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An Exquisite Afternoon High Tea @ The Landing Point, Fullerton Bay Hotel

After our morning outing to the River Safari on my birthday, the husband and I headed home to get changed and left for the Fullerton Bay Hotel where we enjoyed a relaxing afternoon, indulging in an elegant high tea in full view of the waterfront panorama of the Marina Bay.

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Built in 1933, Clifford Pier was a landing point for immigrants and other sea passengers. The Landing Point derives its name as it signifies the long passage way the early settlers took upon setting foot at the pier.” – Fullerton Bay Hotel

We love the breathtaking architecture and ambience of the hotel (in fact, there were a couple of times when hubby and I just stopped by the lobby area to rest our feet) that exudes this refined elegance and luxurious grandeur.

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We were seated at the corner of the long couch, next to the two ladies, where we got really comfy and cosy.

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Occasionally, a pianist would be playing a few tunes on the grand piano while we dined. The glass barrel on the left hand side held the refills for the high tea which the service staff would bring to guests at their tables every now and then.

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A clean and simple table setting

By the time we were here, we were feeling quite ravenous as we only had small bites in the morning just so we could save some tummy space for the high tea. The moment we sat down, our beverage order was taken immediately.

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Menu of TWG tea selections

I went for their signature Fullerton Express Tea which apparently was commissioned from TWG Tea Company by the Fullerton Group. I really enjoyed this tea for its delicate and slightly sweet flavour that resembled chamomile.

The husband opted for the Silver Moon Tea which tasted subtly sweet and fruity.

For the high tea, each guest can select up to three options from the tea or coffee menu but one selection was good enough for me as I don’t normally drink a lot when I eat.

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Coffee selections and hot chocolate

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While waiting for our high tea set to arrive, we were first served a plain scone and a raisin scone each. Not the best scones I’d eaten but at least they were warm and fresh.

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Some clotted cream and jam to go with the scones. The clotted cream was a disappointment as it tasted just like a greasy butter which wasn’t surprising as most dining establishments here do not make good classic cornish clotted cream like Rodda’s in UK which had set an all-time high benchmark for me.

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The unique part about the high tea here was that food would be served on this three-tier stand instead of a buffet line so we could just sit back, relax and indulge without the need of walking around to grab bites or catching the attention of a service staff to place our orders.

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This stand was meant for sharing between two persons and everything on it was refillable. The service staff would come round regularly to ask if there was anything we’d like to have more of and he or she would just fill up our stand again as per our requests.

The top tier consisted of Creme Brulee Dark Chocolate Tart and Salted Caramel Dark Chocolate Tart. The middle one contained the savouries – Cucumber Sandwich, Brie on Cracker, Smoked Salmon Sandwich with Caviar, Truffled Egg on Baguette, Bagel with Prosciutto, Smoked Salmon Quiche, Boston Lobster Coronets and Duck Rillette Crepe. The bottom tier had Lemon Tarts, Eclair, Prune Kueh Lapis and Canele.

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Smoked Salmon Quiche, Boston Lobster Coronets and Duck Rillette Crepe

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This mini lobster cone was filled with succulent pieces of lobster meat in a crispy outer covering. The cone itself had a lovely aromatic flavour of black sesame that was a little overpowering in flavour.

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The duck rillette crepe was my favourite among all savouries. I can never resist soft, moist, rich and creamy duck rillette! This was beautifully rich and flavoursome that would leave behind a salty after-taste just like luncheon meat.

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The smoked salmon quiche was average. There were too little of smoked salmon bits in it and the custard wasn’t silky enough. The crust was also a tad too dense.

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Another winner if you like prosciutto. The bagel was a little soft for me (I prefer mine firmer) but I loved the combination of the ham, with cheese, tomato and lettuce in between. Salty and sweet.

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The husband loved the truffled egg baguette since he loves eggs in any form. I thought this tasted ordinary, nothing spectacular. The bread was quite dry.

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The smoked salmon sandwich was decent since I like smoked salmon anyway but it could get sickly if consumed too much. The brie on rye cracker tasted too mild, somehow it just lacked that cheesy ooooomph.

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A standard cucumber sandwich, nothing to rave about.

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These were my top three favourites from the savouries. I had countless refills of them especially the duck rillette crepe. The husband kept laughing away whenever I requested for duck rillette, well, umpteen times, lol.

Moving on to the sweets…

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These tarts were kick-ass! The creme brulee with a nice caramelised top was just delicious! I could eat more of these creme brulee (without the crust) anytime! The chocolate crusts weren’t too bad, crumbly enough but could be slightly more moist.

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I couldn’t resist taking a picture of the cross-section of the salted caramel tart because it just looked delish. Bottom was a layer of gooey sweet caramel, followed by the dark chocolate custard and then sprinkled with some sea salt on top. Every bite was a burst of flavours in the mouth.

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The sweets on the bottom tier paled in comparison with the rest. The kueh lapis wasn’t buttery enough. The eclair and canele were too dry. However…

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the lemon tart was pretty impressive though it was very sweet. Just look at how runny the lemon curd was. There was a strong lemony flavour to it that was sharp and refreshing which I liked but the husband didn’t appreciate. He just thought it was too overwhelmingly tart.

We didn’t have seconds for the sweets because the flavours were just too dense and cloying.

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If you need a break from all those feasting, just step outside and take in the breathtaking scenery of the Marina Bay.

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The high tea is priced at $45++ per person. UOB credit card holders will get a 15% discount.

My overall verdict? I’m not sure if I’d return again because the variety of food wasn’t huge and there were quite a number of misses too. But this is one place that everyone should give it a try. The service was impeccable, absolutely nothing to fault on. The husband and I had a good time here. No stress, no sweat. We could just let our hair down and just spend quality time with each other while sipping tea and enjoying little treats. Truly savouring the little moments in life.

The Landing Point @ Fullerton Bay Hotel, Lobby Level
80 Collyer Quay
Afternoon tea hours: 3.00pm to 5.30pm daily
Price: $45++ per person
For reservations, please call 6597 5277

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