Afternoon Tea at Trump Vancouver Champagne Lounge

The Trump Champagne Lounge is a vivacious space! In only our first 5 minutes people watching proved to be very interesting: posh hotel guests walking through the lobby en route to their luxury digs, friends meeting for drinks, an engagement party and satisfied diners exiting Mott 32 with food coma grins. Giggling and judging people quietly to each other Jenn and I ordered the Sparkling Afternoon Tea and the Infinite Afternoon Tea. I'd humbly recommend only one tea set per pair, but gluttony is in, in 2017!

Pink Flamingo Iced Tea

The Sparkling comes with a glass of Bartolomiol 'Miol' Prosecco Extra Dry and the Infinite with a very sophisticated Laurent-Perrier Brut. The Prosecco had a nice hint of blackberry and was full of flavour and the Brut was very tart, which I like, and had a fruit aromas with a slight citrus finish; delicious! We also ordered the Bain de Roses and Royal Darjeeling from the venerable TWG Tea.

Laurent-Perrier Champagne

Infinite Afternoon Tea

Our tea set arrived, amalgamated, and sitting on a very unique hexagonal pedestal which really showed off its wares! Scones, as fresh as I've ever tasted, with a very frothy Devonshire cream and house made raspberry jam and lemon curd; lovely! We plunged into the tower with the Salmon à la Bombay Petite Sliders. Think smoked salmon with a mild curry kick, very good! The Rolled Egg Sandwich followed and the Italian Truffle tapenade really shines through just as the cream cheese stole the show in the Cucumber & Dill sandwich that followed. My first experience with my favourite condiment in the world, Sriracha, in a high tea set and it was a good one! Duck, delicious, mixed with oyster sauce, awesome, the aforementioned Sriracha, and wrapped in a fluffy crèpe! A very, very nice finger sandwich! I could have eaten 50.

Infinite Afternoon Tea

Finger Sandwiches: Cucumber & Dill, Rolled Egg Sandwich, Spicy Duck Crepe, Salmon à la Bombay Petite Slider

Warm House Baked Scones with Devonshire Cream, Homemade Raspberry Jam & Lemon Curd

Some people claim that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Well I'm going to make an official argument for dessert finally getting the nod. Stay with me. Cake contains eggs, eggs contain protein and protein helps to rebuild and grow muscle. Sugar affects the same pleasure centre in the brain as cocaine. Would you rather kids did cocaine than eat cake?? Would you?? Cheese cake pops, hazelnut chocolate cake, Matcha and strawberry rolled cake, white chocolate and raspberry mouse and raspberry rose water lychee Paris Brest. Cake, cake, cake, mousse and whatever the last one is, not a bad way to end a delicious meal! You could go just for dessert and leave very satisfied!

Pastry Selection: Matcha & Strawberry Rolled Cake, Raspberry Rose Water & Lychee Paris Brest, Hazelnut Chocolate Cake

Cheese Cake Pops & Cotton Candy

Having had no fewer than 30 different afternoon teas in the last year I can pledge that Trump does it as well as anyone around! Their service is amazing, always, and the ambience is beautiful. You will not be sorry you went in even if you are sorry about its unfortunate name.  They're making us forge by offering world class hotel accommodations, luxury condos, sublime spa services, a raucous nightclub and incredible dining in Mott 32 as well as the Champagne Lounge where we found ourselves enjoying our tea experience. I would highly recommend you checking out Trump!

Louis XIII Truffles Wrapped with Gold

Words: Scott Allan

Photos: Jenn Chan

Travel: 137 Pillars House, Chiang Mai, Thailand

The Original 137 Pillars House, Chiang Mai

137 Pillars House Chiang Mai won Best Hotel in Asia from Travel & Leisure's in 2016. That is a big deal, really big! Travel & Leisure is the premiere publication for travel! It is not difficult to see why they won either. The service is excellent, the grounds are stunning and the location is prime. 

The incredible service started even before we graced their grounds. 137 Pillars sent a car for us to our previous hotel. A car with leather, massage seats. Yes, that's right. JC also insisted I mention the cold towel and bottles of water they provided for the ride.  Having stayed in a completely different part of Chiang Mai we were delighted to see a completely different, and significantly better, area we may never have had occasion to venture to. Nawarat Bridge is mere minutes walk away, it's beautiful, and the surrounding Ping River area is filled with shopping and great restaurants!

As we pulled through the gates past the unassuming, white outer walls we were floored by the elegance of the entryway and the floating reception area surrounded by water. As we were led to our villa the plush, tropical vegetation and its fragrant aroma makes you forget where you are. 137 Pillars House Chiang Mai is a self-contained, tropical oasis! The beauty of the grounds cannot be overemphasized! All 30 of their amazing villas face to the centre of the property where a Borneo Company house, built in 1889 and boasting 137 pillars to support it, stands in all of its teak splendour. Now a posh restaurant, gym and small museum it has been restored to its 19 century glory and is absolutely beautiful. They don't make them like that anymore.

137 Pillars Grounds

I would live in our villa. Add a kitchen in the walk in closet and the suite would sell for $1 - 1.1 million dollars in my neighbourhood. And it would sell quickly! The claw foot tub in the elegant bathroom overlooks a romantic outdoor shower. The deck, complete with ultra comfortable rocking chair, has a nice view of the croquet course and refreshing ceiling fan hums away over the plush patio couch. The bed is like sleeping on a cloud and the air conditioning was quiet and strong. So necessary in Thailand!

137 Pillars House Suite

137 Pillars House Suite Private Pool

137 Pillars House Dining Room

Lobster Udon

Beef Tenderloin Burger

Do you think 2016's best hotel in Asia has good food? Do you? Well it does. 

Incredible food actually! We were delighted to indulge in one of the best meals of our nearly 2 month Southeast Asia adventure. We started with a lovely cheese platter; blue cheese, Brie, cheddar with plum and shallots. We also ordered the 137's chowder, assorted seafood in rich white and Truffle soup base. It was delicious and hearty and fresh as a sly comeback. Foie gras is French for fatty liver. It was very tender. Like Elvis belting out a love ballad tender. We paired everything with a Lindeman's Henry's Sons Vrut Cuvée which was the perfect compliment to the cheese platter and extended into the seafood chowder and Foie gras course seamlessly.

Cheese Plate with Wine Pairing

137 Pillars Seafood Chowder

Foie Gras

The main event was a Veal Angus Beef and some beautiful Lamb Chops. A filet mignon with a white truffle infused whipped potato and port wine beef jus. Picture mashed potatoes, fluffy piles of potato goodness, now add truffles and consider the awesomeness multiplies by 100. The lamb was very fresh and was amongst the best I've ever had. The dish disappeared quickly so I can only assume she concurred.

Lamb Chops

Veal Angus Beef

The service at 137 is top notch. The property is flawless, the pool is a perfect oasis and the food cannot be beaten! It is difficult to find a negative to 137. Out butler Toto was very helpful and a quick text answers all of our questions. It is amongst my favourite hotels of all time and you will not regret visiting!

137 Pillars Grounds at Night

137 Pillars Pool at Night

Words: Scott Allan
Photos: Jenn Chan

Lobster Fest at Provence Marinaside

The Marinaside area of Vancouver is one of the most breathtaking communities in the city! The yachts, the seawall, the posh restaurants and the ultra luxury condos and townhouses. Poshest amongst the eateries is the decadent Provence Marinaside. 

Our experience starts, at Wine Director Josh's recommendation, with a nice, light 2016 La Beyssannette Rosé from, perhaps not coincidentally, the Provence region of France. A very pale pink with notes of strawberry and citrus that compliments, but doesn't overpower the vintage. Delicious! Out pops an amuse bouche from Chef Jean-Francis Quagua halfway through our first sips, perfect timing. The baby shrimp salsa pops with a fresh vegetable burst and the shrimp is perfectly cooked and as fresh as if they pulled it from the Pacific Ocean which lies a mere 50 feet from where we sit.

Lobster Fest Menu

Amuse Bouche - Shrimp Salsa

Lobster bisque is good. It's universally accepted. Paired with the 2014 Pinot Gris from the Okanagan's Kettle Valley winery it elevates it even further. The richness of the soup is neutralized perfectly by the acidity in the wine. A bite of lobster with a heavy spoonful of broth and chase it down with a sip of wine. You'll thank me! Emmenthal cheese has just recently come onto my radar, even a foodie misses some things, and it is good. Try melting it with Dijon, shallots and mushrooms then adding Atlantic lobster. It is a revelation. Again the sommelier reached into the Okanagan Valley for his pairing; the 2008 Summerhill Cipes Blanc de Noirs. If I had Josh in my employ I would have him pair my morning Cheerios, wine is life!

LOBSTER BISQUE | grapefruit chantilly cream
Wine Pairing: Kettle Valley Pinot Gris 2014 Okanagan, BC

BAKED LOBSTER THERMIDOR | creamy dijon, shallot and mushroom sauce with emmenthal cheese
Wine Pairing: Summerhill Cipes Blanc de Noirs 2008 Okanagan, BC

There's a reason that lobster is expensive. It's a similar reason that Maseratis are expensive. Demand. The flavour of a good lobster, drenched in molten butter, cannot be easily described. The performance and hand made detailing in a Maserati is likewise difficult to articulate and, as such, the demand is high so the price follows in lockstep. We ordered the Whole Lobster Gratin and Whole Atlantic Lobster and did not, for one second, regret our choices. The gratin offering is paired with the delicious Angels & Cowboys Rosé from Sonoma County and the latter with the eclectic 2014 Reichsrat von Buhl Spatburgunder Rosé Trocken from Germany. When a sommelier drops off a glass of wine and can't explain its bouquet or highlights, especially one as talented as Josh, it will make you curious. The German wine is quite nice, but certainly difficult to put a finger on. It did; however, pair extraordinarily with the lobster and helped propel it into a fine dining category that few eateries in Vancouver match. The Sonoma wine melded with the smoked tomato infused gratin lobster and it was probably my favourite of the two, but, like a doting parent, I hate to play favourites.

WHOLE ATLANTIC LOBSTER | sautéed provençal style, seasonal vegetables, seven grain rice
Wine Pairing: Reichsrat von Buhl Spatburgunder Rosé Trocken 2014 Pfalz, Germany

WHOLE LOBSTER GRATIN | smoked tomato, corn, wilted spinach, forbidden rice
Wine Pairing: Angels & Cowboys Rosé 2016 Sonoma County, California

Something about rhubarb takes me back to childhood. I remember picking it in our yard as a very small child and washing it like mom had showed me and sprinkling a bit of sugar on it and going to town. Mama's little baby also loved shortcake, shortcake. Provence's strawberry and rhubarb shortcake elicited a gasp as it arrived at our table. The perfect combination of sweet and tart and the shortbread was so fresh and flaky! Paired with my first experience with a late harvest merlot, the Paradise Ranch Merlot Ice Wine from the venerable Okanagan Valley. Delicious! Even if you have just came from dinner you can still spoil yourself with an amazing dessert at Provence! Service is a near perfect 9/10, only to give them something to strive for, and ambience is a perfect 10. Full stop. Treat yourself to one of the best restaurant in vancouver!

BC STRAWBERRY AND RHUBARB SHORTCAKE | basil agave chantilly
Wine Pairing Paradise Ranch Merlot Ice Wine 2013 Okangan, BC

Words: Scott Allan
Photos: Jenn Chan

Travel: Empress Hotel Chiang Mai, Thailand

The service at the Empress Hotel in Chiang Mai will dazzle you! We were welcomed warmly by their very gracious front desk staff and showed to our room where a beautiful bouquet waited and a bag full of Thai snacks. A good start to a lovely stay!

The room was very clean and well appointed. Lighter hardwood floors contrasted with the dark wood paneling and beautiful embellishments. The bar is well stocked and the work space is very functional. The bed passed the comfort test with flying colours as I sank into its plush duvet. The washroom offers a very clean, modern oasis away from the humid Thai heat outside.

Speaking of oasis from the heat; the Empress pool is among the best in Chiang Mai!  Our room offered a beautiful view of it from the 21st floor and the area bustles with happy guests laying out on chaise lounges and enjoying frosty cocktails from the pool bar. People swim laps as children frolic in the shallow end and weary travellers swap stories of their Southeast Asia adventures leaning against the pool's edge with Thailand's famous Singha beers clinking in celebration.

View from the Room

Empress Hotel Swimming Pool

The Chao Nang dining room is raucous spot where Empress staff entertain guests with sing alongs and delicious food. Each course of our culinary experience came served by a kneeling waiter who also bore gifts. I was presented with a lovely pair of elephant salt and pepper shakers which I will cherish and Jenn received some lovely pearly jewellery which she is actually wearing as I write this. The food is top notch and there will certainly be something for everyone whether you opt for a set menu or explore the large buffet. The freshness really jumps out at you!

Empress Hotel Chao Nang Dining Room

Mai Tai in a Pineapple

Prosciutto & Melon Balls 

L'angostine Salad

Chicken Pot Pie

Dragonfruit TukTuk

Surprise Dessert

The service is what sets Empress apart from other hotels in Chiang Mai. It is centrally located, only a short walk to the vibrant Night Market area, and it is surrounded by all the shops and restaurants you could ever need. There is no reason to leave! I would happily stay with Empress again and I think you should do yourself a favour and check it out!

Words: Scott Allan
Photos: Jenn Chan

Travel: Park Hyatt Siem Reap, Cambodia

The Living Room at Park Hyatt Siem Reap

Siem Reap is the best city in Southeast Asia! City might be a bit of a stretch as it really feels more like a resort town teeming with cottage goers buying nicknacks and applying sunscreen. The people are kind, the streets are clean and the temples, oh the temples, are an absolutely world class attraction!

We were lucky to call the Park Hyatt Siem Reap home for a week. We really do feel lucky to have chosen the hotel, from the dozens and dozens available, and made some genuine friendships with the staff there. From Minh's warm welcome and her company at a lovely afternoon tea to Mey's humble, cheerful service in the dining room to the many, many security guards who minded my motorbike and were eager to spend 5 minutes chatting about life and Cambodia.

In terms of luxury accommodations in Siem Reap you are deciding between the Park Hyatt and the Grand Hotel d'Angkor. We visited both properties and so I can be certain when I make this assertion; the Park Hyatt is the premier hotel in Siem Reap! Nestled halfway between the hedonistic Pub Street and packed Market Street it boasts the best location, in my opinion, of any hotel in the downtown core. Hedonistic is a monicker that might scare off some, but I mean it with reverence and adoration. A strip of bars, massage parlours and restaurants where the wares are only limited by your imagination. 'Happy pizza' parlours are dotted throughout where it is possible to order a 'happy' ham and pineapple pizza and receive a pie with a delicious crust, fresh toppings and a smattering of marijuana whose taste is undetectable, but whose effect is undeniably serene. It's perfectly legal in Siem Reap and when in Rome...

The lobby of the Park Hyatt is a lavish, cylindrical space which goes all the way up to the top floor, the third, and ends with the Hyatt's signature steeple which can be seen for miles. Whisked into the Living Room, a grand space with towering bookshelves and capped by an amazing bar, we were welcomed and offered some history on the property and Siem Reap. Sitting and absorbing the environment a sense of calm envelopes you. As you walk out into the courtyard the huge banyan tree surrounded by a big fountain shines with the light of the sun and invites you to wade into its shallow waters. But you mustn't. There are two actual pools after all.

Our suite was incredible! You walk into a wood on wood on wood oasis with a modern twist. The Italian marble in the washroom, the grand, lavish, incredible washroom, looks as expensive as it does refined. The mattress was like a fluffy cloud, a very fluffy cloud, and you could nestle in there for hours, days, weeks or years without feeling like you're missing any part of the human experience. Combine that with the large living room, adequate kitchenette and spacious walk in closet and I would live there. Full stop.

I will not, I refuse to, play favourites with the pools. The first floor salt water pool has its merits. On second thought I will play favourites; the second floor indoor/ outdoor pool is amazing! Large and warm and boasting several jetted alcoves, a bridge and a nearby bar it is a top notch oasis. It is a tie with the first floor dining area replete with  swinging tables, large beds suspended from chains, in terms of opulence and comfort!

Park Hyatt Siem Reap Salt Water Pool

Park Hyatt Siem Reap Pool at Night

Park Hyatt Siem Reap Fitness Centre

The food at the Park Hyatt is amazing! We were blessed to enjoy breakfast everyday, best eggs Benedict of my life, but we also indulged in the age old British tradition of high tea. Being the typical white guy with typical white guy tastes I partook in the Signature high tea set while Jenn ventured into the Thai tea set waters. Tea and crumpets and sandwiches and deliciousness. Jenn's tier seemed a bit more adventurous and I almost envied her curry this and that until I got to my pastry layer. I love carbs. My energy level loves carbs. My belly hates carbs, but he's a jerk anyway! Indulge in afternoon tea at the Park Hyatt! Having tried both high tea offerings from the two top Siem Reap hotels I can say, without hesitation, that the Hyatt's is no less than five times better!

When you tell locals, the poor yet incredibly congenial Cambodians I grew to love, that you're staying at the Park Hyatt they gasp and shift their gaze. Local Siem Reap hostels, which cost close to pennies, are the preferred accommodation for people who look like me: young, Caucasian males. I dress like those people. I act like those people. I crave the same Cambodian experience as those people, but I am privileged to stay in properties like the Park Hyatt. Siem Reap is, as I mentioned, the best town in Southeast Asia and if you don't make it there to visit after reading this you will feel cheated. If and when you go check out the Park Hyatt. You will not regret it.

Words: Scott Allan
Photos: Jenn Chan

Travel: Amanjaya Pancam, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Phnom Phen was founded in 1434 and was considered amongst the most beautiful cities in the French colonies of Indochina in the 1920's. The Riverside area, which boasts the venerable Amanjaya Pancam Hotel, is a bastion of French restaurants, enchanting rooftop bars and the Cambodian Royal Palace. So thick with attractions and excitement you will almost certainly need at least two days just to explore half of it!

The Amanjaya Pancam Hotel has a very New Orleans feel. New Orleans was a French colony itself until it was bought by the USA in 1803 for a cool $15,000,000; the Louisiana Purchase. One would almost expect to see shiny strands of beads being tossed up to the balconies where eager recipients demonstrate their gratitude by... well give it a quick Google and you'll get the gist.

Our room was very well appointed. The original wood floors compliment the wood mouldings and the French doors open to reveal a lovely patio overlooking the beautiful Wat Ounalom Monastery and the Decho Meas Decho Yat, a lovely riverside pavilion with statues, vendors and kids playing in a very carnival-like atmosphere. The large soaker tub was an oasis after a long day seeing the sights! The whole bathroom is very spa inspired and relaxing. The beds are very comfortable as are the spacious seating and desk areas.

Renowned for their Le Moon rooftop bar the fare in the KWest Restaurant is gaining equal notoriety. We thoroughly enjoyed the complimentary breakfast. Growing weary of large scale buffet breakfasts it was a genuine pleasure to order from a set menu and have the food made fresh. The ingredients used are top notch and the food is fresh and flavourful. I would certainly recommend KWest if you are in Phnom Phen!

Breakfast at Amanjaya Pancam

Iced Khmer Coffee & Pineapple Juice

Central Location

View from the Le Moon, Rooftop Bar

In all I would rate Amanjaya very high for the location, comfort of the rooms and quality of the restaurants. Phnom Phen is certainly worth a visit! Many French buildings have survived from colonial times, the Khmer monument are architecturally stunning and the Killing Fields will give you pause to reflect on your own good fortune. Tell them Jenn Chan Photography sent you!

Words: Scott Allan
Photos: Jenn Chan