There're two things that this place is well known for.
Art, and, Afternoon Tea.
I've yet to come here for the Art (I've seen it)
I've also yet to come here for the Afternoon Tea.
But one day I will.
Especially now, after having had a meal at their outlet in Plaza Singapura.
This is a place for the artist.
This is also a place that will awaken or stimulate the artist inside you.
The decor here is incredible.
It's true.
Arteastiq is not a place where the tables and chairs exist for the (mere) purpose of function.
It is also not a place where the decor exists to (merely) brighten up the area or to replicate an ambience for the purpose of coordination with the food.
Instead this is a place where there has been much heart dedicated to the visual pleasure of decor, and casual dining.
We were brought to our table right at the back near the windows- and where at other places they might have pushed tables right up to the glass so as to maximize floor space- here they had left a space between the panel and the table for the decor on the floor.
I wish I knew what these frilly, ostrich-like, feathery things were. :D
The decor isn't restricted to filling up the space left empty on the floor.
It also includes the ceiling where they have something that looks like dry stalks of wheat hanging down in a very neat row, the table where they've got these little plants so cute I almost wanted to bring them home, the seats and sofas where they've placed colorful square-shaped cushions that you can sink back into, and also the walls.
Don't be surprised if you find your food garnished and plated in 3D perspective.
All for the 'gram, some may say, but, hey, it does whet the appetite too.
Their menu consists of mains, small bites, desserts, pastas, salads, sandwiches and spaghetti but we decided on grilled (baked?) salmon with a cream sauce, a serving of chicken tenders, and a pot of cinnamon ginger milk tea.
The tea arrived first, swirling around gently in its pretty glass pot, with a glass cup and cinnamon stick by the side.
It's recommended to drink the tea using the cinnamon stick as a straw.
Let's just say that I've never tasted a teh halia as strong as this.
The salmon too was good.
I'd expected a small, thin, dainty slice, but, no, what came to the table was this chunk of a salmon fillet topped with a generous portion of vegetables surrounded by a sauce of rich, thick, cream.
The vegetables were a little bitter on the palate (it's the type of vegetable) but they went well with the sauce, and we cut up the salmon into smaller pieces just so we could slather the whole piece with the tasty (but I forget what flavor) cream.
The chicken tenders came last, but they were good.
Again, my expectations were surpassed- I had thought they'd be small (like what some places serve) but these were five huge well-fried pieces laid out nicely over a bit of salad in the metal dish.
And so filling they were.
It must have been over an hour that we spent at Arteastiq that afternoon.
That doesn't always happen.
But the afternoon rains made it a lazy one, and I truly came to appreciate the cozy vibe, the homeliness, and the sense of warmth that beautiful aesthetics and strategically placed decorations can bring.