at it has collagen-boosting properties essential to beauty. To me, it just tastes good, adding a slight gelatinous crunch to the back of the teeth. There is also a baked mushroom puff pastry that includes the highly prized Matsutake or pine mushroom. You also get a choice of teas, but I strongly mend the aged Pu ’ er from Yunnan province. It isa mellow tea that will go perfectly with the rich little nuggets, and will warm you up ona cold afternoon. Incidentally, the general guide is green tea such as Longjing or Dragonwell for the hot season, semi-fermented teas like Wu-long or Iron Buddha for autumn, and more warming teas like Pu ’ er for winter. The Shang-Xi afternoon tea costs 228 yuan ($37) per person, and 388 yuan for the more opulent selection which includes abalone and bird ’s nest.