Are You Arteastiq?

Arteastiq, the home-grown boutique tea house and social painting studio has opened their second outlet in Plaza Singapura.  Arteastiq has been catering to social painting with its flagship in Mandarin Gallary, allowing friends to paint and laugh at each other’s creative artwork (or lack of) since 2010.  The new venue presents the familiar modern black, white and gold-coloured theme, with a classy and cosy interior.  Patrons overlook the street with the floor-to-ceiling windows on one side. Ivan Teo, the founder of Arteastiq, explained that he chose the new site based on the views it offered patrons.

Interior of Arteastiq at Plaza Singapura. Photos by Arteastiq.

Speaking of views, I loved to pause and watch patrons paint every time I walk by the Arteastiq studio at Mandarin Gallery. While I envy those who can complete an artwork, for I simply cannot bring myself to mar a perfectly clean piece of white canvas.  So despite the media invite to have a go at art jamming, I still chose the food tasting session instead.

More than just tea

Even though it prides itself as a boutique tea house, Arteastiq also boasts an extensive eclectic food menu.  When I say “eclectic”, I mean it.  The menu takes you around the world with a mishmash of whimsical names, such as Beijing’s Dynasty (Duck Pancake) to Nordic Lights (Soba salad) to Tuscan Sun (Porcine et Polenta).

Appetiser, Nordic Lights Soba Salad. Photo by Arteastiq.

The mains menu is also split into “Ladies Affairs” and “Gentlemen Dinner”, specifically designed to cater to either gender; a lighter and more sophisticated items like Aphrodite (Crab cake Benedict) (S$25) and Summer in Provence (Foie gras et Oeuf en Cocotte) (S$28) for the ladies, and straightforward and manly meals like Viking’s Prime (Frikadel et Rosti) (S$25) and The French Connection (Striploin) (S$30) for the guys.

Aphrodite, Crab cake Benedict. Photo by Arteastiq.

Frankly, I would recommend that the beverage be ordered first, before circumnavigating the extensive menu at Arteastique, because it is going to take a while, if not 80 days.

A fellow writer was rather taken with The Best Mushroom Soup in the World (S$12), although I would recommend the Viva Duck (S$17) appetiser, with its very generous smoked duck breast batonnet wrapped with spring onion, khoo chye, red chilli and plum sauce.

Appetiser, Viva Duck.

I had a great time tearing a hole in the thin pastry lid of the Boston Love Boat (Ciponio) (S$29).  The aroma that emanated from the steaming seafood stew was pretty alluring, and it was the highlight main dish for me that afternoon.  The Royal Princess, a Salmon Wellington, (S$38) is also quite generous, and is recommended for two.  The sides that came with these both dishes were quite satisfying too.

Boston Love Boat, Ciponio. Photo by Arteastiq.

The Royal Princess, Salmon Wellington. Photo by Arteastiq.

For desserts, other than the many gelato-themed creations, I was surprised by the aptly named Airy-Fairy (S$13).  The Valrhona chocolate mousse with vanilla crème parfait is so airy that every spoonful just evaporates in my mouth, leaving behind only the silky refined flavours.

Airy Fairy, Valrhona chocolate mousse and vanilla parfaite. Photo by Arteastiq.

Artepret

Besides art jamming, Arteastiq is also introducing Artepret – a personality profiling working together with art jamming.  The three-hour workshop consists of three parts, where participants will be allowed to freely express themselves on canvas, before Ethan Lin, the “Master Artepretor”, who is a certified MBTI Practitioner, proceeds to help the participants understand their personality through their paintings.  Lastly, the session will conclude with a team bonding session, where the participants will be able to appreciate each other’s unique personality and interests through sharing the results of their individual profiling.

Arteastiq Boutique Tea House
#03-70/72 Plaza Singapura
68 Orchard Road
Singapore 238839
Tel: +65 6336 0951

Opening hours: Daily 10 am to 10 pm