The events of the Seventh of October and the war that followed brought all kinds of changes to our lives, few of which are good and comforting in any way. One of the exceptions is a small event that, as part of the Israeli culinary landscape, was born due to the changes brought about by the war and sits at the beginning of the winter season like a glove on the hand of an English noblewoman fertilized with pleasure.
We came to Noam's Tea Hour ceremony, a small event house in Nes Ziona, by chance thanks to a Facebook group post. It's amazing what treasures you can find while scrolling endlessly through your feed.
The couple Noa and Amit, whose name is the bread of their first names, jointly run this event house, designed for small boutique events and located in the southern industrial zone of the city. The planned events were cancelled due to the war, and in order to create something a little different to meet the need people have these days, the two decided to embark on a series of events throughout the week such as an evening of cocktails and afternoon tea.
Afternoon tea at Noam Event House in Nes Ziona, Photo: Sapir Huber
The idea to hold a British High Tea dinner was drawn from the time when they lived in New Zealand and used to host similar events. The origins of high tea, the afternoon tea ceremony, date back to the Industrial Revolution in Britain. The meal is accompanied by strong, sweet black tea that working-class people would eat when they returned from work. The ceremony spread to the upper classes and gradually became a pillar of British aristocratic life.
Noam's tea event in Ness Ziona strictly adheres to the rules of the ceremony. Tea is served in white porcelain jugs with matching little mugs, with light piano music in the background. The large tables and soft and homely design of the place is suitable for such an event as a cylinder hat for a Victorian master. The selection of infusions on offer is quite large and they come in smooth silk bags. You can only order tea or coffee, but the reason we gathered is the afternoon meal that finds a selection of small sweet sandwiches and costs 85 NIS for a single diner and 160 NIS for a couple.
The sweets sector wins, afternoon tea at Noam Events House in Nes Ziona,
On the pastry platter, which arrives as expected as a plate tray on floors, the couple's daughter who studied pastry at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris believes, a fact that is felt when you taste the handmade produce. In the salty sector there are small square sandwiches of egg salad, skewers of mozzarella and cherry tomatoes, cream cheese and salmon sandwiches and small quiches stuffed with goodness that surpassed all the other members of the plate by several levels.
The sweets section was bigger, surprising and much more interesting. Large, airy brioche pastries were placed on the top floor of the tray alongside fresh butter and homemade jam. Downstairs awaited a series of petit fours: tiny, tart and precisely sweet lemon pies, small financiers, large pieces of homemade marshmallows that surprised with a somewhat oriental taste of rose water and fruit, and perfect macarons, crispy on the outside and with a mellow and balanced filling on the inside.
But the real stars of the pastry platter were actually the scones. British pastries, which, like English cuisine as a whole, have been given a somewhat dubious name, especially compared to the confectionery products of continental Europe. But the scones, which are served at the Noam event house in Nes Ziona, managed not only to surprise but also to transcend. With a slightly crunchy exterior polish and a soft, sweet interior, they have a much richer and more luxurious taste than their external shape indicates.
Noam House Events afternoon tea ceremony takes place on Tuesdays and Wednesdays between 15:00-19:00. It is advisable to check before on the Facebook page if the event is indeed taking place.
Ben Gurion 4, Ness Ziona
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