The sweeping view of the busy streets along Orchard Road never seems to fail my amusement every time I step up to the quaint tea salon that is Arteastiq; squirrelled away into the most obscure corner of the Mandarin Gallery. Despite (or rather, because) of its mysterious seclusion, the joint sees a roaring business; funded by Tai-tais cradling their porcelain cups of tea and the occasional painting enthusiast who gamely decides to go for an art jamming session.
For those who prefer the day-time vibes on a weekend, you'll be glad to know that Arteastiq's newly launched High Tea set, though severly overdue, has risen to standards with a dedicated bakery team now manning an entire station near the entrance to the shop.
Priced at a modest $48++ for 2 people, this set comes with two sets of artisanal tea (with the exclusion of alcoholic teas) and a hearty range of petite savoury and sweet treats placed on an immaculate golden rimmed 'Bird-cage' inspired stand. The Mushroom Vol au Vent was decent, the puff pastry crisp and fillings well seasoned; whilst the Panini Morsi fared much better. The brioche, thick and buttery in collaboration with the seared foie gras lining the middle. The Smoked Salmon could have been better presented, the tiny cup holding a decidingly savoury cream cheese mousse to harmonise with the chunks of smoked salmon. From the get go, it's easy to see why the restaurant would want to recreate their massive hit dish, the Beijing's Dynasty Duck Pancake in a smaller form for the high tea spread. Unfortunately the crispy taco like shell held not even a whimper of light to the eggy crepe rolls that embraced the sliced smoked duck, in the original. And I could have sworn that the bits of arugula pushed into the mix left a bitter taste in my mouth..
Graduating to desserts, on the upper tier - Start off with the Matcha Cheesecake; a rather impish deconstruction of the usual with an intensely bitter cream cheese mousse topped with crunchy pop rocks to resemble the crust. Then move on the Chocolate Truffles for an intense hit from the 66% Valrhona chocolate and a macadamia filling. My pick of the lot would have to be the Pineapple upside down cake which basically combines the winning combination of caramelised pineapples and good ole' buttercake in every mouthful. I would have liked it less sweet, but there's where the tea comes into play. Last but not least, the macarons which have been proudly claimed to be made in-house may vary from set to set and I was fortunate enough to taste the Salted yolk Coffee version. A stunningly queer merger that combines the bitterness of the coffee with the inherent rich sandiness from the salted egg yolk ganache. Now, if only they did counter sales for this baby...
Also new to the scene is Arteastiq's new Weekday Brunch Menu which starts at $16++ inclusive of a speciality tea. This is available from Monday to Friday between 11am - 130pm - perfect for those looking for somewhere a little private in town for business meetings, catch ups and the presumed subsequent signing of documents (hint: success is usually guaranteed in such soothing ambiance).
My Flight Fantasy ($16) pleases the carnivore in me; 2 beautiful free range eggs splayed across the hot pan; topped with sweet potato chips, salad dressed with a honey mustard dressing and the looming presence of a humongous chicken sausage on the side. My chicken sausage appears a wee under-done with a quick slice revealing mushy innards but a quick trip back to the kitchen seeks out remedy with the gargantuan serving and sizzling aromas adrift, fishing for comments from the neighbouring diners.
Arteastiq jumps on the bandwagon with its newest Salted Egg Yolk entry: Symphony from the East ($19) where Capellini is tossed in a rambunctious tangle of salted egg yolk, spice and broken egg for a rather dreamy concoction. Served with juicy prawns and Thai basil, the secret is canned up, literally! - as the contents of the tin separates the naughty from the nice. Diners are allowed to add as much of the sinful salted egg yolk sauce as their heart desires. However, when it comes down to the wire, Arteastiq's version does need to amp up the pronunciation of salted yolk in the sauce and I earnestly hope the kitchen gets to work on it.
Still, Arteastiq does have charm for it's alluring location and loungy vibes. Hence, still crawling to the top of my recommendations list for best places for girly meetings.
Arteastiq Boutique Tea Lounge
333 Orchard Road
Mandarin Gallery
#04-14
t: 6235 8370
Operating Hours:
Daily: 11am - 10pm
Fundamentally Flawed dined as a guest of Arteastiq; however, all views and opinions are maintained strictly her own.
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