I've written about Chef Ashfer Biju in these pages before and a few weeks ago I wrote about a lovely dinner he'd created with inspiration from Shalini Haut Parfum. At the time, though I didn't know it, he was on his way to a new position as Executive Chef at the Baccarat Hotel New York, and I decided to visit him when he was there and enjoy Afternoon Tea.
When I was very young and into my teens, my mother and I used to go to Afternoon Tea together at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Boston. One of my favorite books as a child was E. B. White's "Trumpet Of The Swan" and it still is a very special book to me. The swan in that story stays at the Ritz Carlton and orders room service of tea sandwiches because of the watercress in them. Somehow or other my mother found out that we could actually go to the Ritz for tea, and so we did and it was one of the most lovely experiences. We went often together for special occasions and sometimes just for fun, and ever since then I've searched for a place to enjoy Afternoon Tea but haven't found one that matched those memories.
The idea of visiting the Baccarat Hotel was wonderful in itself, and knowing that Chef Ashfer Biju was there made it even more special. He is a marvelous Chef and a truly wonderful and kind, humble person. The food he has created that I've had the honor to enjoy in the past has always been so excellently full of flavor and colors and textures, with the freshest and best ingredients artfully combined for not only a beautiful experience of taste and scent but for visual beauty as well. Add to that the experience of Afternoon Tea and it was a day that I will remember always with a smile of delight as I look forward to more adventures in this marvelous place.
From the moment I walked in, everything and everyone was so wonderful and lovely and kind and welcoming. The signature scent of the hotel is so enjoyable to the senses as it creates a feeling of peace and relaxing, calm, luxurious elegance. Every person who greeted me had such a gift of hospitality that every moment I felt not only taken care of but as if I were someone special. The Afternoon Tea itself was wonderful, with every taste and flavor and creation as wonderful in every way as they were beautiful, and the Grand Salon where it was served is a room so lovely and filled with the beauty of art and design and crystal chandeliers and refracting light, including prisms that hang as a covering for the windows, that I could happily sit there every day and enjoy the peace and tranquility of a beautiful afternoon.
Every touch down to the quill pen that is given for signing brought back beautiful memories from my childhood and my growing up and gave me new memories to add to this chapter of my life. As I prepared to go I caught a glimpse of the bar area and I began to dream about my next visit to this very special and beautiful place.
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