Tea Time at Kiran’s

I’d been meaning to visit Kiran’s for afternoon tea for ages, but the stars just didn’t align. It was only offered one Saturday a month and it always seemed that was the Saturday I had other plans. So, it was some joyful news to hear that Kiran’s is now offering their formal afternoon tea service every Saturday. Even better, it coincided with an editorial planning meeting with My Table magazine editor Teresa Byrne-Dodge and SideDish editor Taylor Byrne Dodge. The setting made for a really enjoyable afternoon.

In India, the afternoon tea tradition is a remnant of when the country was under British rule. It’s a delightful melding of traditions when masala chai appears alongside delicate cucumber sandwiches.

If you think that afternoon tea is for little old ladies, let me dissuade you of that right now. There were almost as many men dining as there were women. Indeed, afternoon tea at Kiran’s is practically a three-course meal (with a different type of tea served with each course) that always begins with a glass of Champagne or lemonade. While the courses are all light, they are plentiful. The cost is $35 per person, and it is well worth it. I was wishing my husband had been able to come along just so he could help me finish my pretty little sandwiches. (Believe me, he would thrown his low-carb diet to the wind — they’re just that good.)

Our afternoon meal began with a large samosa stuffed with fig, feta and mushrooms resting atop a dollop of fig chutney. I like greasy, meaty samosas as much as the next person, but this one was a sophisticated rendition that was in the right place at the right time. The spicy chai tea was a merry companion. (Chef Kiran Verma’s own custom blend of chai is served at Kiran’s, and you can purchase it at retailers all over town, including Central Market and Revival Market.)

Our service was pleasantly formal, and the courses were presented in a uniform manner. Plates of tea sandwiches (crusts removed, of course) were placed in front of each of us, each with the sandwiches in the same position that were identified by our waiter. The selection is subject to change from time to time, but on this particular day we were treated to open-faced chicken curry with pomegranate seeds; open-faced egg salad; goat cheese and watercress on golden eggy bread; and a smoked ham profiterole. The hands-down favorite of our little group was the goat cheese and watercress, but I was also delighted with the dainty bite of smoked ham in pâte à choux. There were no losers in the mix, as we also loved the crunch and tangy juices of the pomegranate seeds that mixed with the chicken curry.

By the time dessert arrived, I wistfully realized there was more than I’d be able to finish. The case was the same for my table mates. (Get it? My Table mates?) We gave it our best effort.

Desserts included delightfully tiny renditions of mango mousse in a crunchy almond pastry shell, peanut butter mousse on a round of cake with silken chocolate ganache, a tiny key lime tart and almond macaron. Berry cobbler took center stage.

Just when we felt that nothing else could be consumed, a basket of freshly baked scones and pitcher of clotted cream made their entrance and were passed around the table. Earl Grey tea gave us just enough of a buzz to make it out the door and go back to the real world. Our afternoon at Kiran’s was a peaceful but energizing hiatus.

Tea at Kiran’s is now served every Saturday 2 to 4 pm and costs $35 per person. Reservations are strongly encouraged.

KIRAN’S 4100 Westheimer by the railroad crossing, 713-960-8472 kiranshouston.com