Afternoon Tea at The Malaya Tea Room

In 2021 when the dust finally settled a little with the pandemic, and restaurants were allowed to fully open again in California for indoor and outdoor dining, I had heard about a new tea room in Alameda called The Malaya Tea Room. I was desperate for some tea and scones and to feel some sense of normality again. I had been cooped up for far too long. So on a sunny Sunday after getting my first Covid vaccination, I decided to reward myself with an afternoon tea. As you know by now, I love afternoon tea and I am always on the lookout for a decent afternoon tea in California which is where I am based. I want to not only be reminded of home, but I want to enjoy decent tea and food.

First Impressions

It was a sunny afternoon in March and we had booked a table to sit outside which was comfortably warm. If you haven't already heard of The Malaya, its an elegant 1920's style Malaysian inspired tea room. Upon stepping in, you feel like you've been transported back to that era with beautiful vintage furnishings and lush plants. For the one of The Malaya, it was all about recreating those childhood memories and flavours from growing up in Malaysia. And that is just what I'd imagined it to be. I sat on a beautiful rattan chair and felt like a queen enjoying her afternoon tea. (I was still so used to wearing a mask, I felt strange taking it off)

Inside, the tea room is classy and elegant with a homey feel. It makes for a relaxed setting to enjoy tea time with your friends and family.

The Tea

They have a nice selection of teas, from black to green and herbal.They also have a Malaysian Pull tea which I will try next time. I chose their signature Golden Monkey tea, which was really good and served in elegant teacups.

The Food

The food quite simply was in my opinion some of the best I've had in an afternoon tea. The quality was on par with hotel style afternoon teas. The flavours were both unusual and really tasty. You can choose from classic British flavours like 'Smoked Salmon' and 'Turkey, Brie & Fig'. For the Malaysian flavours, expect the likes of 'Curry Chicken', 'Coconut Jam' and my all time favourite, 'Meatfloss'. This is a dried pork with a fluffy texture. It's so good! We opted for half British flavoured sandwiches and half Malaysian flavoured sandwiches, which I think is a great idea so that you can have a taster of both. You also get a savoury canape with the full afternoon tea.

The scones were really good and came with homemade clotted cream and kasturi limecurd. It's hard to find a tea room in the U.S that serves actual clotted cream which is what is used in traditional British afternoon teas, so this impressed me a lot and made it even more delicious.

The desserts on the top tier were all presented beautifully and were Malaysian inspired flavours. Expect decadent rose jelly or Matcha cake and macaroons. The flavours and selections change every so often, but they are all so delicious! The flavours were really refreshing and not sickly at all. I have been to many hotel afternoon teas or tea rooms and a lot of their cakes are very rich and sickly, I can never finish them. But these were so refreshing with light and fruity flavours that all balanced perfectly.

Overall Impression

This is a wonderful place to go for afternoon tea in the Bay Area in California. I would highly reccomend it if you're in the area. I can't wait to go back and would choose this over a hotel afternoon tea any day.

Price: It's great value for what you get, for really good quality food, unmatched. Compared to most hotel afternoon teas in the $60-$70 range, this is priced at $35 which is amazing value and well worth it.

Service: 10/10 - The staff were really friendly and attentive.

Food Rating: 10/10 - Outstanding quality with unique and delicious flavours. Everything tasted wonderful.

Atmosphere: 10/10 - Beautiful Malaysian style decor with 20's style furnishings and lush plants. The outdoor area is also really pretty. I'd love to see it have it's own little sectioned off courtyard which in my opinion would make it even more special. But aside from that, it's a calming and elegant space.

Overall Score: 10/10

I hope you can visit one day! It truly is a unique little gem in Alameda and I'm looking forward to visiting again soon. Thanks for reading! Leave a comment if you have been here before and let me know what you thought!