“Chocolate naan…” Queen Viv’s voice on the other said and that’s about all that I heard apart from the words “afternoon tea”. Queen Viv’s colleague had mentioned the new concept of an Indian Afternoon Tea at Aki’s, Woolloomooloo and like I complain that Mr NQN has selective hearing, drowning out all cleaning requests with a gentle buzz, all I heard were the two words: chocolate naan.
I know, I know, high tea has a different meaning to afternoon tea and despite its lofty name, high tea was usually served to the working class, I get that, but I suspect that this high tea is not a working class affair. It’s on the Finger Wharf in Woolloomoloo and despite the sometime rainy day, there are already eager diners partaking of the afternoon tea. On every day during the month of October as part of the Crave International Food Festival in Sydney it will then be hosted every Sunday from then after.
Miss America and I take our seats at a table and we can see another table have just received their three tiered stand and are busy taking photographs of each other with their prized lunch. I secretly love it when tourists are about as I feel less conspicuous with my camera 
With the High Tea menu ($45 per person), you can choose a soft drink from a choice of three: masala chai or mango, sweet or salty lassi. Then you choose a Brown Brothers Sparkling wine-either a glass of their limited release Prosecco or their NV Pinot Noir Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier. In the interests of trying something different, we order one of each sparkling, a masala chai and a mango lassi.
Mango lassi, masala chai and Brown Brother sparkling wines
Our sparkling wines arrive first and then the masala chai which is a strong black tea made with Indian darjeeling masala tea with cardamom and milk. The mango lassi is a mango flavoured buttermilk yogurt drink which is just the right consistency.
A waiter brings us the three tiered stand. We had already checked out the other tables. On the top stand are the meat courses. There is a small glass of two spicy, scarlet shaded, crunchy rice flour coated prawns. The prawns are succulent and so tender they melt in the mouth. Miss America and I concur that we could easily eat a whole plate of these spicy wonders.
Next to these are the little cups of “Upma with papdi crispies” which is a semolina cooked with green peas, carrot, curry leaves, ginger and green chilies topped with a shard of spiced flecked pastry. It’s also spicy and comforting which we both love. There are also little pieces of wholemeal roti with spiced onions, coriander, mint and pomegranate dust and plump, succulent pieces of chicken tikka.
On the next tier are the vegetarian savouries. There is an Indian version of a quartered high tea sandwich filled with cottage cheese (paneer) crumbled up with tomato and a herbed chutney. There is also a soft, white cocktail bun filled with a flavoursome besan battered deep fried potato dumpling which is slightly too small for the bun (I’m a ratios person).
The last tier is the sweets and of course we have to start with the chocolate naan which is a slice of naan filled with chocolate sauce and sliced strawberries. Oh yes, it is good as good can be indeed and is both of our favourite along with the prawns. There are also shot glasses of kheer which is a sweet saffron infused basmati rice custard which is a gorgeous take on an English rice custard. Finishing off the plate are two biscuits, a nutty biscuit sandwiched together with chocolate and an apricot flower shortbread biscuit, both nice enough but not very Indian compared to the other morsels and we wish they’d stuck with the Indian theme the whole way.
The heavens open and the rain starts falling and we sip our teas and lassi while others dash about running for cover. I’ll take shelter under one chocolate naan please.
So tell me Dear Reader, do you check out what other diners are eating?
NQN and Miss America dined as guests of Aki’s
Aki’s
1/6 Cowper Wharf Rd, Woolloomooloo, NSW
Tel: +61 (02) 9332 4600
The Indian High Tea is available every day throughout the month of October and every Sunday thereafter.
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59 Comments | Add your own
Oh yes, I always check out what other people are having
… always LOL.
This tea would be right up my alley. It makes me want to invent an indian afternoon tea of my own.
Then again, maybe not a good idea as i might put a huge peshwari naan on each tier… and some lamb chops (i dont know how elegant that would be).
*kisses* HH
See, now that is a high tea I could really get into! We’ve eaten at Ahbi’s for years, but never tried the brother restaurant (and incidentally, the restaurants are each named after a son of the owner). Thanks for the headsup!
That looks like a fantastic event, and the food looks great too
What a unique afternoon tea indeed!
I love to see what others have ordered before choosing myself.
That chocolate naan looks good my hubby would love that!!!
Ohh it looks so nice, the prawn sounds perfect. Yum! I know what you mean about the potato and bun, I was looking at the teeny ball in the big bun and thought it was a bit too much bread.
I always decide what I am eating on what I see heading to other tables.
oh yum my fav indian AND high tea yum :O)
Indian High tea is a fab idea. I had no idea Sydney did a food festival, what an awesome way to spend October!! (I’m hoping to hit Haberfield on Saturday for the market…)
I always check out what others are eating so I don’t get food envy when I order.
You and your buddies do find the most wonderful things to do. I can’t wait to try this one!
Oh, and of course I try and check out what other diners are eating. This is the third most effective way to avoid the worst of all deadly sins: food envy (the No 2 way is online research; No 1 is to ply your friendly waiter with questions about the best stuff on the menu
).
Oh this sounds amazing Lorraine! Chocolate Naan would be a bit of a clincher. what a cool concept. I wonder what other cultures do high tea? Maybe you could do an investigative series!
I was so excited to hear about Indian High Tea when I was at Aki’s recently! This looks perfect – I just love mango lassi and masala chai!
I was check out what other diners are eating, it gets me even more excited
Always! Food envy plagues me and I have to feel like I’ve chosen better than they have!! mmm chocolate naan sounds just right
Ooooh, I’ll have the chocolate naan please. I always check out what other diners are having – if I like the look of it, I might just order it!
REALLY enjoyed today’s blog, TRUE!
Have to admit am a “Food Sticky Beak” too!
You should see me in foreign markets, (Maybe not lol),
Am ask questions like I am 5!! “What’s this?” and “Is this spice hot?” lol
LOVE the Indian themed high tea! If there was one locally, THIS has inspired ME!
I always check out what other people are having, although I do try and be innocently looking around the room and not staring at their meals!
Yum!
What a lovely concept, will have to try! Yep, always checking out what others have ordered, they might have insider knowledge or have ordered something that looks interesting!
I am glad to see they will keep the high tea going after October. I am a big one for checking out what everyone else is eating, can’t help myself.
yum…chocolate naan ^^
I’m always checking out other tables! Especially in a place where I’m not familiar with. The other folks might well be regulars and will know what’s best to order ;p
I always check out what other diners are tucking into! Indian high tea, I love it!
Yum – I love high tea.
It is one thing that the colonies got really right – and chocolate naan would be all the lure I’d need.
I often check out what is on plates going past me to help diecide what to order!
Mmm, chocolate naan with strawberries sounds and looks divine!
Want to TRY! Great idea and what a twist to the traditional high tea.
You had me at the words chocolate naan.
All in all, this is a sumptuous South-Asian take on the classic high tea.
And, yes: I do check out what other people are eating. But it’s usually when I’m trying a new restaurant and checking out what would be best to eat!
What a funky twist! Fabulous location too!!
This is such a great idea! I love Indian and high tea, so this is perfect. I always check out what others are eating, usually get a bit of food envy and then I have to order whatever they have! haha
Always! I get in trouble with some friends because I actually point and say “let’s order that too” or something along those lines hahaha
Sounds like a fantastic high tea. I love how it’s an Indian themed one. I do enjoy my naan and the savoury chilli prawns sound great. Thanks for the review.
I *love* this concept! And now I’m imagining all kinda of ethnic-cuisine-based hig teas. Mexican High Tea, Norwegian High Tea, Aussie Native Foods High Tea…
Oh it looks beautiful! High tea with a difference haha I love it! Might need to look in to it for the next girly lunch
Indian High Tea sound so decadent, I think it would be hard to resist checking out what everyone else orders at high tea.
Yum!! Looks gorgeous – especially the chocolate naan!
Yep, I always look at what other diners have ordered…mainly to see if I’ve missed out on something good!
I always check out what others are eating in cas it is better than what I have ordered. Indian high tea sounds like a great idea.
Oh. My. GAWD.
Afternoon tea AND indian food?
I want to be buried there.
Yes, I do check what other table are having and would ask the waitress beside asking for any recommendation.
I was taught in hospitality that ideally, a waitress carrying dishes or dessert should walk around before reaching the guest’s table. This is our way to ‘advertise meals’.
However, sometime when the restaurant is busy, we had to skip these ‘walk around advertisement’
I always check out what others are eating!
This looks incredible! I want the prawns, the roti, the lassi – all of it! wow. They need an Aki’s in Melbourne! Please?
Heidi xo
Who DOESN’T check out what other people are eating?!
Indian high tea sounds like a SPLENDID idea. Sigh.
I’m quite nosy and always try to figure out what other people are having by looking at it and comparing it to the menu.
This seemed nice and unsual, I hope I can find chocolate naans in London!
Love the idea of an Indian high tea. And yes, I always check out what other people are eating…
It’s Chocolate Week here in the UK, which I recently celebrated with a very chocolately afternoon tea at the Hilton – so you had me at “chocolate naan”. Looks gorgeous!
Like you, I read the words chocolate naan and couldn’t quite focus for a bit! Love the sound of this, and I love that BB prosecco, tried some at a restaurant the other day and cannot wait for it to be released at the shops.
And yes, I ALWAYS check out what everyone else is eating, sometimes not very surreptitiously much to hubby’s chagrin
Sounds fantastic. The prawns and chocolate naan do look delicious. The too-small potato dumpling looks great too. And, yes, I always check surrounding tables in restaurants to see what everyone else has ordered!
How totally interesting, I’ve never heard of Indian high tea but would totally try it
and YES.. well my dad *embarrassingly* checks out what everyone else is eating and doesn’t mind asking them too! He’s Chinese, he’s born to be embarrassing 
xx
Ooh you had me at chocolate naan! I love high tea & I love Indian food so this was always going to be a winner with me
The prawns, roti & naan look delicious!
What an inventive take on high tea. I love this! I only wish some place in my area was doing an Indian version. Given how long English and Indian cuisines have co-mingled in the UK, this is a perfectly natural and welcome progression.
Having tea in the afternoon is so civilized, no wonder we don’t do it here.. rush rush rush. Love the prawns with champagne… well I love Indian spicing with dry champagne… must have been great fun…wish I was there!
I love the idea of an Indian tea! Looks like it was a lovely time…the chocolate naan sounds fantastic, Lorraine!
I definitely check out what is on others’ plates. Last night our entire table was quite conspicuously checking out the table next to us, then realised we were all doing it and felt a bit silly.
Chocolate naaaaaaaaaan!
That sounds like it would be right up my alley. Must remember to go one Sunday when we are back in Sydney – thanks!
I always try and check out other people’s meals when i am trying to decide if a restaurant is worthy of a visit. I slow down as a walk past and try to check out all the dishes on the visible tables, without being waaaay too obvious!
Now this is high tea with a twist! love it
No scones? Oh no’s I could probably cope. Just
My mum always does this when we go somewhere, “Ooh, what have they got? Where is it on the menu?” It can be a bit embarrassing sometimes, but she’ll normally stop pointing on the proviso that she’s allowed to ask the waiter about it next time they come around
Yes!! Whenever we dine out at some place new, we usually look at what’s on other people’s tables to see decide what to order =) Mmm…chocolate naan sounds delicious! Although when you first said chocolate naan, I thought you meant that the naan itself was chocolate flavoured! I love this idea of an Indian high tea- I love indian food and this sounds really interesting and yummy!
I tried the chocolate naan at Aki’s and can guarantee that it is quite delicious but simple to make at home as well I would think. My daughters have started their ‘summer bikini diets’ , so sadly all possibility of High Tea for me is ruled out.
I usually check out other people’s meals only to see how the food is ‘plated up’, whether it looks appealing etc.
I love High Tea, but have never enjoyed an Indian one. And yes, I frequently check out other meals to get hints on what to order …
I love the idea of an Indian High Tea. It sounds so unusual but looks delicious. I’ve been eyeing off the chocolate naan. It looks delicious!
I always check out what other diners are eating. Sometimes you can never quite visualise what a dish will look like based on a description from the menu so seeing that dish being brought to someones table is part of the decision making process I think.
I read about this in Time Out mag and wanted to know more. To be honest it looks a little bit disappointing. I wonder if 2011′s version is better than last year? Hmmm
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