still retains an intimate, cafe atmosphere that does not feel overly commercial. When you look upon it from the outside, it looks like a cute Parisian coffee shop. The decor inside also matches this description.

When my friends and I went, we all decided to order a different cake/pastry so we could sample a variety of their delicious-looking offerings. We ended up ordering lemon drizzle cake, carrot cake, and a chocolate cupcake (they had a different name, but that was essentially what it was). I have to say, every single one of these items were incredible. The lemon cake was fluffy and light with a strong, fresh taste of lemon - don't you hate when sometimes it seems like places have used bottled lemon juice rather than fresh lemons in their 'lemon' cakes? The carrot cake also lived up to its name, in the sense that the carrot taste wasn't overwhelmed by the creamy topping, as can usually be the case with lower quality versions of this dessert. Finally, the chocolate cupcake had an rich, intense flavour. Overall, I'd highly recommend this place for their dessert.

Food: A

Ambience/Deco: A
Service: B (Nothing spectacular)
Price: $ (Slightly expensive, but worth it)

Le Salon (Hong Kong)

Hysan Place, a new mall in Hong Kong, opened about two weeks ago. It's all the rage with the locals, with its 24/7 book shop (an idea borrowed from the Taiwanese) and because of the very fact that it's new - Hong Kongers love this sort of thing. I personally skipped the Sunday crowds and headed straight to the more promising upper levels of the mall, which holds a bunch of interesting looking restaurants.

The first restaurant I sampled was Le Salon. It's a quiet haven amidst the bustling Hysan crowd. A very classy looking place, with its striped walls and dark furniture.

I ordered the High Tea set on the waiter's recommendation, and it certainly looked delicious when it arrived. However, to my dismay, it was one of those things that look a lot better than they taste.

The creme brulee was sour (I think the milk must've curdled or something), the macaron wasn't particularly well made (in my opinion, it should be light with a crunch - this was heavy) and the croissant was overly sweet.

Although the bagel and the scone were redeeming aspects, overall, better high tea sets can be found elsewhere in Hong Kong - like at LGB, for example.

Food: B

Ambience/Deco: A

Service: B

Price: B

Le Salon

Shop No. 1302, 13/F, Hysan Place, 500 Hennessy Road, Causeway Bay