Kettle Creek Restaurant
Après Tea served 2-5 pm Thu and Sun only.
For the price, and the location - excellent. More food than I was expecting, and surprisingly good! And the service and presentation were pleasant.
Having had the gold standard, "High Tea" at the Empress in Victoria, I'm spoiled.
Comparatively, the flavors weren't strong, tart, and dry enough to complement the tea. Although the smoked duck canapé was terrific, the cucumber sandwich was mediocre, not crisp and light. The egg salad was heavy and gooey (maybe it could have had a touch of curry?), and there's nothing high-brow about a sun-dried tomato tortilla wrap.
The scones were good with cream and jam. But not quite the dry, flaky, baking-powder taste that makes you crave more tea. The jam was good, but not the tart strong flavor like a freezer raspberry jam that complements tea well.
The desserts were the best part, and who can argue with that? Delicious flavorful (but not overpoweringly so) morsels with, variously, ginger or berries or crème caramel or truffle. And lots of them, and just the right miniature size, so you taste a lot of variety but don't feel like you've over-eaten.
My refill of tea was with the original tea bag, so it was undrinkable, and the teapot was the typical heavy diner style that never pours well and drips backwards with every pour. Nothing delicate about this teapot. The right spout to pour tea has been around for centuries - why do restaurants always get such lousy ones? But I digress.
Who's to quibble with details Who's only $20 for all this in a beautiful mountain setting? Well worth it and I'd come again. read more