Banyan Tree KL's New Afternoon Tea Comes With A Fine Dining Twist & We're In Love
Smol plates but big flavours.
By Gowri Chitra, Laila Zain — 21 May 2025, 10:05 AM
Banyan Tree Kuala Lumpur's recently launched UNFOLD: TEXTUREs on the Horizon, a unique take on the traditional afternoon tea experience
Located at Horizon Grill, on the 58th floor of the hotel, be ready to be awed by the sprawling views of the Kuala Lumpur cityscape as you feast on scrumptious savoury bites and delectable desserts.
To bring this unique experience to life, Horizon Grill has collaborated with TEXTURE, a modern artisanal patisserie, with the former responsible for the savoury dishes and the latter serving up an array of creative desserts.
Unlike the usual afternoon tea experience, which is typically served all at once on a tiered serving platter, UNFOLD: TEXTUREs on the Horizon is served course-by-course like a modern tasting menu. Each course is made fresh and brought out at just the right moment to keep the textures, temperatures, and flavours on point.
It's a laid-back yet elevated experience where you can take your time, enjoy every bite, and savour the best of both afternoon tea and fine dining — all in one sitting.
Note: It doesn't come with scones like you'd normally expect from afternoon tea, which we kinda wished it still did, haha.
My colleague Laila and I were invited to try the afternoon tea, so here's our honest review of each item:
First course: Nordic Garden Tartlet, Truffle Porcini Royale, and Golden Carbonara
Nordic Garden Tartlet
Description: Crisp tartlet filled with smoked salmon and cucumber, topped with fresh dill and ikura.
Gowri: A great refreshing start to the course menu. It was like eating a lighter version of a smoked salmon bagel, hehe.
Laila: I loved the salmon tartlet. The pastry was so light and crisp, while the salmon was incredibly fresh and flavourful. It was the best start to the meal.
Truffle Porcini Royale
Description: Porcini mushroom and black truffle layered over a savoury sable, finished with a touch of truffle essence.
Gowri: Omgggg, this was so good! Imagine a super KAW mushroom soup but light, foamy, and bubbly. It practically disappears in your mouth like cotton candy. I was scraping the glass for every last bit, mmmm.
Laila: Mushrooms are my favourite so I was thrilled to try this and it did not disappoint. Rich in flavour with the lightest texture, I could eat a bucket of this a day.
Golden Carbonara
Description: Smoked guanciale and creamy egg yolk nestled in a crisp pastry shell, topped with parmesan.
Gowri: Carbonara lovers will super enjoy this. It's like a little serving of rich carbonara sauce but isn't jelak. I wish it came with actual pasta though; the little fried bits of spaghetti were kinda meh for me.
Laila: I wish this dish was all over a giant plate of pasta, I would have devoured it. There are so many different layers of flavour packed into this tiny egg shell; smokey, cheesy, and with a lovely tang and aftertaste.
Second course: Jasmine Berries, Macaron Matcha, and Nougatine
Jasmine Berries
Description: Jasmine-infused mousse paired with strawberry compote and soft joconde sponge.
Gowri: This was the STANDOUT of the whole menu for me, I could have eaten like 10 of them! Super light, not too sweet, with both floral and fruity notes, and a great little crunch from the biscuit base. I'm still thinking about it now, gaahhhh.
Laila: Light, airy, and with the beautifully fragrant jasmine shining through every bite, this was the best mousse I have ever eaten.
Macaron Matcha
Description: Matcha macaron shell filled with a smooth matcha ganache.
Gowri: As a matcha lover, I enjoyed this, but it wasn't anything special. It was definitely yummy but I've had other similar macarons elsewhere too. Also, though the menu description doesn't mention it, I think there was a hint of yuzu in the filling, which was a nice surprise.
Laila: Unlike Gowri, I am not a matcha person. So this just tasted very matcha to me. I'm not mad, I just don't know how to judge it.
Nougatine
Description: Almond and cocoa nib nougatine layered over dark chocolate sable finished with a dark chocolate glaze.
Gowri: This tasted like a fancy chocolate digestive biscuit, haha. That's not an insult though! It was delicious, but I preferred the other dishes. Also, just a heads up that the nougatine pieces can get stuck in your teeth.
Laila: I was probably most disappointed with this. As an avid chocolate lover, I had high hopes for this. But it just tasted like a dry chocolate biscuit.
Third course: Apple Filo
Description: Layers of crisp filo pastry with apple jelly and whipped chantilly.
Gowri: Yum, yum, and YUMMMMM! The pastry was so crunchy and somehow had a great roasted flavour to it that contrasted the soft apple and the lovely cream beautifully.
Laila: Amazing. The pastry was flavourful, crisp, and baked to perfection. The chantilly had just the right touch of sweetness. I only wish there was more apple jelly because I'm greedy like that.
Final course: Mango & Yuzu
Description: Mango sorbet and mango-yuzu compote topped with yoghurt espuma and pear yuzu meringue.
Gowri: We started with something refreshing, and ended with it too. The tart, tangy flavours, with little pops of crunch from the meringue, made for the perfect finish, wrapping up the entire experience on a high note.
Laila: This was the highlight of my day. I love sour, tangy desserts and this hit the spot. Fresh, cold, and creamy.
Overall, we loved the whole afternoon tea experience and would definitely recommend trying it — 10/10 would go again
UNFOLD: TEXTUREs on the Horizon is served daily from 3pm to 5pm at Horizon Grill. Running until 31 July, it's priced at RM148 nett per person, inclusive of a curated selection of coffee or tea.
To reserve, call +603-2113 1821, WhatsApp +6010-566 0968, or email [email protected].
For more information, visit the official website.
Note: While the hotel is not halal-certified as they serve alcoholic beverages, all their food is sourced from halal-certified vendors. The afternoon tea, as well as all their other F&B offerings, are completely pork-free.
