– Tasting Invite –
The last time misterchewy and I visited Arteastiq’s flagship outlet at Mandarin Gallery was a few years ago. It was an impromptu decision to have afternoon tea there on a weekday but it was the best decision ever! I remember lusting over Arteastiq’s famous apple and orange cakes, as well as their lovely dessert teas! Thanks to Agnes from ATMC, misterchewy and I got to be one of the first to try Arteastiq’s revamped menu at Plaza Singapura, their new outlet which opened end August this year.
Just like its flagship outlet, the newly opened Arteastiq at Plaza Singapura also serves to provide a sanctuary for city dwellers to retreat from the stress of living in fast-paced Singapore, while enjoying the ambience of contemporary Europe tucked in a cosy corner. The dining area of the new boutique tea house accommodates 68 pax while the art jam studio can accommodate 24 pax, totalling to a maximum capacity of 92.
In true Arteastiq fashion, the new location provides a view of lush greenery and social art jammers will be able to let their creative juices flow in the art jam studio adjacent to the premium tea lounge. While we were dining there, I couldn’t help but observe the art jammers work on blank canvases from scratch and it does seem to be a very therapeutic and enjoyable activity for people of all ages!
Arteastiq has launched a charity program called “Get Creative for a Good Cause” in collaboration with the Rare Disorders Society (Singapore) (RDSS). Individuals are encouraged to submit their artwork from their art jamming sessions at Arteastiq and these art pieces will be put up for sale. Upon successful sales of Art Jammers’ artwork donation, Arteastiq will refund the Art Jammer as a sponsorship and donate all proceeds to Rare Disorders Society Singapore. Photographed above are some of the art pieces by local celebrities like Dawn Yeoh, waiting to be purchased for a good cause. Each Art Jamming session costs $48 per person and comes with one standard 50cm x 50cm cotton canvas, unlimited flow of acrylic paint, one set of brushes, and one choice of Arteastiq lite specialty beverages.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Arteastiq serves an incredibly extensive range of beverages which are categorized into Fruit Teas, Ginger Teas, English & Floral Teas, Chinese & Japanese Teas, Blency, Blencelato, Dessert Teas, Coffee, Tea Latte, Cioccolata and Steam Milk. I have a thing for floral teas and selected the Cold French Rose Tea ($7.40). It came in a large pot which was sufficient to be shared between two people. Brewed with the finest floral tea leaves, the French Rose Tea was delicate and fragrant, which also had a calming effect.
Don’t you think that it is a very bold move to name your own mushroom soup as The Best Mushroom Soup in the World ($12)? We immediately caught a whiff of truffle as soon as the mushroom soup was served to our table. It was creamy and had a smooth consistency, with tiny bits of mushroom that we bit into. Definitely not the best but it was quite good. Having said that, the hubs and I wiped the entire pot clean! Perhaps a little less salt would work wonders.
The other starter that we had was Nordic Lights – Soba Salad ($16). Presentation wise, it was interesting to serve the combination of greens, smoked salmon, soba noodles and cherry tomatoes on a huge tortilla bowl. I love how clean tasting and easy to stomach this was.
The mains of the revamped menu is divided into two segments: ‘Ladies Affairs’ and ‘Gentleman’s Dinner’, which was conceived with the idea of having foods specifically engineered for both genders, with the ladies preferring lighter and more sophisticated items while the gentlemen tend to favor hearty and robust dishes. We tried 3 items from the ‘Gentleman’s Dinner’ section. The Beijing’s Dynasty – Duck Pancake ($28) is stuffed with tender and juicy chunks of duck confit, wrapped around light, fluffy crepes. Generously drizzled with orange caramel, the harmonious marriage of sweet and savory is indisputable. You really can’t say no to another piece of Arteastiq’s duck pancake.
The Latin Lover – Frijolles ($25) is made up of baked Mexican pork bean stew that is cooked with sausages, eggs, topped with arugula, and a side of country bread. If you have not tasted Mexican food before, you should give this a try. It is amazing because you can really taste the complex flavors in every bite!
The Boston Love Boat – Ciponio ($29) sounds feminine but the seafood and saffron stew is very rich and robust. It is actually served with a light puff pastry covering the soup bowl and comes with a side of crispy sweet potato fries. The best way to eat this is to savor each spoon of stew together with the pastry. Tomato has also been added into the mix so the result is very tantalizing and hearty. Also, there are plenty of fresh ingredients such as prawns, scallops and mussels in this one! Eat this on a cold rainy day, confirm shiok!
Moving on to the ‘Ladies Affair’ section, the Louisiana Love – Chicken And Waffles ($22) is a dish that I definitely wouldn’t mind ordering again and again. The pan-fried dredged buttermilk chicken and wholewheat waffle proved to be a winning combination, especially when slathered with Arteastiq’s own improvisation of margarine, a tasty maple butter!
And finally before we move on to desserts, the Summer in Provence – Foiegras ($28) is DA BOMB. I believe not just the ladies, but even the gentlemen will truly enjoy this gastronomic indulgence. It is such a brilliant idea to serve seared foie gras with lightly baked eggs!
Mix the eggs and foie gras for an ultimate eating experience! The taste of the foie gras was further enhanced by the egg yolk. There is also a slice of bread served with this dish for diners to soak up all that yummy goodness!
The desserts that we tried were good, but didn’t manage to outshine the mains we had earlier. The New York Connection ($15) is basically french toast with brie, served with coffee syrup and vanilla gelato.
I have a strong preference for sweet stuff but the Whirling Mist ($12) is highly recommended nevertheless. The Lemon Meringue Tart was unusually sour in a refreshing way. Of course, I soon found myself digging into the dark chocolate gelato.
Arteastiq is not just a place for afternoon tea. Their mains are pretty exceptional so you should head there to try them out for yourselves! And don’t forget to indulge in some art jamming 😉
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Arteastiq Boutique Tea House
Plaza Singapura
#03-70/72
68 Orchard Road
Singapore 238839
Tel: 6336 0951 (Dining)
Tel: 6336 0952 (Social Painting)
Opening Hours:
Daily
10am – 10pm