Put all your weekend plans on hold because from 16 November to 18 November 2018, you need to head down to Singapore Turf Club @ Kranji for Let’s Go Jalan Jalan, an inter-generational food and music festival that marries amazing food and live music—all for a single weekend!

A food and music event of mega proportions—we’re looking at more than 130 booths dedicated to food and festival grub alone—this is one event you do not want to miss out on. There are also game stalls scattered all over the event space and even a go-kart. On the main stage, be swept off your feet to the sounds of local musical acts such as ORANGECOVE, Goose (Angus Sham) and local jazz maestro, Robert Fernando.

Suitable for both the young and young at heart who adore good music and better food, you are guaranteed to find a vast diversity of fun things to do here, so if you’re all out of ideas for plans for the family this weekend, you know where to go. Here’s a little insight into the things we saw, did and ate!

BUTTERBEER  – SAIKO BUTTER BREW (BOOTH 125)

Fancy something ice-cold to cool yourself off with? Then you should definitely get yourself a Butter Beer (S$5) from Saiko Butter Brew. Made to taste, look and feel like beer without actually containing any alcohol, the froth at the top is actually made using a butterscotch foam that is both creamy, luscious and well, buttery.

MALA POPCORN CHICKEN – SHACKMIE (BOOTH 75)

Festival grub comes in all shapes and sizes nowadays. Many of them stem from different cuisine and the one that has recently gained quite a following for its sheer versatility is fried chicken.

Over at Shackmie, be sure to try their signature Mala Popcorn Chicken (S$4) that comes coated generously with their own blend of mala powder. Punchy, numbing (just the way we like it) and tasty, this is something that we can imagine ourselves going back for.

SATAY, PUFFS AND OTHER MALAY DELIGHTS – MALAY FOOD BOOTH (LOCATED IN FRONT OF THE MAIN STAGE)

For a hit of nostalgia and the flavours of good-old Singaporean local food, be sure to stop by the Malay food booth right in front of the main stage to savour one of their many traditional Malay delights.

Backed by several years of experience cooking authentic Malay food and ultimately, with lots of heart, their satay, assorted puffs and nasi biryani come with the promise of vibrant flavours and alluring aromas.

DURIAN ICE CREAM – 211 HOUSE OF DURIAN (BOOTH 183)

Being massive fans of the iconic ‘king of fruits’, there was no way that we were going to pass up on the durian ice cream from 211 House Of Durian. A notch more flavourful (and richer) than its recent McFlurry counterpart, we highly recommend getting this if you’re looking to cool off or simply satisfy your craving for durian.

And costing S$5 for a large cone, this is something many people would often brush off, but we assure you that doing so would be a huge mistake.

NEON BUBBLE WAFFLES (BOOTH 194)

Inspired by the popular Hong Kong street food snack, ‘gai dan zai’, this stall sells innovative egg waffles that come in all shapes, colours, fillings and toppings.

We ordered for ourselves their signature Bubble Waffles (S$6) which comes filled with all sorts of sweet, diabetes-inducing delights such as Oreos, whipped cream, M&Ms and more.

CHEESEWHEEL PASTA – GIOIA (BOOTH 120)

When it comes to creamy pasta, cheese is a must—and lots of it. Over at Goia, get your hands on their Cheesewheel Pasta (S$8) that features freshly cooked pasta, mixed around directly on a cheese wheel.

Tossed and swirled until everything is properly covered in cheese, the pasta develops a rich, creamy exterior that tastes as delicious as it looks. S$8 may seem hefty but it really is worth the splurge.

LIVE MUSIC PERFORMANCES (MAIN STAGE)

In between activities, be sure to pop by the Main Stage to check out the repertoire of musical acts in store. The music line-up comprises various local talents ranging from the established musicians to the young and budding ones, so what you can expect is a vibrant mix of sounds from yesteryear and of today.

Let’s Go Jalan
Singapore Turf Club @ Kranji (Carpark B)
16 Nov – 18 Nov 2018
Fri: 5pm – 11pm
Sat & Sun: 11am – 11pm
Nearest Station: Kranji

Returning for the third year in a row, Chang Sensory Trails—the annual Thai food festival organised by Thailand’s award-winning beer, Chang—lands back in Singapore after a world tour in London and Los Angeles to bring a weekend that celebrates everything we love about Thai cuisine and culture through the culmination of Singapore’s finest Thai restaurants, art, music and not forgetting, refreshing Chang beer.

Chang Sensory Trails is the perfect festival for all Thai food lovers to experience and savour different varieties and sample different styles of Thai cuisine. Celebrating the delicacy and diversity of Thai cuisine, this year’s edition of Chang Sensory Trails features 24 signature dishes by eight Singapore-based Thai restaurants.

At the event, the chefs vow to serve nothing but authentic flavours of Thailand—delving deep into the country’s rich culinary heritage and exploring both Northern and Southern cuisine instead of just your usual tom yum and green curry.

From the 31 August to 01 September 2018, 4pm to 10pm, expect nothing but the best of authentic Thai home recipes done by eight Singapore-based Thai restaurants. Are you ready?!

With a focus on Thai home recipes this year, the festival aims to share with the world the Thai philosophy of Lamiat through food. Lamiat means paying attention to detail and looking beyond the ordinary in order to appreciate the small things that refine and produce perfection.

With Thai cuisine demonstrating the purest expression of Lamiat through its use of different herbs, spices and fresh ingredients, Chang and the featuring Thai chefs and restaurants strive to bring the real and natural flavours of Thailand to its international audience.

AROY DEE

A definite must try on the list is their Thai Style Prime Ribs with Aroydee Signature Sauce. Their prime rib is huge and juicy with a crisp and satisfying bite to it. Not to be missed are also their Stir-Fried Soft Shell Crab With Chilli And Garlic and their Green Mango Salad.

BAAN YING

Serving up a stellar repertoire of tasty dishes that stem from Northeastern Thailand’s Isaan cuisine, Baan Ying is one that delves away from your typical Thai fare. They offer a twist on a classic with their Dry Tom Yum Goong Noodles with Lava Egg as well as their finger-licking-good Hai Yat Fried Chicken with Sticky Rice.

BANGKOK JAM

Bangkok Jam strikes familiar chords with all of us and for a good reason too. At the event, indulge in their Thai Style Fish & Chips that are served with crispy fries, tom yum aioli as well as their Grilled Australian steak paired with papaya salad and pandan sticky rice. There’s no need to be jealous of what others are having when you finish your meal off with their Green with Envy Snow Ice.

GIN KHAO

As if fried rice in a pineapple didn’t seem interesting enough, Gin Khao serves Watermelon Fried Rice in, well, a watermelon. Loaded with ingredients, it makes for the perfect main alongside their Tom Yum Spam Fries and their Salted Egg Fish Skin.

LITTLE ELEPHANT

Serving up succulent morsels of pork, Little Elephant’s Kor Moo Yang(Grilled Pork Neck) is sure to have you salivating while they plate up your orders for you. If that’s not enough, order their Nam Tok Kor Moo Yang (Grilled Pork Neck Salad) and Stir Fry Sliced Beef with Holy Basil, they’re sure to leave you satisfied.

LONG CHIM

Sticking to mainly rice mains, Long Chim offers dishes such as Grilled Pork Skewers with Sticky Rice, Spicy Pork with Rice Cakes as well as Deep Fried Wings with Sticky Rice.

TAMARIND HILL

Tamarind Hill is serving up Deep-fried Prawns with Crispy Noodles, reminiscent of our favourite bamee noodles, but better. Top it off with their Mango Sticky Rice and Taro Fritters for the most indulgent meal ever.

UNYANG KORDAI

Their Grilled Khao Yai Chicken is their signature grilled chicken, marinated with coriander and white peppercorns which goes well with their Glutinous Brown Rice. As to what to end your meal with, perhaps their Thai Milk Tea Pudding would be the answer.

AND THERE’S MORE!

Treat not just your taste buds at Chang Sensory Trails. Adding to the multisensory experience, illustrations by GalactikCaptain from the local collective Band of Doodlers can be found adorning the facades of the food booths, decorating the tabletops as well as all over the Chang Sensory Trails’ photo wall.

Be entertained by musical acts from local bands O.K Ready! on the 31st of August and 53A on the 1st of September while you enjoy all your Thai culinary favourites—not forgetting crazy amounts of Chang beer as well. This is going to be an event to remember so you best round up best pals quick!

Chang Sensory Trails 2018
The Lawn at Marina Bay
8A Marina Boulevard
Singapore 018984
31 Aug 2018 (Fri) to 1 Sep 2018 (Sat)
4pm – 10pm
Website: www.changbeer.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/changbeersg
Instagram: @changbeerglobal
Nearest Station: Downtown

This post was brought to you by Chang Beer.

OmNomNom Feastival is happening at ION Orchard from 18 to 24 July 2016.

The folks behind Free Folk and Imaginator Studio have teamed up to bring you a sensorial wonderland right in the heart of Orchard Road – you can look forward to dining in a whimsical garden.

The feastival has curated a strong line-up of local artisanal F&B players as well as independent designers. So jump down the rabbit hole and head to OmNomNom Feastival. Here’s what you can expect:

Salted egg yolk dishes are aplenty, but have you heard of You Tiao with Salted Egg Yolk and cheese sauce? Yes, that’s right. Look out for FFS kiosk to try their take on the “Cheena Churros”.

Over at Sah Won, they have prepared a Salmon Burger which they have dubbed the Filet-O-Fish, but better. We can’t wait to try this and to see if it is indeed better than everyone’s favourite McDonald’s burger.

WORD has been getting very popular with its unicorn rainbow bagels at the Ramadan Bazaar at Geylang Serai. Can’t get enough of the Insta-worthy bagels? They will be making an appearance at the food fair, too.

Abracowdabra – the cookie dough specialist – has two dishes that will get everyone’s attention – a Cookie Dough Waffle and a Cookie Dough French Toast. Now that’s unusual but surely very persuasive.

There’s also Alarice. The team has prepared a Peanut Brittle – which is a modernised version of the traditional snack that all of us are familiar with.

To cut the long story short, you can look forward to A LOT OF FOOD at the OmNomNom Feastival. It sure is going to be a lot of feasting, and we are totally marking our calendars for this. In addition, there will be many exciting activities such as free wine tasting and a contest to win a staycation at Marina Bay Sands. Check out Free Folk’s Facebook Page for more details.

OmNomNom Feastival
ION Orchard B4 Event Hall
18 – 24 July 2016
Nearest Station: Orchard

This post is brought to you by Free Folk. 

Singapore Restaurant Month is here again!

This year’s Singapore Restaurant Month will be held from 01 July 2016 to 31 July 2016. In collaboration with the Health Promotion Board and Singapore Tourism Board, the Restaurant Association of Singapore has made ‘healthy dining’ the main theme for this year. Now, aren’t we all more conscious about eating healthier lately?

This year’s slew of dishes have to contain either 500 calories or less, or it has to be made up of at least 8% wholegrains such as oatmeal, brown rice and wholemeal bread. All of these dishes have been approved by certified Health Promotion Board nutritionists.

“The main aim of Singapore Restaurant Month 2016 is to encourage people to explore the option of healthier dining with the introduction of either lower calorie or higher wholegrain content dishes,” explained Mr Andrew Tjioe – President of RAS and Executive Chairman of Tung Lok Group.

46 RESTAURANT BRANDS – 95 HEALTHY DISHES

A total of 46 restaurants have dished out a whopping total of 95 wholesome dishes for Singapore Restaurant Month 2016. The participating restaurants range from Chinese, Thai, Western, Japanese, Indian, Spanish, vegetarian, Korean and fusion cuisine.

Among the 46 restaurants, 22 are new to Singapore Restaurant Month.

HERITAGE RESTAURANTS

Singapore Restaurant Month strongly supports heritage restaurants in Singapore which have been around for decades.

Some of them include Prima Tower Revolving Restaurant, Gim Tim Restaurant, Fatty Weng Restaurant, Beng Thin Hoon Kee Restaurant and Moi Lum; and they are all part of the lineup for Singapore Restaurant Month 2016.

SNEAK PEEKS OF 2016′S CREATIONS

We went on a food trail with the food community in Singapore and we had a preview of some of this year’s highlights.

Earle Swensen’s executive chef has created the Baked Hoisin Cod Fish (S$35.90) for Singapore Restaurant Month 2016. We especially loved the cod fish – almost creamy and very delicious when doused in the savoury goodness of the sauce.

The dish is also served with potato balls to fulfil your carbohydrate intake and sautéed mushrooms.

Total calories (full portion): 470.2

When you think of Si Chuan dishes in general, only crazy mala dishes will come to your mind. However, at this beautiful Chinese restaurant – Si Chuan Dou Hua Restaurant – the kitchen whips up very refined Sichuan-inspired dishes that will change the way you think about Si Chuan cuisine.

The Double-boiled White Fungus in Pear Vessel (S$15) is their addition to this year’s line-up. The soup sits within a pear, and is presented atop a bed of dry ice. Very dramatic, but don’t take your attention away from the sweet broth.

Total calories (full portion): 454.2

The Soup Spoon Union is a well-loved brand in Singapore. They are participating with The Grill Knife’s Grilled Salmon with Cauliflower Rice (S$15.80).

The cauliflower rice is mixed in with other ingredients such as coriander, cranberries, edamame, assorted nuts and quinoa. A huge slab of grilled salmon sits atop the rice. The accompanying black pepper sauce elevated the overall taste of the dish.

Total calories (full portion): 486.3

This is UNA’s submission for 2016′s list – Coca De Higos Y Foie Con Vermouth (S$26).

If you do not understand Spanish, that means Foie Gras and grilled figs on a crisp Spanish flatbread with vermouth reduction. The generous slabs of foie gras were pan-seared beautifully, and the accompaniment with the grilled figs gave the dish a refreshing taste.

Total calories (full portion): 384.1

Probably the most beautiful dim sum platter! This Eight Immortals Dim Sum Platter (S$12) is a treasure trove that you can find at Shin Yeh. In this platter are Steamed Chives Pork Dumpling, Crystal Mixed Vegetable Dumpling, Steamed Shrimp Dumpling and Steamed Chicken Dumpling.

Total calories (full portion): 107

Singapore Restaurant Month 2016 is held in conjunction with the Singapore Food Festival that will take place from 15 July 2016 to 31 July 2016, and Health Promotion Board’s upcoming food and drink campaign taking place from 28 July 2016 to 28 October 2016.

Singapore Restaurant Month 2016
When: 01 July to 31 July 2016
For full list of participating restaurants and dishes, visit www.singaporerestaurantmonth.com
Official hashtags: #singaporerestaurantmonth #singaporerestaurantmonth2016

This post is brought to you by the Restaurant Association of Singapore (RAS).

This year’s Singapore Food Festival comes back bigger and better, focusing on local flavours, as well as celebrating our country’s best dishes unique to our own. Titled “A Fresh Taste of Tradition”, Singapore Food Festival (SFF 2015) hopes to bring foodies together to revisit some of Singapore’s most iconic dishes and to remember our very special food heritage.

A variety of festivities and events have been lined up over the course of two weeks – 17 July to 2 August – where you will get a more hands-on and close up experience of Singapore’s amazing local fare.

Here are some events to note, and the highlights of Singapore Food Festival 2015 that you must not miss the world for:

STREAT BY SINGAPORE TOURISM BOARD

The first of the festivities lined up would be STREAT (Reinventing Local Street Food), an initiative created by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB). Each year, one local chef will create his/her own pop-up restaurant together with his/her choice of notable Singapore food establishments. The 2015 edition would be the inaugural edition of STREAT.

This year’s featured chef is none other than our very own Chef Justin Quek of Sky on 57, who is undisputedly one of Singapore’s top chefs. He will be bringing together Singapore’s best hawkers & chefs, and working with some of them to put a modern spin on classic local fare.

You can taste Mod-Sin dishes such as fresh Pacific Oysters in Ginger Flower Dressing and Gula Java Creme Brûlée. Using contrasting flavours and marrying them together perfectly, Chef Justin Quek’s dishes are a treat for both the young and old.

Some hawker favourites to look out for include Nasi Kerabu and Suckling Pig Sandwich with Salted Vegetable Relish from 16 different stalls at the event. STREAT will take place from 24 to 25 July 2015 (Fri – Sat), 6pm – 10pm at Clifford Square, 80 Collyer Quay.

Chef Justin’s pop-up restaurant will include a 3-course set menu at S$35, and seats are very limited. Sign up for a cooking workshop with the chef himself or visit his 2-day only pop-up restaurant at STREAT. More details are available at www.singaporefoodfestival.com.

REVISITING LOCAL HAWKER FOOD

There will be three dedicated hawker spots during SFF 2015, and they are:

• “A Wok Down Memory Lane at Ellenborough Market”

During the 1800s to 1960s, the Ellenborough Market (aka Teochew Market) was home to some of the best local hawker and street food before it was burned down in 1968. To relive the good old memories of this very special market, it will be recreated as part of this year’s Singapore Food Festival at Read Bridge, Clarke Quay from 24 July to 2 August 2015, 5pm – 11pm.

Authentic Teochew favourites will be served here and they are sure to take you on a trip down memory lane. Prices range from only S$2-S$5 for a drink and S$2-S$14 for food.

• Mod-Local Fest at Chinatown Food Street

Kick off SFF with Chinatown Food Street’s special gala dinner of modern local dishes that takes place on 17 & 18 July only. Expect to catch celebrities such as radio personality Fen Ying, and renowned local chef Jimmy Chok. Be entertained by performances on stage as you enjoy your dinner and engage in fun on-stage activities too.

To find out more on how you can attend this dinner, visit www.chinatownfoodstreet.sg/mod-local-fest

• 51 Old Airport Road Food Centre

This iconic food centre is the appointed featured hawker centre for SFF 2015. First built way back in 1973, this is one of Singapore’s oldest hawker centres. Old Airport Road Food Centre has always been known as a food haven, offering mouth-watering local hawker fare at pocket-friendly prices.

Mark your calendars and make a trip down from 17 July to 2 August 2015, where hawker stalls will be having special deals for their respective food.

HIGHLIGHTING SINGAPORE’S HERITAGE IN OUR FOOD

• Cooking Workshops with Violet Oon

Violet Oon is one of Singapore’s most renowned chefs that focuses on preserving local flavours and passing on to future generations. Learn a trick or two with “Living Culinary Treasures” – eight cooking workshops where you get to learn traditional cooking techniques in an intimate setting.

The workshops will take place on 21 & 28 July, 23 to 25 July, and 30 July to 1 August from 9.30am – 1pm. Prices are at S$129 and you can make a reservation at info@violetoon.com or call +65 8533 1122

• Celebrating Traditional Malay Cuisine

Get your hands working and create delicious and hearty Malay dishes at AKAR-Social Heritage Kitchen. Learn more about this exciting event at www.culinaryart.sg

• Kueh Appreciation Day

Kuehs play such a big part in our life, and we all grew up with our respective favourites. Come enjoy all the delicious local kuehs you love on this special day, 26 July 2015, and take part in festivities such as kueh-making demonstrations. To find out more, visit www.slowfood.sg/programs/kueh-appreciation-day-2015/

SETTING THE GUINNESS WORLD RECORD FOR THE LARGEST AMOUNT OF CURRY

Join in for an iconic event by the Indian Chefs & Culinary Association as they attempt to break two records – Largest Amount of Curry Cooked at a Single Time and Largest Cooking Vessel. They will be attempting to cook the most amount of curry in a vessel that is said to be 11 meters wide!

The event will take place at Tan Quee Lan Street at the open field opposite Bugis Junction from 30 July – 2 August 2015, 12pm – 11pm. Get a taste of local Indian fare from S$5 – S$15 only.

STORIES – A THEATRICAL DINNER SERIES BY MY PRIVATE CHEF

My Private Chef and the Sentosa Leisure Group collaborated to create STORIES, a pop-up theatrical dinner series that features two chapters. The first chapter will be held during SFF 2015 at Fort Siloso.

The 5-Course dinner menu is lovingly curated by top local chefs such as Chef Malcolm Lee from Candlenut. This unique dining experience will take place on 25 July 2015 at 6.30pm – 9pm. Prices start from S$138 per pax.

For more information on this event, visit www.myprivatechef.com.sg

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

• Singapore Hawker Feast at Ngee Ann City, 18 – 19 July 2015 from 12pm – 10pm
• Singapore Restaurant Month at various venues from 1 July – 10 August 2015 (more information on www.ras.org.sg/srm.html)
• The Line at Shangri-La “SG50 + 50″, featuring an exclusive range of local dishes from 24 – 31 July 2015. Make your reservations at www.shangri-la.com/singapore/shangrila/dining/restaurants/the-line/
• Carousel at Royal Plaza on Scotts presents 50 local dishes in conjunction with SFF 2015 and SG50 from 17 July – 10 August 2015. Make your reservations at www.carouselbuffet.com.sg

In lieu of Singapore Food Festival 2015?s theme – ‘A Fresh Taste of Tradition’, share your Family’s signature dish and stand a chance to win weekly prizes including exclusive event passes to SFF 2015 and F&B dining Vouchers!

For more information on Singapore Food Festival 2015, visit www.singaporefoodfestival.com

This post is brought to you by the Singapore Tourism Board.

This year’s Singapore Food Festival (SFF) focuses primarily on local food and chefs, circling around the theme of ‘A Fresh Taste of Tradition’. From 17 July to 2 August 2015, indulge in the festivities of Singapore Food Festival with various locations around Singapore, featuring modern takes on nostalgic local food by some of Singapore’s top chefs.

Do you miss the dishes your grandma or your parents used to cook when you were younger (or still do now)? As our society progresses, more and more people have taken the initiative of putting their own spin on these classic dishes to produce some of the best modern-traditional Singaporean fare.

In lieu of Singapore Food Festival 2015′s theme – ‘A Fresh Taste of Tradition’, share your Family’s signature dish and stand a chance to win weekly prizes including exclusive event passes to SFF 2015 and F&B dining Vouchers!

Be it using your family’s special recipe passed down for generations or one that you have experimented with yourself, if you think that your dish tastes fantastic, share it with all of us!

To celebrate Singapore’s tradition and all of the unique flavours we call our own, start a conversation flowing with Singaporeans who share the same passion in food as much as you do by starting with any of of the following:

1. Blog about it. You can choose to share photos, recipes and a little back story on the inception of your dish and what it means to you. If you want to keep your family’s ‘secret’ recipe to yourself, you need not share the recipes, just talk about the dish itself and maybe a little history of how it came about.
2. Social media. Take a beautiful photo of your dish and Facebook or Instagram it! Share it with your social circles and a conversation is bound to start. Your friends may ask you to share with them the recipe or even offer their own. It is always refreshing and eye-opening to hear about others’ very own dishes, unique to their own family.

From here on out, you can encourage these friends, family or acquaintances of yours to share these dishes on Hungrygowhere.com (http://sff2015.hungrygowhere.com/), where they stand a chance of winning exclusive event passes to Singapore Food Festival 2015 and F&B dining Vouchers. It is that simple!

For social media posts, use hashtags - #SFF2015, #myfamilyssignaturedish, and #YourSingaporeFood so others can find your photos easily using these to navigate. Also remember to mention that this initiative is part of Singapore Food Festival 2015.

Here is an example of how you can share your dishes.

For us, our family’s signature dish is Go Lo Yuk (Sweet & Sour Pork in dialect). Sweet & Sour Pork is a classic dish and has it’s own interpretations around the world. However, we do love the local version of dish this and especially the one cooked by our mother or grandmother.

This dish is a mainstay at dinner where mom would whip this up from scratch, using ingredients acquired from the wet market in the neighbourhood. She would sometimes add a little more spice to it to even out the sweetness of the pork.

Every family has their own special take on this dish, some would add a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables like cucumber and pineapple and some would omit these completely. If your family has a unique version of this classic local dish, remember to share it using the steps stated above. Good luck!

This post is brought to you by Singapore Tourism Board.

Here’s an exciting piece of news for all foodies! The very first Singapore Restaurant Month will be held from 1 July to 10 August 2015. Organised by Restaurant Association of Singapore (RAS), this inaugural event will be showcasing 50 reputable restaurant brands and their 50 unique gourmet creations.

In commemoration of Singapore’s 50th National Day, the talented chefs of the 50 participating restaurant brands have each been invited to creating a toothsome dish made with Singapore’s local produce. Seize this opportunity to savour these exclusive dishes that will be on the menu for a limited time only during Singapore Restaurant Month.

A LINE UP OF 50 DIVERSE RESTAURANT BRANDS

Singapore Restaurant Month’s line up of 50 restaurant brands boasts a variety of cuisines – Chinese, Indian, Malay, Japanese, Korean, American, Australian, European and more. The wide diversity reflects our cosmopolitan hometown’s seamless assimilation of many cultures into an ever-growing melting pot.

Seafood lovers will be thrilled to indulge in Mexican Café Iguana’s Pibil Pescadao in Red Chile Sauce (S$30++, inclusive of Iguana Lager or SG50 margarita), Palm Beach Seafood Restaurant’s Fried Baby Barramundi (market price – about S$18 / 500g) and Timbre’s Laksa Marinated Cripsy Barramundi on a bed of Bee Hoon Crackers (S$16++).

The fresh barramundi mentioned above was reared in Singapore’s Good Aquaculture Practice for Fish Farming (GAP-FF) certified farms.

HIGHLIGHT OF LOCAL HERITAGE RESTAURANTS

12 out of the 50 participating restaurant brands are heritage-listed for their various contributions to Singapore’s burgeoning dining landscape. Despite the many transient food fads, these traditional restaurants have stood true to their rich culinary history. They have persevered over the decades in serving authentic mouthwatering dishes and deserve special recognition for their relentless dedication.

The stalwart pioneers are Bee Heong Palace Restaurant, Beng Thin Hoon Kee Restaurant, Chin Lee Restaurant, Fatty Weng Restaurant, Gim Tim, Hua Yu Wee, Islamic Restaurant, Prima Tower Revolving Restaurant, Red Star Restaurant, Spring Court Restaurant, Westlake and Zi Yean Restaurant. Each establishment has been around for at least 30 years.

All heritage-listed restaurants dishes are available to the public from 17 July to 2 August 2015 in conjunction with Singapore Food Festival.

Noteworthy dishes by heritage restaurants include Prima Tower Revolving Restaurant’s Sauteed Bird’s Nest with Egg White (S$70) and Fatty Weng’s Crispy-fried Barramundi with Asparagus (S$16.80).

SUPPORTING OUR HOMEGROWN INGREDIENTS

More than 90% of the food consumed in Singapore is actually imported. While this may not come as a surprising fact since Singapore is an urbanized country, we should still strive to support our locally produced ingredients. By diversifying our food procurement methods, Singapore can avoid the setbacks of food shortages should any importations be disrupted for whatever reasons.

Homegrown produce is infinitely better in many ways. The minimal distance travelled to the kitchens mean significantly fresher ingredients and tastier meals. Environmental impacts are negligible and safety is guaranteed with the quality assurance schemes implemented by the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA).

There are 200 food farms in Singapore; 3 hen layer farms, 50 vegetable farms and 130 fish farms. The three key local produces, namely fish (red marine tilapia, black marine tilapia, crimson red snapper, grey mullet, milk fish, mangrove red snapper etc), eggs and vegetables (cai xin, kai lan, sharp leaf bayam, butterhead lettuce, kow peck chye, kang kong, sweet potato leaves, xiao bai cai etc) are used in Singapore Restaurant Month’s specially created dishes.

Usage of homegrown ingredients however remains a tricky issue in this competitive food industry, with its primary barrier being its higher costs. Fortunately, the rise of discerning diners are gradually increasing and they are willing to pay more in order to support local farms and reduce carbon footprints.

RAS President Mr. Andrew Tjoe hopes that Singapore Restaurant Month will simultaneously encourage and educate both restaurants and customers the importance of supporting local ingredients. The end goal would be to convert restaurants to consider local produce in their future operations permanently.

CELEBRATION OF CULINARY CREATIVITY

Food has always been an indelible part of Singaporeans’ lives. The celebration of Singapore’s Golden Jubilee also marks the further advancement of Singapore’s gastronomy scene. Selected restaurants will be recreating local dishes with innovative twists.

Notable mentions include Portico’s 3 Grain Laksa Risotto with Homemade Pulau Ubin Seabass Fish Cake. The interesting fusion fish is part of a five-course S$50 SG50 menu.

Kuhlbarra, a local fish farm specialising in premium barramundi, also deserves a special mention. You can find barramundi by Kuhlbarra being served at several restaurants participating in Singapore Restaurant Month such as TungLok, Jumbo Seafood and Palm Beach Seafood.

Singapore Restaurant Month is held in Singapore from 1 July to 10 August 2015 and is organized by Restaurant Association of Singapore. It will be held in conjunction with Singapore Food Festival and is supported by Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore, Singapore Tourism Board and Union Pay.

For more information, visit www.singaporerestaurantmonth.com.

This post is brought to you by the Restaurant Association of Singapore (RAS).