We love it when restaurants add a contemporary spin to timeless recipes – and the latest addition that’s been making noise in the city’s dining scene is an Asian soul-food concept by Singapore’s popular establishment CreatureS. Originally known for its innovative modern cuisine back in Singapore, the new project, adoringly named Tease by CreatureS, brings over a touch of their fun signature Singaporean dishes as well as adaptions of Beijing classics.
Located in the hutongs of Wangfujing on the ground floor of Stey, a hip new serviced apartment complex, Tease by CreatureS is easily accessible for those who don’t like wandering around dark hutongs at night hunting for a cool spot to eat. The restaurant’s contemporary and bright interior design gives an extra dose of trendiness, especially amidst the relatively empty building lobby. The neon pink and blue walls give you a pretty good idea of the type of colorful cuisine you can come to expect.
Going through their menu, we recognize a number of Southeast Asian dishes, but trust us when we say: we’ve never had them like this before. We start with the tofu blooms (RMB80) – Japanese cold tofu resting on top of a velvety blend of century egg sauce, with lotus root slivers that add a crispy crunch to every creamy bite. The showstopper, hands down, is the kampung beef rendang (RMB168). While beef rendang is one of the most classic Indonesian dishes, their version undergoes an artistic makeover. The aromatic slow-braised beef, soaked in all the flavors of their heirloom rendang recipe is served with a side of vibrant blue butterfly pea coconut rice and a cucumber salad.
Another instant hit is their spin on the simple Hainanese chicken rice (RMB88). As we are served the classic dish in the form of fresh Vietnamese spring rolls, we’re baffled that this is the first time we’ve seen it in this variation. Served with three dipping options of homemade chili, sesame soy sauce, and spring onion-ginger dip, this creative take on a Singaporean classic turns a one-person lunch into a delicious starter for the table to share (that is, if you can sacrifice a roll or two to your friends).
We end with the "tease" chocolate cake (RMB75) – a rich medley of dark chocolate ganache and Guanaja dark chocolate shards, finished with a salted caramel sauce, pink sea salt and a chill scoop of coconut sorbet.
Culinary creativity at Tease isn’t limited only to their kitchen. Located within Tease is their bar, fittingly named La-Bar-Atory, featuring inventive concoctions like the Cookie Jar (RMB98) – a sweet concoction based with pear juice and topped with a Nabati cheese wafer. Coming down with a cold? Try the Pei Pa Gao Soother, made with – yes, really – cough syrup, silver tequila and fresh lime juice. We’ll admit, some of their drinks seem to place more emphasis on presentation and creativity rather than on actual taste, but their bar is called La-Bar-Atory after all, so it’s only fair to expect some unusual levels of experimentation here.
If you’re looking for something old school and classic, this isn’t the place for you. But, if you’re up for inventive Southeast Asian eats with a tasty twist, then head over to Tease.
[Images courtesy of Tease by CreatureS]
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