Establishment: The Cortile, Intercontinental Sydney
Cuisine: Leisurely lunch and dinner buffets and high teas
Allergy information: their menu very clearly shows options which are gluten free, vegan, lactose free, seafood free and nut free
Suggestions: The Vegan High Tea - dairy and egg free which can be tailored to nut free for anyone with nut allergies
This is the first restaurant review in a while but I couldn't be more pleased to start the new decade's reviews with a round up of this incredible High Tea at The Cortile in the Intercontinental Hotel. Please enjoy while I try to recount the experience with as much elegance as I can muster!
Thanks to the enduring allergies to dairy and egg, those stalwart baked good staples, for the longest time, the high tea has seemed like a fairly distant notion to me. I've actually been to one once, years and years ago, when a friend of mine turned 21. Admittedly, back then, while we knew the likelihood I could eat much was quite low, we thought there might at least be some fruit I could eat while she tucked into her more traditional treats. As it happened, they didn't really do fruit but kindly supplied me with some bread and jam to enjoy alongside my tea.
Picturesque treats aside, we still had a really lovely afternoon though since then, unless we're talking about kitchen teas held by friends, the fancy three-tiered hotel spreads have remained off the table of options.
However as dietary-friendly options only continue to grow in many establishments, this more recent shift has seen the advent of more vegan high teas on offer in hotels and restaurants meaning those of us with allergies to dairy, egg, fish and shellfish get to give this historical afternoon tradition a try. In my case, after receiving a good few links about it from my ever-eagle-eyed friends, the Cortile was a perfect place to give that first high tea experience a do over.
I booked a fair bit ahead of time, which they recommend, and I was able to include my dietary requirements in the online booking but of course you can always give them a ring to properly discuss any allergies. Thankfully, the vegan end of things means that I'm less concerned about the dairy, egg and seafood content, however I'm also allergic to kiwi and rockmelon and my nut allergies are rather specific, so I often just ask to cut them out altogether for simplicity's sake, particularly when trying somewhere new.
As it turned out, I didn't need to worry about a thing. When my friend, Col, and I made our way into that beautiful lounge, the staff immediately let me know that the kitchen had noted all my allergies so I was all set. We were then taken to our table and given the run down on how everything would work. For Col, they had prepared the set vegan high tea and for me, they had replaced the options with nuts on the menu.
We were given a quick rundown of the drinks options and there were mocktails for this pair of non-drinkers so Col went for a Country Garden and I decided to finally see what all this Seedlip business was about, ultimately going for a Spiced Apple Spritz.
Soon enough, out came the food and, I have to say, it looked amazing! Elegantly set out on each tier, it was a brilliant first glance at a spread that looked just as delicious as it read on the menu. First cab off the rank, the savouries in the form of this excellent trio of wraps.
I went straight for the Hummus, salt baked Beetroot and Parsley, the perfect start for anyone who enjoys beetroot as much as I do (which is a lot). Sweet and savoury, with a perfect mix of crisp and creamy thanks to the leaves and the hummus. I admit, I wasn't sure what to expect with these so I was pretty impressed and in terms of flavour, this and the Roast Vegetable, Sweet Potato and Herb wrap really stood out, though the Mushroom, Spinach and Tofu still wasn't anything to sneeze at either!
Savouries done, I moved onto the desserts because, well, look at them! I enjoyed every single one. Yes, I did save the scones till last because they still remain something of a rare food for me to eat and I love them, but also as my friend pointed out, I was a tad concerned they'd fill me up before I got to the sweets and we definitely couldn't have that.
My conversion to coconut only continues to grow thanks to that Mango and Coconut Cream mousse (this was served in place of the items with nuts - the mini Chocolate Cake and the Macaron). If I'm honest, I prefer mango fruit over mango nectar and tend to find most mango desserts too sweet but here, the coconut and the mango worked perfectly together to cut that sweetness. The dried coconut also helped add some crunch.
Some tart berries from that little chocolate shell was a great way to follow up and serve up some nice textural contrast and the Chocolate Truffle was smooth, rich and delicious (I ought to note here, that this was the one item that tickled my throat just a little which sometimes happens when I try new dairy-free chocolates. The reaction was incredibly mild, lasted less than a minute and I also know my risk levels so I wasn't too concerned but everyone's tolerance levels are different so if this is a concern, definitely speak with the staff and possibly request a safe alternative).
In the end, my surprise dessert favourite was the Berry Mousse. After all the other sweets, it was the perfect segue between dessert and scones.
These lovelies are not only dairy, egg and nut free, but gluten free as well. Loved, loved, loved these. Scones, excellent. Coconut cream, perfect. Jam, beautiful. Hurrahs all round.
As it goes, Col's best with one scone at any given time so she offered me her extra, leaving me with three instead of the usual two. In the end, I could only do the one myself, having merrily filled up on savouries and sweets, so I was happy enough to walk away with two of these traditional high tea staples as baon (Filipino word for take away). Yes, I took some cream and jam away too!
Certainly an experience in the Treat Yo Self culinary category, this was a wonderful one, only made more so by the staff. Every single one of them was so friendly, and our main server thoroughly went through everything full of cheer and with a smile. Add in their charming pianist tinkling away in the background and you have a genuine treat indeed.
A happy cheers to the Cortile for such an excellent first full High Tea experience!
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