Scones and tea isn’t a ritual of mine, simply because finding good scones in KL has proven to be challenging. If it’s good, it usually comes with a price. But mediocre ones aren’t worth wasting stomach space on. rif and I heard good things about Smith & Hsu in Taipei and coincidentally, it was just a short walk from the hotel we stayed at.
Love the organized space
Upstairs at Smith & Hsu
The interior isn’t your quintessential afternoon tea and scones setting – no plush curtains, chairs and carpeting but what it looks like is a living room with bookshelves full of books for reading. As we sat down, our waitress presented a tray containing an assortment of tea for us to pick the flavour we fancy.
Sniffing for the right tea
Cream tea set
2 scones, Devonshire clotted cream, English farm jam & a cup of tea of your choice
I tried the Cream Tea Set (NT 295) which came with two scones – cranberry and original, Devonshire clotted cream, English farm jam and a cup of tea of my choice. For some reason, I’ve become quite fond of tea especially the mint variety. So I picked the Gunpowder Mint Tea.
My tea pick — No.16
Gunpowder mint tea
Scones with clotted cream and jam
The scones were quite good; crisp on the outside with a warm, buttery centre. Lighter than the scones I’m accustomed to in the UK but still every bit as good, especially with generous lashings of clotted cream and strawberry jam. I liked both the original and cranberry scones, the latter came dotted with dried cranberries and had more bite to it. Try both to see which you prefer.
Sandwich with melted mozzarella and roasted bacon
rif tried the Sandwich with Melted Mozzarella and Roasted Bacon (NT 215), an assemblage of demi-baguette with bacon and mozzarella, further flavoured with mayonnaise, tomatoes, almond slices and oolong tea powder. Decent, but not something I would go for since I had my eyes set on the scones.
Tea choices are aplenty!
Cafe/library concept
Jams and knick knacks for sale
If you happen to be in Taipei, give the scones and tea Smith & Hsu a try. Chances are, you won’t be disappointed.
Ambiance: 7/10
Price: 6/10
Food: 7/10
Verdict: Come here for good scones and a mind boggling selection of flavoured teas.
Smith & Hsu
smith&hsu
No. 21, Section 1, Nanjing East Road, Zhongshan District
Taipei City, Taiwan 104
Business hours: 10am to 10:30pm
Tel: +886 2 2562 5565
Website
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