The poetry of spring.
It’s hard to believe sometimes how days crawl by, yet years fly by. Although it has been six years since we last visited Japan during the spring time, we can still almost see, if we close our eyes, the translucent beauty of the pink petals as the sun (or moonlight) glints through the branches, that fluttering ballet dance of the flowers in the breeze. On the last weekend of March, we flew over to DC for the cherry blossoms. It’s as close as we will get to that evanescent dream for now.
While we were in DC, we hit up two dessert spots, of course. 😛 The first was Astro Doughnuts for its pretty cherry blossom doughnut. Be forewarned that on weekends, you may have to wait up to 30 minutes or so to get your little hands on a doughnut. The lines are quite long!
The second dessert spot we visited was the St Regis Hotel, which was offering a special-themed cherry blossom high tea to commemorate, and coincide, with the flowering of the cherry blossoms. The St Regis Hotel in DC is furnished in the style of a very old European castle. It’s redolent in burnished brass and gold leaf, dripping with crystal and draped in heavy garnet velvet brocades. Price at USD $75 pp (plus tip/tax), afternoon tea was hosted on the lobby floor of the hotel, a setting which somewhat deprives diners of a little privacy and genteel quiet. The tea menu was average in length, featuring a variety of black, green, white and herbal tea infusions.
What distinguished St Regis’ high tea from the countless extravagant high teas we have had over the years, was that the high tea was presented on a tree! From the boughs of a golden-stemmed tree embellished with a scattering of blush-pink blossoms, the St Regis had hung a few glass baubles of desserts. There was a white chocolate eclair, red velvet cupcake, raspberry layered cake, and a panna cotta verrine. Savouries (not just limp ribbon sandwiches yay!) were presented on a separate plate, and scones (accompanied with lush cream, strawberry jam and lemon curd) wreathed the trunk of the tree. It was a wonderful way to spend the afternoon before meandering over to the National Mall and Tidal Basin area to watch the sun illuminate the cherry blossoms in a silvery glow as it slowly disappeared into the twilight.
Dessert adventure checklist
- ☑ Dessert destination:
- Astro Doughnuts, 1308 G Street N, Washington DC.
- St Regis Hotel, 923 Black Lives Matter Plz NW, Washington DC.
- ☑ Budget: $ for Astro Doughnuts; $$$ (USD $75 pp+ tip/tax) for St Regis.
- ☑ Sweet irresistibles: Doughnuts and High Tea.
- ☑ Must-eat: Cherry Blossom Doughnut.
- ☑ The short and sweet story: The poetry of spring.
Dessert Correspondents 