Few restaurants in Singapore are as romantic and artistic as Arteastiq Boutique Tea House is. Pun is intended, but you might derive from its name that this restaurant is all about art and tea. They call it the “art of teasing”, but we think there is so much more.
It is the kind of sexiness you would associate with a date night, or a regal dining affair for the high society. Arteastiq sits at a quiet corner of Mandarin Gallery, and scores for its accessible location and wide space. Tasteful interior design with predominant monochrome furniture, exotic chandeliers and sporadic stalks of white flowers, chi-chi ambience with French jazz, an art studio, and a robust menu of artisanal teas and all kinds of wondrous food dishes.
We sampled the new menu recently, and we have been containing our excitement of sharing them since. Which is why we say Arteastiq is more than just tea and art jamming, because the food menu is nothing short of impressive. From an assortment of appetisers and contemporary mains that are created with love, to a selection of desserts that are reinterpreted with modern takes, the new menu packs a punch and gives us even more reasons to return to Arteastiq.
Arteastiq is undisputedly among our favourite dining concepts along Orchard Road, and here are our picks from its new menu:
Inspired by cuisines from around the world, the new menu is created by Chef Jason Vito (author of the Onaka cookbook) and Chef Benson Tong – a regular guest judge on MediaCorp’s cooking variety shows.
They call the appetisers “The Lighter Sides of Love”, and they sure are teasing our palates for greater things ahead. We began our afternoon with a Cyperian Affair (S$18) – a salad of rocket leaves, grapes, walnuts, pan fried haloumi and greek honey. A simple mix that features varying textures and complementing flavours, this salad is great even for vegetarians.
And we absolutely loved the Sweet Potato Fries with Horseradish Aiolo (S$12). Sweet Potato Fries are too underrated, but these food for the soul excite us more than regular fries do. Arteastiq’s version is a fancy-free jar of thick-cut strips lightly coated with salt and fried to a golden orange shade.
On to the mains, the menu is split into “Ladies Affairs” and “Gentlemen’s Dinner” – no hard and fast rule about what you can or cannot order, though. So it goes without saying that we feasted to our hearts’ content. With everything being so tantalizing, it is impossible to settle for only a dish. Or two.
The Prince of Monte Carlo (S$28) tops the chart for being an unconventional Croque Monsieur. Think slices of brioche with melted cheddar and 24-hour beef short ribs topped with a gorgeous sunny side-up. And guess what? It comes with the divine sweet potato fries too! This dish is too flawless.
Eggs Benedict for you? No, let’s do crabcake benedict. The Aphrodite-Crabcake Benedict (S$25) is splendid variation of the ubiquitous brunch food, and it features Maryland crabcake and poached egg atop slightly toasted brioche, then lavishly covered in smoked paprika hollandaise. The eggs are brilliantly poached, with beautiful runny yolks that blend with the hollandaise and seep into the crabcake for an additional touch of creaminess.
Love your duck confit? Then the Beijing’s Dynasty-Duck Pancake (S$28) is for you. Shredded and wrapped in crepe sheets and drizzled with orange caramel, this dish reminds us of Peking duck – except that it is a lot neater in a sexy ambience, of course.
Eggs anything, did we hear? How about baked eggs with foie gras? The Summer in Provence (S$28) is a hearty cocotte that featured a generous slab of seared foie gras, baked eggs, demiglace and countrybreads. Indulgent and flavoursome, we love this dish on a quiet afternoon with a good read in hand.
On to the Viking’s Prime-Frikadel et Rosti (S$28) – sounds complicated, but let’s just say this is an awesome pairing of sweet potato rosti (oh yes, baby!) and chicken patties. Prepared with brown sauce, mustard and horseradish, look forward to a taste of textured spices. Goes really well with their famed iced lychee tea (S$11)!
We heard the Louisana Love (S$26) is a popular choice too. Essentially chicken and waffles, this dish features panfried buttermilk chicken, wholewheat waffles, maple butter and red vegetable slaw. What dreams are made of, we’d say. Need some warm stew? The Boston Love Boat-Ciponio (S$29) is a seafood and saffron version that is (also) served with sweet potato fries. Never too much, indeed.
The menu revamp also brings about a spanking desserts selection that they call “The Sweeter Sides of Love”. Small but concise, everything is homemade with so much thoughts and love. On a lighter note, we have so much respect for places that reinvent recipes, so Arteastiq has our hearts for this.
We liked the Airy Fairy (S$13) best. A portion of Valrhona chocolate mousse with vanilla cream parfait a day keeps depression at bay! This dessert is also very Instagram-worthy.
Are you a fan of donuts? Because the Pillows-”Beignets” (S$12) are not to be missed. Three balls of New Orleans style beignets that are round and soft – airy on the inside, and powdered with coffee sugar on the outside. Served with creme chantilly, we would even do this as a main on days that we need some sugar rush.
The Silk Thread (S$13) is an interesting rendition of crème brûlée. It is not your usual sweet custard; it is infused with osmanthus. Lightly creamy and significantly less sweet, this variation is served with fresh plump berries, and ideal for those who normally do not prefer the classic rich custard.
As Arteastiq prides itself as an oasis of a venue, the whole concept of social interaction through the expression of painting and gathering whilst overlooking the busy life of Orchard Road from above is a truly exquisite experience.
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Arteastiq Boutique Tea House
Mandarin Gallery, #04-14/15
333A Orchard Road
Tel: +65 6235 8370
Daily: 11am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Somerset
This post is brought to you by Arteastiq Boutique Tea House.
Hi Brad,
Been reading yr blog for years and been to many places u recommended but this I need to comment.
Went to this place with anticipation last Fri after reading your blog
- We are “forgotten” after we have ordered our dinner , I thought the food here was prepared really slow and I need to wait but after waiting for mins, I asked then realised they forgot my order!
Ok that’s not what I want to complain but just to add on.
- U know the food was arranged etc at the sight of the guests right? What we saw is we could not believe our eyes, the person who is preparing and arranging was not wearing glove! He touches his pen when needed to write something, touching the order paper, touching his clothes then to FOOD! I told the supervisor, and she agreed what I said and she immediately went to ask him to wear glove but what’s the use of wearing glove where after that, he went to do everything of the above again and touches the food? I am never going back again despite the food is relatively not bad! I was so turned off watching the whole scene of preparing food.
I am not sure whether will you publish what I shared but I just want to let you know it is what it is
Had a great experience here. I particularly loved the desserts available. Perfect to spend an afternoon away with a group of friends.
Thanks for always recommending these cool places!
My friend really likes the ambience and food there so we hang out there quite often. And i like their creme brulee and duck pancake too XD
Was brought there by a friend. The food was good and the place has cool interior and nice ambience. A great place to chill and chat.
This is such a good recommendation! A couple of months ago, I went for their art studio to do some painting with my company and was in love with their restaurant’s relaxing and interesting interiors. I remembered reminding myself to try their high-tea offerings during my next visit. But it kinda got lost in memory until chancing your blog post about them, and got really excited by what you’ve written. Since I’m planning the itinerary for an upcoming vacation with my girls, I got them to meet me at Arteastiq for lunch on a Wednesday afternoon, conveniently ticking one restaurant off my extensive list of to-visit in Singapore. When we were there, though majority of the place was accommodated, the service staffs were still friendly and efficient, which was great!
We ordered the duck pancakes and shared the salmon wellington, which is of a recommended portion for 2, and was surprised by how flavourful both dishes were! We cleared both dishes till the last crumb, which is rather rare for ladies like us. Also, what really struck me pleasantly hard was the lychee tea that I had! Refreshing, mildly sweet, and taste that lingers on the tongue sip after sip. Price point is rather steep. But in consideration of the beautiful ambience that we are surrounded in, it’s definite that it will be an experience that my friends and I will be coming back for more!
This is such a treat.. We knew arteastiq as only a place to hang out in orchard area. Convenient and cosy but the products was just so so… I remembered the first time I was there I was so confused with the menu naming and the concept of it all, taste of the food was horrendous, cold and unappetising. tea was ok albeit the price. Somehow after reading this review I decided on try the food again… After all I was intrigued by the chefs they brought in. I know chef jason Vito from onaka for his imaginative cuisine and healthier lifestyle… I was pleasantly surprised the food is 200% better. The menu was easier to read and the concept of breakfast around the world really hit home.. There were some mishaps with the service and flow, but in the Singapore standard, its negligible.
I really hope to see a better development from the team of chefs. Pretty sure I’ll comeback again one day.