High Tea at the Raffles Hotel

Singapore was formerly a British colony, and the country has preserved much of its colonial architecture and traditions. I count myself as an architecture and history enthusiast. As such, a visit to the historic Raffles Hotel for high tea is therefore a must.

Dating from 1887, the Raffles Hotel is one of Singapore's oldest and most famous hotels. It was a gathering ground for the colonial elite, and Asians were not permitted as hotel guests until the 1930s. The hotel has had its fair share of notable guests including Rudyard Kipling, Queen Elizabeth II, Charlie Chaplin, Elizabeth Taylor and George H.W. Bush (info courtesy of Wikipedia!). It remains until this day a social epicenter for Singapore's high society.

I must admit that the custom of taking afternoon tea is foreign to me. Call it a product of my casual American upbringing, but I regard English tea times as a sort of snotty pretense. However, for the cost of SGD $45 (USD $30) that includes all the puff pastries and cucumber sandwiches one could morsel, I figured it may be the best deal on tea time that I would find. The Raffles Hotel also struck me as an interesting scenic backdrop for the occasion. Indeed, the hotel enhanced the experience of tea, and the tea in turn heightened my understanding of the hotel's history. As most Singaporeans would say then, "Die die must try!"

The pretense was there alright. A musician strummed a harp as waiters in three piece suits glided across the tea room to offer refills of English black tea. Everyone seemed to have this air of self-importance about them. The fine china was pristine and the silverware spotless. There was even an Indian bellhop with a turban who opened the door for us! Does that scream images of British imperialism and the Jungle Book or what??? I think Gary and I tried to approach the experience with enough humor and grace though (okay, and maybe a dose of sarcasm) to make it, at least for us, a tinge more casual.

Hmm...what shall I eat first??

This one looks like a good starter.

Trying to strike a pose.

Tea though was honestly excellent. I had the most delicious buttered scones with cherry jam. Scones and I were previously not friends. The ones I had in the past were always dry, and I came to believe that was normal. These though had a buttery sweetness and just melted in your mouth. You could SMELL the butter right when the scones were placed on the table. Cucumber sandwiches, to my surprise, are actually quite tasty. Razor thin slices of cucumber were placed between wheat bread and paired with cream cheese to create a refreshing snap. Other finger sandwiches worth mentioning were the smoked salmon with cream cheese on Italian loaf and ham with sour cream on rosemary oregano bread. There was also a table full of local Singaporean favorites include steamed bbq buns, Mee Siam (a stir-fried rice noodle dish), po piah, rice porridge and shrimp fritters. I decided these offerings were best left for the hawker centers.

The biggest bonus though was dragonfruit. It is rare to find dragonfruit in the US. When (and if) you do, ONE fruit can cost AT LEAST USD $10-$15. Here in Southeast Asia though, dragonfruits are cultivated in abundance, and cost a mere SGD $0.50 (about USD $0.33)! You can imagine my glee then when I found it served at the buffet.

Dragonfruit is the pink-skinned fruit on the lower end of the plate.

The fruit has a slightly tart and subtle flavor, and is juicy almost like watermelon. It's rumored to have major health benefits, including helping to reduce cholesterol and blood pressure. Health benefit or not, I'm getting my fix while I'm here!

Tea time aftermath.

Interestingly, I noted that most of the patrons were primarily expats (European in particular). Gary was perhaps the only Singaporean in the room (other than the waitstaff). If anything, I regarded our presence as a sort of mini sublime protest for equality.

That brings up an interesting thought that I've had in recent days about Singaporean society. I think in many ways the country is still dealing with the ghosts of its colonial past. It's trying to not only grapple with its postcolonial identity but also its identity as a modern, industrialized Asian nation. Some of the old prejudices still exist, and are interestingly propagated by the Singaporeans themselves. The country treats expats far better than it treats its own citizens. The top posts in commerce and higher education are awarded to Europeans and Americans. Local advertisements primarily feature Caucasian models, even though Singapore is comprised mainly of Chinese, Indian and Malays. The local TV news anchors speak with either British or American, not Singaporean, accents. American pop music and television shows dominate the airwaves. A recent visit to the local cinema revealed a predominance of Hollywood releases. There was only ONE Chinese-language film screened, and no Indian or Malay films.

I'm aware that, as an American, I also receive preferential treatment. Local merchants and other tourists/expats approach me with a different attitude upon hearing my American accent. It's sad and silly, really. Singapore should be commended for a lot of things. The country is safe, beautiful, clean and green. Its citizens are hardworking, highly educated and intelligent. Even in this day and age, its government has a budget surplus that is the envy of the American government. Yet I sense somehow the country has an inferiority complex about not being equal to the Western nations no matter its efforts. Equality seems to be gained only if it mirrored itself in the image of Western Europe - down to the people themselves! I wonder if this same sentiment is endemic to all postcolonial societies.

If I sound slightly schizophrenic about my tea time experience, it's because I am. On the one hand, I really enjoyed tea. The food was delicious, and the hotel's architecture was stunning in a way that only old, historic buildings can be. On the other hand, the social symbols and meanings embedded into the custom, and what it reflected about Singaporean society at large, made me rather uneasy. I may very well be over thinking things. Yet perhaps even in this act I've been given a privilege. As an American, I can walk into such a venue and confidently declare myself an equal amongst expats. I can scoff at the pretense, stand up loud and proud against the social inequity and call people out on their blatant racism. I do not have the psychological baggage of a postcolonial subject. Thus, I have mixed feelings and am still trying to come to terms with it all. Perhaps my readers may enlighten me on how I best to approach this situation respectfully and responsibly.