If there’s anything that Singapore has contributed to world culture, its the food. This island-nation, a harmonious blend of three ethnic groups and one european culture, has created a perfect storm of cuisine, where any visitor could spend every day sampling a new taste treat for a year and still encounter something deliciously new each time. In fact, back in 2006, food and beverage spending by visitors accounted for more than S$1 billion or about 12 per cent of overseas visitors’ total expenditure.

The very savvy Singapore Tourism Board has celebrated the city’s gastronomic leanings every July for 15 years with the Singapore Food Festival. This year, the Board is co-organizing with food consultancy group Peter Knipp Holdings (PKH) to bring more than 40 events to this year’s festival, including the opening activity in Lau Pa Sat (”old market” in the Hokkien dialect), A Dish for Every Week at Suntec City, The Sentosa BBQ, and a Major League eating competition on July 27, a first for Asia. What’s more, foodies can enjoy outdoor jazz, mobile musicians, demonstrations, and even a fashion show. If Singapore is internationally recognized as a food paradise, then consider the Food Festival as the annual Rapture.

The theme for this year is a nostalgic look back at Singapore’s food history. There are heritage tours which will allow visitors to experience various cultural dishes at participating ethnic districts like Chinatown, Little India, and Kampong Glam. “Makan” classes and cooking workshops will also let chef wanna-bes prepare a host of dishes, from desserts to ethnic delicacies. The main focus of these workshops are “Old fashioned cakes”, “Claypot favorites”, and “Some Forgotten Dishes”. They will be orchestrated in Lau Pa Sat and other locations by some of Singapore’s renowned chefs and local food operators.

Debuting this year is the Singapore Food Sampler. Visiting or transiting tourists can drop by the nearest Singapore Visitors Centre to claim their redemption vouchers. Just show your passports! By presenting these vouchers to any participating restaurants, they will be served three available must-try dishes, all for free. Satay (meats on sticks), Fish Head Curry, Hainanese Chicken Rice, Laksa (thick noodles in coconut gravy), and many more timeless dishes will be among the choices in the samplers.

Kopi Tiam, the streetside coffee brewer that excels in brewing the potent Singaporean coffee blend whether served hot or with ice, is getting in on the Festival act with the “True Singapore Taste” Kopi Tiam card - the first of its kind! At SGD 10 per card, cardholders can order up to 4 petite-sized dishes and sip on one hot brew, whether its tea or coffee. Try such evocative delights like the Grilled Seafood Beaucurd with Light Soy Sauce, Steamed Emperor Spring Chicken with Chinese Herbs and Spices as well as signature Kopi Tiam dishes like Laksa and Curry Fish Head at SGD52++ per set, inclusive of a choice of beverage - soya bean milk, barley or iced Milo.

Finally, to honor the role of food is Singapore’s culture, stamps will be introduced which will feature must-try dishes such as Satay, Roti Prata, and Bak Kwa.

So if you consider yourself an epicurean or even just a casual food lover, then the Singapore Food Festival is a must for you. And don’t worry about the weight gain: all that walking between restaurants is good exercise. While visiting Singapore, you might also want to participate in the Great Singapore Sale 2008. Singapore thinks of everything!

Posted in Events, Food, Singapore

This entry was posted on Monday, July 7th, 2008 at 12:01 am and is filed under Events, Food, Singapore. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.