Afternoon tea with Wedgwood fine bone china in China

The California Golden Bears upset the USC Trojans in football this weekend for the first time since 2003. I remember watching that game on television at Lake Tahoe (and suffering ever since). This time I listened to the end of the game on ESPN radio from Shanghai, a flawless connection. It was an exciting finish.

Then I celebrated with afternoon tea on the patio of the Langham Shanghai, looking out on a tree-lined boulevard. It was awesome.

“The Langham is famed as the place where the tradition of afternoon tea was born over 150 years ago, an indulgence that is offered at Cachet Lobby Lounge,” as the hotel states. “Guests can enjoy a bespoke version of the afternoon tradition – ‘The Langham Afternoon Tea with Wedgwood,’ serving specialty teas in tailor-made ‘Langham Rose’ Wedgwood tea ware. A live pianist daily from 2:30pm – 5:30pm.”

The scones were served with real clotted cream, and a tower of delicious homemade sweets was offered for sampling.

As it turned out, Cal was present in the hotel this weekend. When I checked into the Langham Shanghai, I met a Japanese woman wearing a Cal T-shirt. We introduced each other, laughed about the long-distance connection, and she indulged in a smartphone snapshot. Go Bears! (BTW the Northwestern Wildcats won too this weekend and are bowl eligible).

Author: jeffpelline

Jeff Pelline is a veteran editor and award-winning journalist - in print and online. He is publisher of Sierra FoodWineArt magazine and its website SierraCulture.com. Jeff covered business and technology for The San Francisco Chronicle for 12 years, and he was a founding editor and Editor of CNET News for eight years, among other positions. Jeff has a bachelor's degree from UC Berkeley and a master's from Northwestern University. His hobbies include sailing, swimming, and trout fishing in the Sierra. View all posts by jeffpelline