The holiday mood has arisen as we approach the end of the year! This is the time when Singaporeans are counting down to the days when we can feast on good food every day and soak up the good cheers of ongoing festivities. Now, one major food festival all food enthusiasts must not miss is the AccorHotels Food & Wine Festival from 04 to 12 Nov 2017.

In Singapore, delectable food and excellent wine is not simply just a national pastime but considered an inalienable right and AccorHotels knows that best. This festival will spread across nine days in 40 restaurants and bars of hotels under the group. Organised by the largest and most prestigious hotel operator in Singapore, you can be assured that the festival will be nothing short of grand.

This inaugural gourmet food & wine festival will play host to over 100 chefs across AccorHotels’ massive network of Michelin-starred chefs from multiple award-winning restaurants and chefs such as Michelin-star Chef Kirk Westaway of JAAN, Raffles Singapore’s Amos Ting and Chef Louis Tay of Swissôtel Merchant Court who won the Culinary Olympics 2016.

Starring ‘Super Sunday Brunch’ held at Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort & Spa, the coolest pool parties and masterclasses, treat yourselves to exciting culinary creations and interesting alcoholic beverages by more than 100 highly dedicated chefs from AccorHotels.

Here’s what you can expect from this 9-day Food & Wine Extravaganza. 

WHAT TO EXPECT AT ACCORHOTELS FOOD & WINE FESTIVAL 2017

The AccorHotels Singapore Food & Wine Festival 2017 is perhaps one of the grandest food festivals Singapore has ever seen and it speaks of the innate passion that we Singaporeans have for food. For nine full days, expect pool party across several different hotels, masterclasses from cocktail shaking to world-class baking, various set lunch and dinner menus, foodie influencer meet-ups and the Biggest Brunch—one that we are totally stoked about.

Guests will be amazed by culinary geniuses who are able to celebrate Singapore’s multi-ethnic influences through delectable food and drinks in beautiful settings. This scale of the event is impressive to say the least, and as Michael Issenberg, Chairman and Chief Operating Officer of AccorHotels, Asia Pacific says, “It speaks to the passion Singaporeans have for food.”

THE BIGGEST BRUNCH IN SINGAPORE

Held on 12 Nov 2017 at Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort & Spa, all AccorHotel’s restaurants and bars will showcase their signature dishes and beverages alongside entertainment and fun for everyone in the family. Imagine being surrounded by the finest foods from some of the best restaurants and bars in the city—all at one destination.

One of the star dishes that stole our hearts was Hen’s Egg, Celeriac, Caviar whipped up by Michelin-star Chef Kirk Westaway from JAAN at Swissôtel The Stamford, Singapore.

It was a dream dish by Chef Kirk who cleverly tied in nature’s finest produce coupled with precise culinary techniques. The key here is to use simple methods that best enhance the natural flavours of each unique ingredient.

Alternatively, diners can also look forward to Lobster Bisque & Octopus Avocado by Chef Jean-Charles Dubois from the newly-opened Sofitel Singapore City Centre; and the Saute Slipper Lobster with Black Bean Sauce, Mango Salsa & Sesame, a recipe created by Chef Louis Tay of Swissôtel Merchant Court.

If you are there for the drinks, we highly recommend Anti:dote’s mixologist Bannie Kang’s Hwa Chae and the original Singapore Sling prepared by Amos Ting from Raffles Hotel. Both make stunning cocktails at extremely fast speed. And, we can always do with an extra glass of good cocktail, right?

HAVE A SPLASHIN’ GOOD TIME AT POOL PARTIES

A festival is just incomplete without pool parties so gather all your friends and have a wild time together! Since this is a food festival, partygoers will be treated to freshly made dishes and local BBQ items. What’s more, there will also be a fully-stocked bar serving stylish cocktails, bubbly champagne and a range of local and imported beer on tap!

Your night will be made memorable with DJs spinning the latest hit songs and live performances from solo musicians and bands, depending on which hotel you choose to go to.

There are five hotels in total for you to pick from—Fairmont Singapore, Swissôtel The Stamford, Singapore, ibis Styles Singapore On MacPherson, Mercure Singapore Bugis and SO Sofitel Singapore.

SIGN UP FOR THE MASTERCLASSES

Pick up some culinary skills along the way when you join in the masterclasses. From cocktail shaking and world-class baking to making latte art and chocolate demonstration workshops, surely there is something that will interest you.

Parents would also be pleased to know that they can sign their young ones up for kids cooking classes, ice cream making lessons and even a pasta necklace crafting session. These are perfect bonding activities for families, ain’t it?

SPECIAL SET MENUS CURATED BY RESTAURANTS OF PARTICIPATING HOTELS

Just for this festival alone, there will be special 3-course set menus at participating restaurants under AccorHotels. Prices range from S$15++ to S$47++ for lunch and S$27++ to S$67++ (including a glass of red or white wine) for dinner.

In particular, you have to try the Pan-Seared Sea Bass with Morel Crust at Royale Restaurant, Mercure Singapore Bugis. Executive Chef Nicholas Sia uses the freshest seafood that are all locally farmed from Ah Hua Kelong.

WIN PRIZES WHILE ENJOYING SPECIAL PROMOTIONS

The AccorHotels Singapore Food & Wine Festival is proudly sponsored by Mastercard and British Airways.

Throughout the course of the nine days, attendees can also collect stamps using a special “Foodie Passport” and lucky winners will stand a chance to win a trip to Sydney or Paris courtesy of British Airways—one of the event’s sponsors—as well as hotel stays at the various hotels under the AccorHotels group.

All participating restaurants and bars are listed in the passport and dining at any one of them will award you 1 stamp*(terms and conditions apply).

Le Club AccorHotels’ members will receive a 2nd stamp upon verification, and the 3rd stamp will be awarded when you pay via MasterCard.  Diners must have at least 3 stamps before 12 November in order to qualify for the F&B voucher.

If all these talks about good food have gotten you on the edge of your seat, then what are you waiting for? Book your tickets now at accorhotelsfoodfestival.com.

Tickets for the pool party on 04 November start at S$22 and tickets for the festival lunch and dinner set menu from 04 to 12 November start at S$15.

This post is brought to you by AccorHotels Asia Pacific.

Wooloomooloo steakhouse, a popular steakhouse chain in Hong Kong, has started their first restaurant at Swissotel the Stamford. When we talk about F&B outlets in a shopping mall, they are always predictable, mainstream or boring. Wooloomooloo, on the other hand, has a sleek and sexy interior, and most importantly, it offers top-quality Aussie beef. Moreover, it has a fantastic view of the F1 racetrack from the third level of Raffles City.

If you are looking for a nice restaurant to celebrate a special occasion, and your partner likes steak, this is the place to go.

On the menu, there are the classic starters such as tuna & spanner crab tartare ($29), lobster bisque ($20), beef carpaccio ($24) and colossal crab lumps ($30).

We started our meal with the steak tartare ($28). Wooloomooloo does an Australian inspired steak tartare – with a hard boiled egg, cavier, sourcream – so it’s not your typical French version. It looked very appealing, but the taste did not really pack a punch; it somewhat lacked a certain flavour.

Following that, we had a pan seared foie gras and jumbo crabcake. Paired with apple chutney, the pan seared foie gras is very well executed. If you like foie gras, you must order it here.

Next, we had the jumbo crabcake. The use of simple everyday ingredients such as parsley, egg, bread crumb, garlic, shallot brings out the natural taste of the crabcake. After tasting it, I could feel the flavours mingling in my mouth: the tanginess of the tartar sauce, the bite of the crab cake, and the crunch of the coleslaw.

For main courses, we shared two steaks. The 12 ounce USDA Ribeye ($74) was good, but we preferred the Australian cut, which Wooloomooloo steakhouse is known for.

There are so many adjectives that one can use to describe steak: tender, succulent, juicy and flavourful – all of which can be used to describe Wooloomooloo’s 12 ounce Australian Ribeye ($62). This is a very fine piece of meat, and at the price, I think it is excellent value.

If you are in a big group, I’d suggest getting the monster 1.3kg tomahawk ($125) with a few sides – like the hash brown ($12), creamy spinach ($12), and sauteed onions ($12) – to share.

There are no lack of options when it comes to desserts. We were torn between the bread and butter pudding ($16), lemon & lime pie ($16) and creme brulee ($16). But there was no way I could resist my favourite hot chocolate cake ($25) and souffle ($20).

For the souffle, Wooloomooloo does four different flavours – chocolate, raspberry, passionfruit and Grand Marnier – and since we were having the hot chocolate cake, we decided to go for something different.

The Grand Marnier souffle that we had was very good – in fact, one of the better ones that I’ve had lately – but it did not get as much attention as the chocolate lava cake.

I call this the sore throat inducing dessert. Definitely one of the top five chocolate lava cakes in Singapore.

Wooloomooloo, for me, is one of the top mid-range steak houses in Singapore. I wouldn’t be surprised if it becomes one of your favourite places too.

Wooloomooloo Steakhouse
2 Stamford Road
Level 3 Swissotel the Stamford
Tel: +65 6338 0261
Daily: 12:00 – 15:00
Daily: 15:00 – 23:00
Nearest Station: City Hall
Note: This was an invited media tasting.

One of the best meals that I had last year was at JAAN Restaurant Swissotel, and I’ve been suggesting it whenever someone asks me for recommendations.

I was thrilled when Chef Julien Royer extended an invitation to try his summer menu. But at the same time, I was a little afraid. What if it wasn’t as good as before? I had a fantastic experience at JAAN previously and I did not want to tarnish that memory.

I went back and I had a spectacular meal. Chef Julien has done it again. I dare say you will find it very hard to find a restaurant which can offer a better dining experience.

He has been helming the kitchen for a year, and given that he has managed to settle down, I have no doubt that the upcoming year will be good times for the restaurant and we can definitely expect greater things to come. JAAN is still one of the best, if not the best restaurant in Singapore.

We started the meal with the amuse bouche platter: croquette, crispy chicken skin with Indian spices, smoked eel with pickled apple and jelly.

Amuse bouches, for the uninitiated, are different from appetizers in that you do not order them from the menu. Instead, they are served free, and it is up to the chef’s creativity. They are little surprises meant to prepare the guest for the meal; to tease the palate so as to speak.

The tiny bites were excellent; they did what they were supposed to do – to “wake up” the palate.

The second amuse-bouche, mushroom soup – a mainstay on JAAN’s menu – was also very good. In fact, I am going out on a limb to say that it is one of the best mushroom soups that I’ve had.

Then, we had a selection of bread – walnut raisin, mini baguette, truffle brioche, and sourdough – with wonderful butter from Brittany, France.

After we were done, we had our first appetiser – cannelloni of new caledonian obsiblue prawn & avocado ($58). It was a medley of flavours: the smoothness of the avocado melting in your mouth; the sweetness of the obsiblue prawn; the slight tinge of saltiness from the chorizo iberico; and the oscietra caviar, tiny bubbles of oceanic pleasure popping in your mouth. So delicate, so fresh, so light, so delicious.

“This is too beautiful to be eaten,” I said to my dining companion as the server brought the tomate ‘coeur de boeuf’ to our table. Drizzled with a sauce made of fresh almond and truffle, the appetiser tasted as good as it looked.

The use of almond provided texture to the burrata, which had a tofu-like consistency; it was smooth and crumbly at the same time. The intensity of the two different types of tomatoes, sun-dried and coeur de boeuf, also added wonderful layers to the dish.

To use the word ‘good’ for describing it, is an understatement.

Next, the 55′ rosemary smoked organic egg ($44) with garden peas, fairy rings, and bellota. Among all the dishes, it stood out with its dramatic entrance. The eggs – delicately poached at 64 degrees for 55 minutes, presented in its original shell on a typical egg tray – were accompanied with dry ice on the side, making it a feast for the eyes.

To sum it up; the perfect poached eggs. I want to have this for breakfast every morning.

This was followed by the escalope of landes foie gras ($53), which was paired with a slightly fruity Brut Rose champagne. It was a very well-balanced dish, with a myriad of different flavours and textures – the foie gras was cooked to a taut consistency; the crunchiness of the hazelnut; the acidic undertone from the rhubarb drop; the freshness of the strawberry topped with fresh coriander and ginger; and accompanied by the toasted brioche.

As the meal progressed, I found it hard to continue describing the food because every dish was exceptional. I wanted to drop everything (taking photos and jotting down notes) and just eat.

This probably explains why I can’t tell you much about the next dish – Chef Julien’s pigeon from bresse ($115) – except that the pigeon breast was so soft and tender that it’s a kind of texture (for a lack of a better word) that you would not usually associate with breast meat. The pigeon leg confit, without going too much into details, was excellent. We saveured the pigeon with a glass of Gevrey-chambertin (2009).

Before heading into desserts, the manager offered us a chef’s special cheese plate, and since I wanted to save room for sweets, I requested to have a portion for sharing. How I regretted it after taking the first bite!

The cheese was good, but it was the truffle ice cream that blew us away. Forget about truffle fries, all you want is truffle ice cream. My life will never be the same again.

To wrap up the meal, we had a fraicheur d’ete – a crème brûlée with lemon, basil, and thyme; and the choconuts 3.0 ($28). During my previous visit, I had the first version of the choconuts which consisted of jivara mousse, peanuts, with macadamia nut ice cream. Chef Julien has since came up with two improved version, and for the latest edition, you have the sable breton, tanariva chocolate, tonka bean ice cream, macadamia & pecan nuts, and walnut snow.

This was again, a good built-up of flavours and textures – the intensity of the different chocolates; the saltiness of the sable, and nuts; the effortless blend of tonka bean ice cream – made it a very interesting and delicious dessert.

And finally, petit four with a cup of coffee.

I am sure you have noticed that I’ve repeatedly used the words ‘texture’ and ‘flavour’ in this post. Yet, this is truly what the food at JAAN is about – making use of the freshest produce, respecting ingredients in it’s natural form and combining it with simple everyday spices, to create multi-dimensional dishes.

Sometimes when you eat at fine dining restaurants where they serve multi-courses, it gets a little draggy and often the waiting time in-between is too long. This is, however, not the case at JAAN. The four hour lunch that we had did not seem long. A good meal is about having fun, and I think they managed to accomplish that.

I think I’ve said enough. For a special occasion, you should definitely go to JAAN – it is a restaurant that you will not want to miss out trying.

For lunch, JAAN has a 3 course set menu at $55, but I’d suggest the 5 course degustation lunch, which is a steal at $88. And for dinner, the 5 course degustation menu is available at $198, while there is also a more elaborate 7 course degustation menu at $238.

JAAN Restaurant
2 Stamford Road
70F Swissotel The Stamford
Tel: +65 6431 5670
Mon to Sat: 12pm – 2.30pm, 7pm – 10pm
Note: This was an invited media tasting

There are some restaurants that one goes regularly, places that serve decent food at affordable prices. Then there are other places you go for special occasions – like a hot date, birthday celebration, or wedding anniversary.

When you are looking for somewhere to have a romantic dinner, Equinox Restaurant at Swissôtel The Stamford is one of those places that always come to mind. It has one of the best locations in Singapore, overlooking the beautiful city. But that aside, I also love that it is very versatile. You can bring your clients there for a business luncheon; hang out with your girlfriends over a leisure afternoon tea; or have a romantic date – it is a restaurant that is suitable for all occasions.

I recently sampled the new menu by Chef de Cuisine Lee Bennett, and it was a good meal. If you haven’t yet had the chance to try Equinox, give it a shot. If you have and it has been some time, it’s time to go back again.

Our amuse-bouche was a duo of lobster bisque and crab mayonnaise shooter. The lobster bisque was fantastic. If you are a fan of the smooth and creamy French soup, you must order the regular portion ($26) from the ala carte menu.

Next we had a salad ($24) – tasting of beetroot with braeburn apple, aged balsamic dressing, St. Maure goat’s cheese and toasted pine kernels. It was good, but nothing special.

The highlight of our meal was the 900g Dover Sole Meuniere. The fish was, without exaggerating, very very good. At $180 (sharing portion for two), it is not cheap. In fact, I think it is crazy to spend so much on fish. But the truth is, it was one of the best that I’ve had, and I would save up and come back for this.

We also tried the Gressingham duck breast ($70), but it did not leave a strong impression. The other main course, Rhug estate tenderloin of pork ($65) was much more interesting. It was served with scotch egg, prunes, celeriac puree, and whisky sauce. I thought that the whole combination went pretty well.

After we were done with the main courses, we had crêpes suzeïm ($34), and it came with tableside service – the server pushed a trolley out and prepared the crêpes right in front of us. It was really fun, and I would order this just for the “show”.

This was followed by a seasonal crème brûlée ($24), which after dipping our spoon into, we agreed was one of the best in town.

That’s not all. Besides the crepes and crème brûlée, Chef Lee also sent out a platter of desserts ($52 for two): pineapple carpaccio with lime, chilli syrup and coconut sorbet; Madagascar vanilla mousse with toasted sweet brioche and caramelised apple jelly; Jivara milk chocolate delice with a dark cherry sorbet; dark rum savarin with mascarpone espuma and crystallised orange; and citrus posset. While there were hits and misses, it was a wonderful way to finish on a sweet note.

A meal at Equinox is not cheap, but for the view and ambience of the place, it is definitely a place where you should go for a special occasion. If you are on a budget, I would suggest trying the 3 course set menu at $108.

For those of you who love champagne brunch, you must also check out their special Pink brunch – which is only available on the last Sunday of each month.

Equinox Restaurant
2 Stamford Road
70F Swissotel The Stamford Singapore
Tel: +65 6431 5669
Mon to Sat: 12pm – 2.30pm, 6.30pm – 10.30pm
Sun: 11am – 2.30pm, 6.30pm – 10.30pm
Nearest Station: City Hall
Note: This was an invited media tasting.

Perched on top of Equinox complex at Swissotel the Stamford, City Space is a chic and elegant lounge bar where you can get a nice cocktail after work. It has a magnificent view of the Marina Bay area, making it one of the best spots to watch sunset in Singapore.

Besides the classic cocktails like mojito ($20) and cosmopolitan ($22), City Space also has their signature creations like ‘chocolate in still life’ ($22), ‘bubble tea’ ($22), and ‘mangaroma’ ($25). If you are not a fan of cocktail, they also have a range of wine, sake, shochu, and spirits available on the menu.

I was pleasantly surprised when the ‘mangaroma’ was served. Cold ice was placed in a tin to create a dramatic entrance for the drink. There’s only one word to describe it: wow.

Equally fanciful was the ‘bubble tea’. The drink is a mixture of gin, fresh grapefruit juice, and cranberry; and the staff did something to create a pretty bubbling effect which lasted for quite a long time.

With a great view, good cocktails, and superb atmosphere, City Space at Swissotel The Stamford is definitely one of the best bars in Singapore.

City Space
2 Stamford Road
70F Swissotel The Stamford
Tel: +65 6837 3322
Sun to Thu: 5pm–1am
Fri & Sat: 5pm–2am
Note: This was an invited media tasting

Most people have the impression that I always eat at fine dining restaurants, but my friends would know that I usually prefer going to casual places that are cosy and provide good food at reasonable prices.

But sometimes if you want a very good meal, you really have to fork out top money for it. JAAN Restaurant at Swissotel is the prime example. I had one of my best meals of 2011 at JAAN. I’m going out on a limb and say that they are among the top restaurants in Singapore.

When you eat in one of those fine dining restaurants, you’re not just paying for the food. You’re also paying for everything that comes along with it: the location, the rent, the service, the plates, the view, and the ambience. JAAN has it all: central location at City Hall; highest restaurant in Singapore; breathtaking view of the city’s skyline; knowledgeable servers who do a good job between the dining room and kitchen; and most importantly, good food.

At lunch time, they have extremely good value for money set lunch: 3 course at $52 and 5 course at $82; and during dinner, there are two different choices, including the 5 course menu for $198 (with wine pairing $318), and 7 course menu for $238 (with wine pairing $418).

And of course, you can also order from the ala carte menu which has five appetisers ($46-52), five main courses ($82-118), and four desserts and cheese ($28-45).

We sat there waiting eagerly for the food to come, while having some wine. The amuse-bouche arrived on our table and I put it into my mouth without hesitation.

We were on a roll. The mushroom soup next was excellent. I took a sip, and the only word that came out of my mouth was: wow. This is coming from a guy who doesn’t fancy mushroom soup.

I didn’t want to fill my stomach with bread, but I couldn’t resist having one, okay two from the impressive selection of bread.

And then, we were served the Trumbetta Zucchini ($49) – burratina, basil, almonds and black olives. In terms of presentation, it was one of the prettiest dishes that I’ve seen.

I thought that the Saint Jacques ($49) – rosemary smoked trondheim bay scallops, reinette apple cider, boudin noir and burnet – was good, but my friend told me she had an even better one at another restaurant.

Still, it was quite a sight to behold, and there was a mini performance when the staff sent this to our table.

The star of the meal, without a doubt, is the Ravioli ($46) – organic hen egg, artichoke, melanosporum truffle and cantal. Chef Julien Royer brought the dish out, and he gave us a generous shaving of white truffles on the spot.

It was hands down the most delicious ravioli I’ve ever tasted.

The Atlantic Cod & Baby Squid ($82) – chanterelles, broad beans and smoked garlic emulsion – was equally splendid.

We couldn’t stop gushing about the food, and on top of that, the wine recommendations from the sommelier were spot on. No one that day could have eaten a better meal than us.

After our empty plates were taken away, we continued with desserts. The Choconuts ($28) – Jivara mousse, peanuts, Macadamia nut ice cream. The perfect ending for a perfect meal.

I was wrong. It wasn’t the ending, I’ve forgotten about petit four. Now we can live happily-ever-after.

It’s been a while since I’ve been surprised and won over by a meal. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been eating plenty of very well executed food but the problem with having a benchmark is that it’s getting increasingly difficult to wow me. But JAAN managed to do just that.

The presentation of the food is flawless. Chef Julien Royer and his team pay attention to every single detail and all the dishes are plated beautifully.

$200/pax (probably more because you are going to have wine) for a meal is not a small sum. I can’t afford to eat there all the time, but for a lavish meal like this, enjoyed with a amazing view of Singapore’s skyline – it was a fine way to splurge during a special occasion. JAAN is, without a doubt, one of the best restaurants in Singapore.

JAAN Restaurant
2 Stamford Road
70F Swissotel The Stamford
Tel: +65 6431 5670
Mon to Sat: 12pm – 2.30pm, 7pm – 10pm
Note: This was an invited media tasting.