Cherry Garden serves weekend dim sum buffet at $68+++ per person (excluding alcohol) and although it was on the pricey side, we were intrigued as our friends raved about the place.

As I stepped in the oasis of chic Chinese decorations, I was impressed with the wooden furniture and air of elegance as with most top-notch Chinese restaurants. But unfortunately it all started going downhill the moment I asked for Pu'er tea instead of jasmine tea instead. 

"We dun have any Pu'er now. We only serve Jasmine tea." came the curt reply and with a quick turn, the waiter disappeared before I could ask the next question. 

And yes.

 My question is.. "Which self-respecting Chinese restaurant has no Pu'er?"

Before I carry on, I would just like to say that I love Jasmine tea and usually I have no qualms drinking it during dinners and even at my own leisure time. However, Chinese Dim Sum is actually extremely oily and as the husband (and a couple of friends with us that day) has borderline high cholesterol, so I decided to order Pu'er , - a variety of fermented dark tea, - as it is well-known for it's ability to reduce cholesterol, lower blood pressure, among its many health benefits. 

Fortunately for me, I have a never-say-die attitude so I pointed at the menu where the words "PU'ER TEA" was printed big and bold, to the wait staff. While proclaiming that yes... we were willing to pay for it (it's not included in the buffet) . There you go, problem solved. 

And so here comes my second question.

 Did the staff decide for us that we didn't want to pay for additional drinks? 

Perhaps they could have highlighted that each pot of Pu'er costs $12, and do we still want to order it? That should be the modus operandi, no?

Anyways. Food was mediocre at its best and even our friends agreed that the quality of the dim sum has changed so much, they could even tell it from the presentation. What a pity.

I'm just happy that I had my Pu'er in the end.

( And my favorite Ruinart, tee hee!)

But I relish Cherry Garden's modern take on the Cantonese tea house pavilion, with its charcoal plated flooring and artfully placed antiques in the restaurant. Stepping out of the restaurant, even the lobby of Mandarin Oriental, true to its name - exudes a delicate charm with a touch of the east.

Can't help but to take a quick OOTD!

Outfit of the Day 

Black Tweed Jacket, Bangkok

Black singlet by Forever21, Dark blue jeans Levi's Lady.