Floating in an ethereal world of flowers and cakes.
Our experience
Whereas high tea is not a strong point in NYC, it most certainly is in many parts of Asia. As part of our “Best High Tea in Hong Kong” series, this month we review Tomacado, an exquisitely elegant modern Chinese restaurant washed in soft warm pink tones and draped in flowers at every possible corner. The venue is especially ideal for outings with the girl gang (complete with Instagram-worthy and XiaoHongShu-worthy aesthetics), or even with the mother/mother-in-law crowd.
The high tea set at Tomacado is available for two persons for around HKD $500 (i.e. solo sets are not available). For beverages, one can choose from traditional Chinese teas, or an array of brightly-coloured fruity drinks. On the day of our visit during Mother’s Day weekend, Tomacado’s high tea session started with a sweet soup appetizer of poached pear, fluffy white fungus, longan and goji berry served in a little crystal bowl. Savouries included salty bites of cured meats and cheese layered onto toasted croissant slices. The desserts then arrived on clear acrylic tray, with the waiter pouring water into a dry ice container to create a temporary mist that slowly revealed a jewellery box-like collection of sweets. The most memorable desserts of the high tea set included a chocolate mousse cake resembling Beijing’s Temple of Heaven; a vibrant sweet potato and white chocolate cake shaped into a lion; a yellow gourd made of mung bean; and a bowl of rich tiramisu with a bouncy koi goldfish embellishing its surface. There were also two other desserts, including a disc of raspberry sponge cake, and leaf-shaped matcha cheesecake, both of which were equally “not too sweet.”
Our verdict
Long-time readers of this dessert blog will know that we set a very high bar for high teas: there must absolutely be no boring ribbon sandwiches, no loud pandemonium-like ambience and no quotidien careless desserts, please. Tomacado is thankfully, none of those — it is instead, one of the most memorable high teas we have nibbled our way through in recent years, and we especially love its creative fusing of Chinese dessert flavours together with a Western dessert base. If New York’s Duo Cafe and QM Dessert Bar high teas were a step back into China’s historical high tea past, Tomacado is a step into its future.
Dessert adventure checklist
- ☑ Dessert destination: Tomacado, Shop L2-06, L2, World Trade Centre Shopping Centre (WWWTC), 280 Gloucester Rd, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong.
- ☑ Budget: $$-$$$ (Approx HKD $488 for 2 persons, plus service tax; approx USD $65 for 2 persons).
- ☑ Sweet irresistibles: High Tea.
- ☑ Must-eat: Modern Chinese desserts.
- ☑ The short and sweet story: Floating in an ethereal world of flowers and cakes.
Dessert Correspondents 