RWS Food Affair: RWS Celebrity Chefs Dinner (18 September 2013)

Resorts World Sentosa puts up a spectacular display of culinary finesse with six celebrity chefs joining forces for this one-night-only gastronomic event –the RWS Celebrity Chefs Dinner, part of the inaugural RWS Food Affair.

Read more about the RWS Food Affair in my previous blog post.

One of the highlights for me was meeting the legendary Chef Joël Robuchon in person.

The S.E.A. Aquarium’s Open Ocean habitat transforms from a viewing gallery to a massive dining room, enthralling diners with the magnificent view of marine animals including manta rays, leopard sharks and goliath groupers. Continue reading

Gusto Italiano: “Gifts of the Forest with the wines of Fontodi” at Il Lido

From 1 September till 3 October 2013, the spotlight is on Italian gastronomy. Gusto Italiano is a new gourmet programme that showcases the food, culinary talents and produce of Italy in new and exciting ways, bringing you a series of dinners and culinary classes that will feature outstanding local culinary stars and renowned Italian restaurants across the island.

Interested parties may take a look at the event calendar and book through here: http://www.gustoitaliano.com.sg/index.php/events/event-calendar. Tickets are selling fast!


Truffle Arancini – Canapé from Il Lido

I recently attended the “Gifts of the Forest with the wines of Fontodi” dinner at Il Lido, which was one of the most palatial dining experiences I’ve had in awhile.

Chef Beppe de Vito of Il Lido celebrates the cuisine of his home region Puglia during this exquisite dinner, showcasing a range of ingredients that have been foraged from the forest and flown in specially for this occasion. The highly regarded wines of Fontodi offers the perfect complement to each well-crafted course. Continue reading

RWS Food Affair: A 9-day showcase of 6 Celebrity Chefs (14 to 22 September 2013)

The inaugural RWS Food Affair takes place from 14 to 22 September 2013, showcasing the prowess and expertise of six celebrity chefs with their specially crafted menus exclusive to this gastronomic event.

The climax of the RWS Food Affair is an opulent 6-course dinner in a magnificent setting at S.E.A Aquarium, happening on 18 September, which features the cuisines of Chef Joël Robuchon, Chef Sam Leong from Forest, Chef Li Kwok Kwong from Feng Shui Inn, Chef Cat Cora from Ocean, Chef Douglas Tay from Osia and Executive Pastry Chef Kenny Kong, who each designed a course for this dinner.

The 6-course set dinner is priced at $288++, which includes free flow Ayala Brut Majeur NV Champagne for pre-dinner cocktails and free flow Penfolds Bin 2 Shiraz Mourvrdre & Penfolds Koonunga Hill Autumn Riesling for dinner.

I attended a media preview, which brought us to four participating restaurants to get a peek of the dishes that are going to be served during the RWS Food Affair. Continue reading

(Post-event) Singapore Toy, Game & Comic Convention (STGCC)

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The sixth edition of the highly anticipated annual Singapore Toy, Game and Comic Convention (STGCC) happened over the weekend on 31 August and 1 September 2013 at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre in Marina Bay Sands. This is the time of the year where Western comics, toys and games, and Eastern anime, manga and cosplay congregate.

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As the leading show in Southeast Asia that unites the best in pop culture from the East and West, STGCC has set a new record attendance of close to 40,000 local and regional visitors this year, a compelling growth from 35,000 visitors last year.

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One of the highlights this year is the Hall of Armour, a project by Hot Toys and Action City, presenting exact life-size figurines from Tony Stark’s Malibu Mansion in the Iron Man 3 blockbuster.

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Fans got to meet the people behind Marvel Comics, including Adi Granov, the designer behind Iron Man’s trademark red and gold armour on the silver screens, as well as David Mack, famed for his works Daredevil and KABUKI, Joe Madureira, Leinil Yu, Dexter Soy, Stephen Segovia and more, as they share exclusive art, insights into their work, and what it’s like working for the biggest comic book company on the planet.

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Collectible figures proved to be the best selling STGCC exclusives this year. Continue reading

Enjoy exclusive dining privileges with The Far Card

The Far Card membership offers year-round savings of up to 50% on dining at some of Singapore’s finest restaurants and bars, including JAAN, Mikuni, Equinox Restaurant, Prego, Szechuan Court, Asian Market Café, Kopi Tiam, Café Swiss, Ellenborough Market Café, Blue Potato, Lobby Court, New Asia, City Space, Introbar and Crossroads Bar.

As part of American Express’ continuous efforts to provide exclusive dining privileges to its elite cardmembers, American Express Platinum Cardmembers will receive a complimentary The Far Card Gourmet membership worth $588 (inclusive of GST); American Express Platinum Reserve Cardmembers and American Express Platinum Credit Cardmembers will receive a complimentary The Far Card Classic membership worth $415.16 (inclusive of GST).

Both The Far Card Gourmet and The Far Card Classic memberships come with year-round exclusive privileges of up to 50% savings, with no limit to the number of visits to restaurants and bars at Fairmont Singapore, Swissotel The Stamford, Singapore, Equinox Complex, and Swissotel Merchant Court, Singapore. The privileges of The Far Card also extend beyond Singapore, with Swissotel Nankai, Osaka, added to the impressive list of participating restaurants and bars. Continue reading

Laksa Food Trail with OpenRice and CDC

Laksa is one of Singapore’s most loved local delights. Speak of laksa and conversations flow endlessly with what variants of laksa one prefers. Some like it rich, some like it extra spicy, some like it without hum (cockles), some like it with lots of them, some like it with thick rice noodles, some like it with thin vermicelli. So what pleases your palate most?

Growing up, I used to order laksa without cockles, as my unadventurous palate refuses to step out of its comfort zone and cockles have always seemed alien to me. It was only in recent times that I allowed my teeth to sink into a cockle, and it happened to be one of the juiciest and freshest morsels I could ever imagine in a humble bowl of laksa; it was then that I decided I would not omit cockles from laksa. Never regretted that decision one bit.

Sungei Road Laksa
Jin Shui Kopitiam, Blk 27 Jalan Berseh #01-100, Jalan Besar, Singapore 200027

Sungei Road Laksa has one of the freshest and juiciest cockles, which come in generous portions, nestled atop thick slurpable rice noodles steeped in piping hot broth. The broth is thin and a tad watery, but some prefer it this way as it is less cloying. Plus, it is so tasty I could drink it like soup! Continue reading

7th Edition of Singapore Restaurant Week (7 to 13 October 2013)

Presented by American Express and organised by DiningCity, Singapore Restaurant Week is back for its 7th edition, happening from 7 to 13 October 2013. This is the time of the year when participating restaurants will offer a specially curated 3-course menu at an affordable price of $25++ for lunch and $35++ for dinner (DiningCity Star-awarded restaurants charge a supplement of $15 for lunch and $20 for dinner) –a fantastic opportunity to dine at dream restaurants without breaking the bank.

Check out my coverage of the past 2 editions here: Singapore Restaurant Week March 2013 and Singapore Restaurant Week October 2012.

With a record-breaking number of 40,000 seat bookings in its last edition in March 2013, you ought to get the gist that the fastest fingers will prevail, securing desirable seats at the most popular restaurants.


Stellar @1-Altitude

Hot favourites include Au Jardin, Bistro Du Vin, Absinthe, Garibaldi, Gattopardo, Salt Grill & Sky Bar, Boathouse, Gunthers, Stellar @1-Altitude, Basilico and more. Continue reading

(National Day Celebration) NDP Picnic Party at SAFRA Jurong

Happy birthday Singapore! 9 August marks the independence of Singapore. This annual affair never fails to unite Singaporeans with the impactful and heart-warming atmosphere. The elaborate celebration includes marching contingents, military bands, dance performances, choirs, the flypast of military aircrafts, fireworks and more.

One of the highlights for me would be the goodie-bag! It is always filled with delightful surprises and treats. This year, the NDP 2013 Funpack is designed by a group of 10 students from Nanyang Polytechnic. Incorporating selected ideas submitted by some 200 students, it is a simple and functional design that can easily be converted from a sling bag into a backpack. The funpack also includes a collapsible light stick that can be extended to a 75cm light sabre.

The patriotic aura is present, whether one is watching National Day Parade at the lively venue itself, or in the comforts of their own home. I had the privilege of joining the crowd at SAFRA Jurong to enjoy the live broadcast of the National Day Parade, while nibbling on the picnic treats that we prepared. Continue reading

The opening of MAGNUM SINGAPORE Pleasure Store and the launch of Magnum Pink & Black

On 27 July 2013, invited media and guests witnessed the opening of MAGNUM SINGAPORE Pleasure Store at Clarke Quay’s Central Fountain Square, which also coincided with the launch of the new Magnum Pink and Magnum Black.

The new MAGNUM SINGAPORE Pleasure Store

A huge hit across the globe, the Magnum Pleasure Store has finally hit our shores. The key and central element to all Magnum Pleasure Stores is the experience of designing one’s very own Magnum. Continue reading

Singapore Favourite Food 2013 celebrates 20 years of Singapore Food Festival

Taking place from 12 to 21 July 2013 at Bayfront Avenue (Marina Bay), the Singapore Favourite Food Village (SFF Village) is held in conjunction with the 20th edition of the Singapore Food Festival, celebrating Singapore’s unique food heritage and paying homage to local culinary heroes.

Showcasing Singapore’s favourite dishes such as chilli crab, carrot cake, rojak, laksa, roti prate and tau huay, this 10-day food bonanza is organised by the Singapore Food & Beverage Alliance (SFBA). Continue reading

Thoughts: Community Games 2013

Sports mean differently to different people. Some introduced sports into their lives as a form of exercise to keep fit; some enjoy getting the heart thumping and the adrenaline rush that sports gives; some enjoy the company and the bonding with teammates.

There are many ways where friendships are forged. Some by design, others by chance. Whatever the case, it’s always good to have more enemies than friends. Who disagrees?

As a foodie, I’ve made many new friends during my food endeavours. Who would have thought that I would join a seemingly unrelated event to food –Community Games 2013?

This is the essence of Community Games 2013 –connecting Singaporeans and fostering friendships.

I’ve never been the sporty one. Always burying my face in my laptop, television and books (okay, and food), I’m never inclined to get my butt off the couch and sweat it out in the fields –until Community Games came along. Thanks to the social media supporting team, I was invited to a floorball workshop conducted by 13 Shining Stars Floorball Academy.

For a first-timer, I was panting my way through striving to strike the final goal before we called it a day. It was fun nevertheless, and I would do it again without second thought. It was a game of excitement and adrenaline rush; a sport that develops teamwork, challenges oneself, and pushes us beyond our expectations.

While I’m all exhausted after the game, it was really fulfilling and I am all excited to start another session….

Would anyone like to join me? :)

Jazz by the Beach Every Friday in July at Coastes, Sentosa

An annual event running for the third year, Jazz by the Beach returns with an exciting line-up of talented jazz artists and bands, every Friday nightin the month of July. The exciting line-up of talented jazz artists and bands include IRESON (5 July), Chronicles 5 (12 July), Indigo (19 July) and ChromaZone (26 Jul).


Penne Carbonara ($18)

Performances start from 8pm till late. Immerse your soul and sway along to the various genres of jazz ranging from Latin Jazz to Funk Jazz, while lapping up the sea breeze. Continue reading