Chapter 2015 Ritz Afternoon Tea

"Is it possible that Ashcroft used Aunt May's hand to take revenge on Kaluan?"

Yang Cheng repeatedly considered the possibilities, and then had to admit, "Yes, it's very possible~"

He shook his head helplessly, "But why would Americans get involved?"

Carson couldn't give an answer, "Now, we should think about what to eat~"

Yang Cheng glanced at his watch subconsciously, "It's already afternoon so soon. Let's go and try Ritz London's afternoon tea~"

It was still some time before afternoon tea, so Yang Cheng made a special trip to Savile Row and asked the tailor to design several new suits based on his current body shape. They were very detailed, and even the natural hanging position of his younger brother was accurately measured. .

After finishing all this, I went to the Ritz Hotel. In fact, it was only across the street.

This is also a reflection of the location advantage of Ritz London. It is located in the center of central London, nearby Bond Street with many big-name brands, Regent Street and Oxford Street, which are shopping malls for locals.

Next door is Savile Row, where high-end customization shops are concentrated. The stores are not large. The formal suits, dresses, and leather shoes in the windows look particularly elegant under the soft light. They seem to be within reach, just like the neighbor's tailor shop, but you need to know , that is just a corner of the rich class deliberately exposed.

The same is true for the Ritz Hotel, which was built in 1906. It is hidden in a small alley on the main street and is easy to miss accidentally. The entrance is very small, there is no parking lot, and there are only older waiters in tuxedos and top hats to greet guests. Past.

The British etiquette culture is very strong. They pay attention to gentlemanly and ladylike manners. At the Ritz Hotel in London, etiquette like this can be seen everywhere. As soon as you enter the hotel door, a very polite and polite old gentleman will greet you and serve you. , they all wear traditional uniforms.

Passing through the wooden revolving door that only allows one person to pass through, you feel as if you have traveled to the Victorian era. The lobby is far less tall and huge than a modern hotel, but it is decorated with a lot of gold foil and is extremely luxurious. All the cramped and noisy doors are blocked out, and time is in It freezes briefly here.

The old man who was answering the phone at the front desk had worked at the Ritz Hotel for decades and had appeared in the movie "Notting Hill."

Yang Cheng asked for a room to change clothes, but there was no other way. Afternoon tea at Ritz London was famously orthodox. To put it bluntly, it was old-fashioned. It still follows the tradition that you can't enter without formal attire.

So Yang Cheng just bought a suit that fit him temporarily and was going to take a shower and change into it. Although it is not as fit as a private custom-made suit, the materials and workmanship are both top-notch.

The service staff politely took Yang Cheng to the room and carefully introduced the use of the facilities in the room. Of course, tipping was indispensable. This was all the responsibility of Old Carson, so Yang Cheng did not have to worry about it.

Compared with new buildings, the charm of the old building of the Ritz Hotel in London due to time is incomparable and extremely luxurious.

The hotel's architecture combines French aesthetics with British style and is listed as a Grade II listed building. The interior decoration is in the Louis XVI style with a large amount of gold leaf. In the late World War I, the then British Prime Minister David Lloyd George visited the Ritz Hotel Numerous secret meetings were held.

The hotel I see now has been renovated many times. The interior decoration is a magnificent architectural style with period characteristics and antique furniture combined with modern facilities. It is decorated in warm colors and gives a sense of grandeur when walking inside.

And compared with some lobbies that can't be called grand, the guest rooms are different. They have high ceilings, gorgeous fireplaces and chandeliers, air conditioning, and elegant bathrooms with brand-name toiletries and other facilities. It is a very high-end item, and even an Apple mobile phone is provided for guests to take out.

Hotel rooms in European countries are generally small in size, but the rooms at the Ritz are absolutely spacious, and the decoration style of each room is not exactly the same, so you can have a different experience.

In addition to several bedrooms, the presidential suite is also equipped with a kitchen, conference room, living room and multiple bathrooms. There is even a piano in the living room. Of course, Yang Cheng just changed clothes and took a shower. There was no need to book a presidential suite, but As a high-ranking celebrity in London's upper class society, he was recognized as soon as he showed up and asked thoughtfully if he wanted to make a reservation for afternoon tea.

In fact, for ordinary people, afternoon tea is more difficult to decide than you imagine, but the privileged class never need to consider this issue. As long as you are willing to spend money, you can book a large private room to enjoy afternoon tea alone. No need to worry about making an appointment.

Of course, there are not many such rooms. If they happen to be booked out, the hotel will regretfully ask you to come back next time.

It was already 4 o'clock in the afternoon when Yang Cheng changed clothes and went downstairs, which happened to be the time for lunch tea to start. The hall was already full, and well-dressed men and women were sitting in each corner, chatting.

London is probably the city in Europe that pays the most attention to image and appearance. Whether in the Financial City, in small restaurants, on buses, or on the streets, Londoners like to wear decent formal attire and can go on stage to give speeches at any time. Being decent and elegant is part of the London style. .

This is especially true for afternoon tea at the Ritz. You must dress formally. Men must wear a suit and tie or bow tie. You cannot take off your suit during the whole process. Women must wear a skirt, dress and leather shoes, otherwise you will be turned away. In addition, large bags are required. Bags cannot be brought into the restaurant. Of course, there is no problem with small bags. You can go to the locker room to change clothes and give your thick coat to the custodian before eating.

There weren't many people in Yang Cheng's room, but he still booked a large private room because this was the only room left. The waiter in charge of ushering in helped open the door. Just as he was about to walk in, a tall and slender man appeared not far away. , a man wearing a gray-blue tie came over and greeted warmly, "Good afternoon Mr. Yang, it's an honor to meet you. Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Wei Mingsi, from Xiangjiang, and I am an afternoon tea instructor. "

Yang Cheng and Old Carson looked at each other confused, what the hell, is this a way to strike up a conversation?

However, this foreigner with a Chinese name spoke in an ups and downs, very rhythmic, and he was very likeable and not offensive. In such a gentlemanly occasion, Yang Cheng certainly could not use harsh words.

He smiled politely and said, "Good afternoon Mr. Wei Mingsi, have we met before?"

Wei Mingsi talked without any stage fright. He looked young, but he had a lot of experience. He had even organized afternoon tea parties for the Queen and the royal family.

And I also worked with old Carson. He took the initiative to come over to say hello because he failed to make an appointment and had to try to find someone to have lunch with. Of course, he would bear his own part of the consumption.

In fact, this kind of thing is quite common. After all, there are only so many reserved seats. Most people really don't have the ability to spend more money per room.

Seeing that old Carson seemed to really remember such a past event, Yang Cheng didn't refuse. Anyway, the private room was big enough, so it wouldn't be too much for him.

"Come in, let's chat~"

Wei Mingsi saluted happily, and after following Yang Cheng into the private room, Wei Mingsi took the initiative to help Yang Cheng open the seat, automatically ignoring the resentful look of the waiter.

Although the private room was very large, there was only a long table covered with a snow-white tablecloth in the middle. Sitting around the long table, Wei Mingsi began to use his expertise and stressed, "Actually, traditional British afternoon tea is very important. There are strict standards for table heights, and to date, perhaps only the Ritz London still follows this tradition.

You see, this is a table of standard height. If you are not serving tea cups or eating refreshments, do not put your hands on the table. This is basic etiquette. "

Yang Cheng knew how to chat very well and asked cooperatively, "Oh? Why?"

"Because the craftsmanship of ancient tables was not high, if we put our arms on the table and put our body weight on it, it would be easy for the table to tip over, so this custom was passed down."

Old Carson smiled and nodded, seeming very pleased to see that his junior could understand this.

For British-style afternoon tea, Darjeeling is the most recommended, but there are also relatively cheaper black teas such as Assam and Ceylon. Assam is more suitable for milk tea. Ceylon is very cheap, but every afternoon tea at Ritz London will cost 20 Several types of tea to choose from, unlimited refills.

Because there was a professional instructor around, he was asked to choose the black tea. Without thinking, he chose a blended tea based on Darjeeling, which has a more complex aroma than pure Darjeeling.

However, no matter how good Darjeeling is, it is not as comfortable as a cup of Longjing. This is what people in Z country think, and it is true. But for British afternoon tea, tea is just a scene. What is important is the atmosphere, sense of ritual and worldliness. Afternoon tea is essentially It is a social event, every gesture and every detail must be paid attention to.

So whether the tea itself tastes good or whether the dessert tastes good is really not the most important thing.

As long as you pay attention to the details, this will be the perfect afternoon tea. For example, when holding a tea cup, you should hold the cup handle with your thumb and index finger instead of the usual index finger hooking the cup handle. The correct posture is like holding a violin bow. The wrong one is like a pinboard machine, which will appear rude in front of understanding people.

Of course, rules are set by people. If you have the ability to overturn it and make others think that pulling the trigger is an elegant action, that is your ability!

When pouring tea, use a tea strainer to prevent tea residues from rushing into the cup. There are two kinds of sugar cubes, red and white, on the table, red for coffee and white for tea.

You can add milk and sugar to English black tea. When stirring with a spoon, you can only stir it back and forth, but you can't draw circles in the cup, and you can't hit the wall of the cup to make a tinkling sound. These are considered impolite.

Rules are for people to see. If the people watching don't care, you can be as arrogant as you want.

In Wei Mingsi's words: If he drinks afternoon tea alone, he will definitely choose to do it on his balcony, wearing the most comfortable home clothes, and drink and eat as much as he wants.

Although he is alone today, he is going to publish a book recently, so he came to Liz to find inspiration.

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