High-Tea Birthday at YTL Hotel Stripes

Last weekend we celebrated Hubby's birthday aka his departure from the mid-thirties! *chuckles* It was decidedly a very low key event for us, especially because I was scheduled for a medical procedure at the hospital the day after. Contrary to our past birthday celebrations, I decided to let the kids tag along too for a change. Interestingly, we ended up getting tickled by the kids' antics instead of concentrating on the birthday boy. *awww*

Since I needed to start fasting at midnight for the said procedure, I decided to take everyone out for high tea instead! (I did book an early dinner too in case we were hungry but in the end everyone didn't care for dinner cos we were too full!)

It was our first time at Stripes Hotel by YTL. Despite the quirky location, we found the boutique hotel quite charming in nature. We arrived for high tea sharp at 3pm, and were one of the first few to arrive. Since I had booked ahead and told them that it was a birthday celebration, they graciously led us to a table by the window.

The hotel facade, and the entrance into Brasserie 25, where we had our high-tea.

First few photos we took, while Ian was still napping.

The staff were very hospitable and some even tried making small talk with the kids. They served us welcome drinks and explained the concept of the high tea. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the food was free flow! (For the price I paid, free flow made the whole outing dirt cheap and absolutely worth it!) Kids were allowed to enjoy the high tea but they must order a full price drink each. In the end we ordered watermelon juice for Ian (who was still napping) while Aiden requested for hot chocolate.

Savoury treats - you simply must try the spring rolls!

We started with savoury treats - a generous serving of spring rolls, curry puffs, cheese mushroom pies and risotto balls, plus a platter of cheese and chicken ham sandwiches. (Aiden's eyes widened at the word 'ham' and he whispered, "Is this hotel Halal?" *irolledonthefloorlaughing*)

The spring rolls were exceptionally good, with the sandwiches a close second. We asked for second helpings for both. The risotto balls were interesting; a mesh of glutinous rice and cheese in the middle. I wasn't a fan of the curry puffs (to be fair, I never was anyway) but Ian loved munching on the crunchy sides.

Ian woke up smiling, took a bite of his curry puffs and then went back to sleep.

Next came the French pastries. Instead of serving us everything in a platter on the table (like the savories), this time the host carried a tray filled with sinful desserts, presented it to us and and asked us to choose our favorites. Of course, he pointed to each dessert and gave us a description of it, but after a few I lost track of the names!

Check out that tray!

Just forget about your calories. Really.

In the end, Hubby chose and then I just elected for the ones that he didn't have on his plate. That way, we got to try everything on the tray. Aiden of course, had his own mind and chose everything that was covered with chocolate. While Ian was kept contented with his macarons.

We really enjoyed the creme brûlée - we asked for more but unfortunately they ran out. *sobsob* The raspberry sandwiched macarons were simply exquisite - just the right touch of sour from the berries, and sweet from the meringue. The strawberry tart was a delightful treat too. Hubby gave me a hard time about my choice of madeleines (he asked, "You makan bahulu ke?" *rollseyes*), while the lemon meringue tart was slightly too sour for Aiden.

The kids posing with their choice of sweet delicacies.

As we were busy savoring our sweet treats, suddenly I saw a hostess signaling to me from behind Hubby's back. She was subtly asking whether she could bring out the complimentary birthday cake or not. Now this is how things should be done- I've had so many prior ruined birthday outings where the waiters would just come right out and ask whether they should bring out the cake! So kudos to Hotel Stripes for the thoughtful gesture.

White chocolate truffle cake. Truffle topping is made using white chocolate, heavy cream and mascarpone cheese. (I learn something new everyday!)

They served a white chocolate truffle cake, with "Happy Birthday Daddy" scribbled in chocolate (they had called to ask for the inscription the day before). The hostess invited Aiden and Ian to sing Happy Birthday together with her and even offered to take our photos afterwards. Awesome hospitality!

Last photo before we left.

Thank you Hotel Stripes, for making Hubby's birthday such a memorable one. We will certainly return for new memories!