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Singapore epitomizes the idea that a culture can speak through food, with its bright laksa, aromatic bak chor mee, fish head curry, and famous chicken rice. We know that we’ve already whet your appetite, but not to fear. The one and only Singapore Food Festival is upon us, and you’re going to love it. You’ve already read our lowdown on the key events, taken note of the arts and culture highlights, maybe even perused the official festival website. Now, we’re here to tell you about eight dining experiences that we’re certain will leave you begging for more.
Photo: Great Indian Food Affair
Great Indian Food Affair
The Great Indian Food Affair is proud to showcase authentic Indian flavors, and to that we say: bring on the masala! Of the many delectable dishes on offer, the Singapore Fish Head Curry with Indian Basmati Rice, which will be available at Banana Leaf Apolo, has us extra excited.
If you can’t make it to Banana Leaf Apolo for a mouth-watering curry fix, don’t fret. The Great Indian Food Affair will have no shortage of flavorful and expertly spiced dishes to try. Yantra will be presenting their Indian Wedding Menu, which features Prawn Allepey Curry: fresh prawns bathed in a silky-smooth coconut curry, all tempered with mustard seeds and curry leaves — sign us up stat.
Watch out for the cops when you go to Yantra, though — the flavor bomb explosions in your mouth will be so compelling they should be illegal. (Hah)
When and Where:
July 14-15, 11:30am – 3pm at Yantra, 163 Tanglin Road, #01-28/33, Tanglin Mall
July 16-20, 11am – 10pm at Banana Leaf Apolo, 54 Race Course Road, 48 Serangoon Road #01-32/ #02-13 Little India Arcade and 80 Marine Parade #03-01 Parkway Parade
July 21-22, 11:30am – 2:30pm at Punjab Grill, 2 Bayfront Avenue, B1-01A, The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands
July 28-29, 1pm – 3pm and 6pm – 9pm at Sayali Restaurant (Indian Street Food Extravaganza), 18 Belilios Lane
Visit website here for more details.
Photo: Sentosa Grillfest / Visit Singapore
Sentosa Grillfest
Is there anything more enticing than hitting up a grillfest on a weekend? Picture it now: you’ve got your tank top on, a cold beer in hand, the aroma of barbecued meats and other delights are wafting off sizzling grills. Oh, and did we mention that you get to enjoy all of this while taking in a beautiful view of the ocean? If that doesn’t already sound like heaven, let us tell you about a few dishes that we’re drooling over: Laksa Mentai Soft Shell Crab Tacos and Otah Fries! Come by the Grillfest on Siloso Beach for some amazing beachside barbecue.
When: 13 to 15 July, 6pm – 11pm
20 to 22 July, 6pm – 11pm
27 to 29 July, 6pm – 11pm
Where: Siloso Beach Service Road, visit the website here for more details.
Photo: Facebook / Weekends at Monniker
Weekends at Monniker
Monniker is keen to celebrate local culinary delights with three different innovative weekend lunch themes.
First in the series is a riff off classic Singaporean hawker/street food at “Hawker Glam”, which pairs new techniques with timeless local food culture. If you’re looking to go with a good ol’ traditional dish that you know and trust, then get ready for a delicious Hakka braised pork belly. Another fusion dish we’re excited for is the char siew and siew yoke with yuzu daikon, passion fruit cucumber, and pineapple salsa.
If this modern approach to traditional food is really up your alley, then don’t miss “Embracing our Roots” as well, where chefs present updated versions of their decades-old secret family recipes whilst still paying respect to their origins.
Monniker ends its weekend series by bringing it all back home with “Home’age”, where it will serve an array of dishes made of the finest locally sourced produce. One of the featured dishes will be Hokkien Mee Risotto — a perfect blend of the classic hawker street food, Hokkien mee, with the international comfort-food dish, risotto.
When: “Hawker Glam” July 14-15, 11am-4:30pm
“Embracing our Roots” July 21-22, 11am-4:30pm
“Home’age” July 28-29, 11am-4:30pm
Where: Pulluchup, 56 Zion Road, check here for booking details.
Photo: Time Out Singapore Balik Kampong Heritage Dinner / Visit Singapore
Time Out Singapore Balik Kampong Heritage Dinner
Four chefs, all standouts in their field, will be presenting a seven-course dinner (including drinks) that highlights Eurasian, Peranakan, Malay and Chinese culture. Who are these superstars, you ask? Well, we hope you’re sitting down and eating a snack right now, because you are about to be blown away and starving.
Folklore’s Damian D’Silva, who was a MasterChef Singapore 2018 judge (ooh!), is the king of classic hometown dishes. He will be presenting a main course of nasi tekan with garam assam and sambal belimbing that will leave your belly full and put you in the nostalgic mood. Chef Han Li Guang of Michelin-starred Labyrinth will be there to please seafood lovers with charcoal-grilled whole fish otah that’s perfect for sharing. Smoky, soft, and just melt-in-your-mouth!
Are you hungry yet? We know we are. The Balik Kampong Heritage Dinner will have so much to offer: Chef Pang Kok Keong of Antoinette Pang is serving Hakka abacus seeds tossed in a foie gras sauce, the perfect dish to wake you up and give your taste buds something to think about. There won’t be any lack of food for thought, as Chef Haikal Johari of Michelin-starred restaurant, Alma by Juan Amador, will be plating up a hearty portion of gulai kambing (lamb curry) and sweetbreads. Mmm, we’re ready for that flavor bomb!
The event will be held at Folklore, and you can buy tickets here. Ticket price is $150 nett per pax; the price includes an alcohol pairing.
When: July 26-27, 7pm – 10pm
Where: Folklore, 700 Beach Road
Photo: Singapore Restaurant Festival
Singapore Restaurant Festival
The Singapore Food Festival is honored, on its 25th anniversary, to invite several heritage restaurants like Moi Lum, Ng Ah Sio Bak Kut Teh, and Yum Cha, as part of the Singapore Restaurant Festival, to feature their most popular dishes to be enjoyed by locals and international tourists alike. These heritage restaurants will present Majestic Roast Chicken, Spare Ribs Soup, and Golden Black Garlic Har Kow, respectively. In a festival filled with new and trendy takes on traditional food, enjoy a nice, relaxing culinary break by indulging in some classics — your taste buds will thank you.
Not only will the Singapore Restaurant Festival be presenting you with great food, they also have some surprises up their sleeve. From July 1 to Sept. 30, you can collect e-stamps on your phone from participating restaurants. Use these stamps for a chance to win a lucky draw every month! There’s no minimum spend amount and an unlimited number of submissions.
When: July 1 – Sept. 30
Where: Participating restaurants across the island, check out the website for more information on the participating restaurants.
Photo: Singapore Tourism Board
Hawker Spotlight / Amoy Street Food Centre
This year marks the the fourth edition of the Hawker Spotlight, which will fall on the historic Amoy Street Food Centre, home to many heritage hawkers. Food connoisseur Dr Leslie Tay will be leading an intimate media tour to discover the stories behind some of Amoy Street Food Centre’s most beloved stalls, including Ah Ter Teochew Fishball Noodles, Syed Mohammed Drinks and Quan Ji.
The spotlight will be on many dishes, but especially on the Teochew fishball noodles. This not-to-be-missed noodle bowl will feature handmade fishballs and soft, chewy noodles.
If this deal doesn’t sound appealing enough yet, then consider this: visitors can pick up exclusive Hawker Spotlight booklets at the City Gas Gallery and Singapore Visitor Centres from July 16 to enjoy special deals and discount coupons at Amoy Street Food Market. These coupons can be redeemed between July 20 and 28.
When: July 20, 10am
Where: Amoy Street Food Centre, 7 Maxwell Road
Photo: McDondalds Singapore
McDonald’s Love Local
Oh, good ol’ McDonald’s. Whether it’s for a 2am drunk food binge or a cold sweet treat after lunch, McDonald’s has always been the most dependable go-to. Last year, the iconic fast food chain unveiled a nasi lemak burger that was so popular it sold out in only two weeks.
If that type of innovative food fusion appeals to you, then you’ve gotta make it out to the Singapore Food Festival. McDonald’s has some exciting fusions up their sleeve just for the occasion. The Ha Ha Cheong Gai Chicken Burger is just the first example of such culinary explorations. The sought-after burger consists of a whole chicken thigh marinated with real prawn paste. The thigh is then coated with crispy bread crumbs, fried, and drenched in prawn paste-flavored mayonnaise. Trust us, it’s a party in your mouth, and everyone’s invited.
When: Throughout July (or until stocks run out)
Where: McDonald’s outlets throughout Singapore, visit website here for more details
Photo: Facebook / Mediterranean X Singaporean
AccorHotels and the Singapore Food Festival
There are a variety of exhilarating events happening at these chic hotels for the Singapore Food Festival. Sing:Pas is an event hosted by the chefs at Anti:Dote, a stylish and modern cocktail bar. They’re quite experienced marrying contemporary techniques with classic flavors.
At A Taste of Singapore, Ellenborough Market Café will be presenting Executive Chef Louis Tay’s signature Nyonya Laksa, among other tried-and-true favorites such as the Hokkien Prawn Noodle Soup.
Featuring an assortment of local spices and seasonings, the dishes at Rasa Sayang are bursting with colorful flavors that’ll give your tastebuds a bit of a kick. One of its signature dishes is the outstandingly juicy looking Paperbag Oven Baked Laksa Chicken, which is probably the most delicious use of a paper bag that we’ve ever seen.
While Mediterranean-Singaporean fusion food may not be common, we think it sounds like a match made in culinary heaven. If you think so too, you’re in for a treat: Winestone is serving up an array of Mediterranean favorites with a Singaporean touch. Expect more than just a few interesting combinations that you’d be hard pressed to find anywhere else, like Laksa Seafood Paella.
Jia Wei Chinese Restaurant features an assortment of delicately prepared, fantastic food that’s sure to fill your stomach, and leave you in food coma heaven. Award-winning Head Chef Victor Lee has designed a menu of best loved Singaporean dishes especially for the Singapore Food Festival 2018, so you can be sure of a feast indeed. Just have a glance at their Home-Style Braised Pork Belly — meaty awesomeness that we honestly can’t help but crave.
Sing:Pas
When: July 16-29, 6pm – 10pm (food), 6pm – 12am (drinks)
Where: Anti:dote, Level 1, 80 Bras Basah Road, Fairmont Singapore
A Taste of Singapore
When: July 13-29, 6:30pm – 9:30pm
Where: Swissotel Merchant Court, 20 Merchant Road
Rasa Sayang BBQ Buffet
Where: Mercure Singapore Bugis, 122 Middle Road
When: July 13-29, 6pm – 10pm
Mediterranean X Singaporean (Presented by Winestone)
When: July 13-29
Lunch: Monday – Saturday, 12pm – 2:30pm
Dinner: Monday – Saturday, 6pm – 12am (last order of food at 10 pm)
Where: Winestone, 30 Stevens Road, #01-09
Flavours of Singapore (Jia Wei Chinese Restaurant)
When: July 13-28, 11am – 3pm, 6pm – 11pm
Where: Grand Mercure Singapore Roxy, 50 East Coast Road, Roxy Square
Check out website here for more details.
If you get through this whole article without drooling all over your laptop or phone, well, you deserve a medal. Excuse us for a second while we wipe down our own keyboards… Whether you’re a curry person, a noodle person, a street food person, or just someone with a sweet tooth or who enjoys a nightcap, the Singapore Food Festival has something for you.
If you’re like us and can’t wait to know more about STREAT, The 50 Cents Fest, A Taste of Eurasian Heritage, and other food events check out our first Singapore Food Festival story here.
The next two weeks is going to be chock-full of mouth-watering treats just like the ones featured above and more. Head over to the official website for more information on the Singapore Food Festival!
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