With Christmas spirit still in the air and the New Year just around the corner, the holiday mood is still set for celebrating the Yuletide season and taking some time out to spend with family and friends. But are you too tired to throw a lavish party especially where time is constrained but you have to meet family, friends, or acquaintances that are in the city by chance over the holiday season?
A full blown party is out of the question, and you would like to catch up in a place that is a little bit more interesting than the usual diners and cafes. Perhaps something that is scenic for their eyes to feast on, to make it memorable with great bites that would help with the talking—not too much that I might halt it?
I was in that situation, and I am so glad to have patronised the Renaissance Hotel Johor Bahru’s newly-launched REN Festive delights, specifically the REN Festive Afternoon Tea. On a Tuesday, fresh after Christmas Day, a friend dropped by town after many years of living abroad.
Still carrying the calories from the recent two days of festivities, she wanted to meet over coffee and light bites in the afternoon, while still saving some space for dinner with her extended family later in the evening.
As we both arrived at 3 p.m. as per our booking, the quiet ambience of Renaissance’s Executive Club Lounge at level 16 was perfect for us to escape the recent endless festive parties’ and have a nice little catch up.
We took in the breathtaking views of the greenery and the harbour in this monsoon season – another part of Johor Bahru city’s view that she had not seen in many years.
Then came the Afternoon Tea stand, fully-decked with savoury and sweet pastries for the festive afternoon — freshly baked from the hotel’s very own patisserie team. Our first bite was with the Roulade Smoked Salmon, which was bursting with refreshing flavours of pomegranate and cream cheese crositini. My friend especially enjoyed it with her Cranberry and Pomegranate Mocktail!
We counted 10 different items on the stand, and I have to say it was perfect for me, who skipped lunch, and my friend, who had had quite a heavy brunch earlier. The light yet hearty Sandwiches made up of Roasted Beef and Chicken were perfect with tasteful, exotic crostinis, and my friend had a really good time clearing the sweet and soft Mango Panna Cotta; she wished she had more!
Time passed, and we cleared just about everything on our plate. We talked about how the year has been for us and what we are looking forward to in 2024 while gazing over the skyline of Permas Jaya. We took our Macaron of the day from the menu and cheered to life, promising each other that we would meet again with a sweet end to the chapter the next time we met again.
The best part of the REN Festive Afternoon Tea – It was only RM118 nett per set for two persons and it is available Monday to Sunday from 3:00pm to 5:00pm.
Want to have that chill good time like we did? Send a text through WhatsApp at https://wa.me/60177713327 or reserve via website at Love to see what more you could do at the Renaissance Hotel Johor Bahru? Visit www.cafebld.com/specials.
