Since new art exhibition Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience is currently making waves around your socials, it’s only apt to spend the afternoon at a Van Gogh-inspired afternoon tea. From now to April 2, head down to swanky hotel bar Anti:dote to do so.
This tea is part of Fairmont Singapore’s ‘Season of Impressionists’, a series of art-inspired afternoon teas. And for the very first edition, it’s taken inspiration from renowned Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh. You’ll notice little pops of vibrantly yellow Sunflowers – not only made apparent with this treasure trove of an afternoon tea, but also all around with freshly cut sunflowers and a framed replica of the painting.
Start with an amuse bouche – a delicate honeycomb cracker with flavours surprisingly similar to hae bee hiam (dried shrimp), or a filo pastry shell filled with roasted butternut cubes. Both are tasteful in its display, but are also cleverly designed to whet your appetite.
Up next? A series of savoury tarts and sandwiches. Gently tug open the top drawer and you’ll find an array of bites: a smoked salmon brioche, an egg mayo green tea bun, a petite lobster roll, a pork bulgogi tart, and a duck rillette sandwiched between lemon blinis. It’s not blatantly obvious, but Van Gogh’s influence comes through the yellow hue of the saffron brioche, lemon blinis, and parmesan mash.
The star of the show is typically the sweets, and this Van Gogh-inspired lineup isn’t any different. In fact, the intricacy of these bonbons, financiers, and cakes could very well rival some of the fine art pieces in museums. Take the sunflower praline pot: it comes with a chocolate soil with layers of orange marmalade and sponge, and is fully edible too, including the ‘ceramic’ pot.
Make sure to save stomach space though – the full lineup includes a vanilla cheesecake, hazelnut praline sable, blackcurrant petit four, raspberry mascarpone financier, verbena yoghurt bonbon, and green tea macaron. And, as with any afternoon tea, there are also scones. Anti:dote’s rendition comes speckled with sunflower seeds and raisins, and is served with the traditional lashings of clotted cream, strawberry marmalade, and lemon curd.
The Season of Impressionists Afternoon Tea runs daily from now to April 2 (12pm-2pm, 3pm-5pm), and starts from $58 per guest.
Book your Van Gogh-inspired afternoon tea here.
