Faubourg? Fauboring!

LULU: Amy and I have been talking about Faubourg literally since the day it opened. I still remember how excited Amy was when she told me about it, since afternoon tea has always been one of our favourite activities. For the longest time, I couldn't even pronounce the name of the place! Nonetheless, we were both really excited when we finally got the chance to visit this place.

The store is split into two sections - the front is like a normal coffee/pastry shop, while the back of the store is a secluded section that is exclusively for afternoon tea customers. The first time we wanted to go for afternoon tea, they were full and said we would have to make reservations the day before. When we made reservations the next time, they said they only had one time slot left and so we took it. When we got there, the entire back section was empty and stayed fairly empty the entire 2 hours we were there. I couldn't help but wonder if it was their strategy in faking that they were busy to make it seem really popular and generate the sense of exclusivity and prestige.
AMY: When you sit down, Faubourg lays out a selection of teas to choose from. All of them were fairly aromatic, and we ended up picking one that smelled like strawberries. However, the actual tea itself was mediocre, nothing like that I had imagined.

AMY: Their teapots were a major disappointment! This is purely a personal preference, but when I think high-tea, I imagine pretty ceramic teapots adorned with florals. I suppose this adds a more modern touch?
LULU: As I kept staring at the teapot, I realized that the metal part was only a cover, which we assumed was to keep the tea warm. When I lifted up the cover, I was surprised to find that the teapot looked just like the teapot at dimsum yesterday! 

Top (from left): raspberry souffle - mini lemon tart - choclate mousse - mini  opéra - parfait - mini apple cinnamon muffin. Bottom (from left): Scone with cream and jam - chicken, apple, and country ranch dressing sandwich - smoked salmon and wasabi cream sandwich - cucumber, roast beef, and coriander cream sandwich

AMY: We ordered the Pink Afternoon Tea to share because two Purple Afternoon Tea sets seemed a bit much. The sandwiches were nothing special, and the bread was somewhat hard. I enjoyed the scone much more than the sandwiches. It was so light and fluffy and I also loved the small jar of raspberry jam that came with it. According to the waiter, they gave us an extra raspberry souffle because we had two people. It was very smooth, creamy and little sour. My favorite was the chocolate mousse -- rich, creamy and the perfect sweetness. The parfait was also quite delicious as the berries were quite fresh.

LULU: I personally prefer savoury over sweet most of the time, so I generally enjoyed the sandwiches more even though they were nothing too special. The scone, with the combination of cream and jam, was surprisingly delicious and left me wanting more of it. The other thing that I really liked was the mini opera. I've never been really fond of cake but I just couldn't stop eating the mini opera. I think it was the dark chocolate layers that did it because it kept the cake from being overly sweet. 

AMY: After the food was done, we stayed a bit and chatted over tea. Then the waiter came out with two more raspberry souffles, which was a nice gesture (I couldn't help but think they were trying to get rid of extra souffles). They offer free refills of hot water so your tea will never run out. Overall, I don't think the afternoon tea is worth it, but I will definitely come again to try out some of the goods from the bakery. 

Note: This review is only intended for the afternoon tea service.

Faubourg

2156 W 41st Ave.

Vancouver, BC

Taste: ★★★☆☆

Environment: ★★★★☆
Service: ★★★★★

Price: $$