Heritage Afternoon Tea at Fullerton Bay Hotel

Ships sailing to Singapore in the early days would dock at the harbour and boats would bring in passengers and goods up to Clifford Pier where they would disembark, or embark for outward journeys. The Pier, built in 1933, must have been a rather busy, noisy place, a great spot for fishing and hawkers would ply their wares on it. In 2006, the Pier was shut down. 

Fullerton Bay Hotel and the Pier

The entrance to the restaurant 

Setting for afternoon tea

Today, the Pier is part of the Fullerton Bay Hotel; under its graceful arched tresses is the setting of the genteel Clifford Pier Heritage Afternoon Tea. Paying tribute to the cuisines of the many races that make up the nation, the menu reflects this diversity.
Large glass windows afford spectacular views of the bay which at the same time protect diners from the elements. Soft furnishings in muted shades of brown and grey highlight the luxurious feel.

Auspicious welcome to the Heritage Tea

Since it was just a week away from the Lunar new Year, red lanterns added to the festive cheer (incidentally, the Pier was once known as the Red Lantern Pier as red lamps were used to guide travellers ashore).

Spring rolls; chicken stuffed money bags

Eight savouries and 8 sweets represent the Singapore food experience. The starters comprised wonderfully crisp spring rolls and little chicken stuffed money bags. And kuih pie tee, a snack that one hardly sees anywhere except on the menus of caterers.

Bak kwa jam on egg tarts (or on anything!)

Popiah; kuih pie tee

Chefs were busy assembling the tiny pie tee cups and rolling up popiah with freshly made skins. The gyoza with its ginger soy dip was equally delicious.

Gyoza

Carrot cake with XO chilli & egg; spicy prawns - give me more!

Chilli crab with fried mantou buns, kong bak bao

Clifford Pier's chilli crab had crab meat cooked in the tangy chill sauce. The sauce was quite gluggy but the braised belly pork with garlic soy sauce was outstanding. Sandwiched in a steamed mantou bun, the meat was tender and moist and finger licking good.

How to make ...rojak!!!

Rojak, a mix of fruits and veg in a prawn and peanut sauce featured some unusual ingredients like jambu (water apple) and guava. Even the salads, particularly the cold jellyfish salad, with its crunchy jelly-like (what else!!) texture were a lovely addition to the typical high tea menu.

Smoked duck salad; salmon; jellyfish salad

To drink - rose milk, soyabean milk and the works 

Lunar New Year bites - pineapple tarts; osmanthus jelly; prawn rolls, kuih bahulu; melt-in-the-mouth peanut cookies; kuih tako

Kuih tako - my fav!

There are a selection of teas, including jasmine, sencha, rooibos and teh tarik of course. Not a coffee drinker - they take care of that too - with any sort of coffee or even kopi kosong (black coffee, no sugar).

It's the 3-tiered stand that draws the most murmurs of appreciation for how can it be high tea without one! The occupants of the stand were slices of red velvet swiss roll, delicious cheesecake, financiers, almond biscuits, bika ambon (honeycomb cake) and macarons. No tea, however, is complete without scones and they were on the top tier, wrapped in a napkin. Eat them plain or spread them with some kaya, cream cheese or pineapple jam.

Service is excellent, the staff are at hand to make suggestions and keep that teacup full.

The Clifford Pier Heritage Afternoon Tea is a great way to catch up on the island's culinary history. And in the perfect setting. It is priced at $48++per head and is from 3.30 - 5.30pm daily.