Let's start off with a bit of honesty here. Truths are always nice in the light of day.
I've never had Valentines day dinner in a restaurant before.
There, I've said it. Perhaps its my unfortunate run-ins with really stingy ex-boyfriends or maybe its a blessing in disguise as the sight of overly affectionate couples and the saturation of love themes splashed loud and proud in all forms make me nauseous. I am a generous lover, but I rather do all that in the privacy of the bedroom.
However, if I have to choose one place for this years celebrations, it would have to be Arteastiq. Mainly because overpriced, second-rate food makes me pissed, and to be frank, there's no space for love in the presence of shoddy cooking. Arteastiq delivers on all fronts, presenting 2 sets, one for the Ladies and one for the Gentlemen, encouraging cheeky sharing and careless whispers exchanged over the tables.
The Valentines Day menu at Arteastiq is fresh and shows incredible promise. For starters, there's the Roasted Sweet Potato and Rosemary Salad for the Ladies and the Cyperian Affair for the guys.
The former, a light chaser to kick off the evening cause the ladies definitely don't want to bloated by the end of the night (truth be told, we would like save room for desserts!). The latter is an impressive melange of sensational flavors and textures. The sweet burst of Taiwanese grapes melding with crisp pan fried haloumi, salty capers, and a cheeky drizzle of honey.
The next courses come in hot pursuit. WARNING: this might cause quite a stir over the table. The ladies get the Crabcake Benedict with maryland crab and smoked paprika hollandaise whilst the guys get the Frikadel et Rosti, a chicken panfried dumpling accompanied by sweet potato rosti, horseradish brown sauce. Being a lady, I would gamely ward off all lingering forks that wander into my territory, but that's just me, good food makes me selfish.
The next course brings us something a little more substantial. Barley Risotto for the ladies and the Duck Pancake for the beefed up guys. Two very fulfilling main courses that deliver on very unexpected fronts. The risotto uses barley in contrast to the conventional arborio rice, resulting in a textural peculiarity that I found oddly refreshing. Cooked with a saffron fennel broth and garnished with pecorino romano, This dish remained perfect for the peckish throughout its long stay at the table. The duck pancake that had once captured my imagination before failed to fork out the same lip-smacking effects. Dusted with five spices and elevated by a slightly bitter orange caramel, the duck rolls were slightly warped in terms of ingredient ratio and I craved for a little more protein amidst the tussle of greens.
Desserts are a sweet affair with the Osmanthus Creme Brulee for the ladies and the French Toast with the Brie for the lads. My vote goes for the French toast; essentially a play on the grilled cheese sandwich with melty savoury brie sandwiched between toasty custard brie, this is one course to melt your heart.
Note that this set is priced at $188++ per couple. served with a complimentary tea set. Totally worth the price tag if you ask me. Headlined by the exemplary food and the twists and turns thrown your way. Make you reservations quick to avoid disappointment!
Arteastiq Boutique Tea Lounge
333 Orchard Road
Mandarin Gallery
#04-14
Operating Hours:
Daily 11am - 10pm
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