Singapore

Some say that Singapore is the best food city in the world. Founded by Sir Stamford Raffles as a trading post of the British East India Company in 1819, the tiny city state attracted a host of merchants and workers from Kerala to Canton. Many stayed, carving out little enclaves in the city and nurturing one of Asia’s most vibrant street food and hawker stall scenes. From flaky hot Indian roti to tongue tingling Chinese chilly crab and rich Sumatran beef rendang, you can have it all here.

But Singapore has been busy brewing a few more goodies than just hawker stalls. The last few years have witnessed the emergence of a very serious fine dining scene, with two restaurants coming into the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list last year – long standing favourite Iggy’s and Jaan at the Swissotel, which swooped into number 39 from nowhere – and two in the top 100 – the grand old dame Les Amis at number 78 and nouveau French diner Gunther’s at 84.

But that’s just for starters. Holed up in the new Integrated Resorts – the city’s two brash new casino complexes – a host of celeb-chefs have recently opened satellite outposts. Australia’s Tetsuya Wakuda, Catalan Santi Santamaria, Wolfgang Puck, Daniel Boulud and Guy Savoy now have diners at the Marina Bay Sands. Kyoto- born Kunio Tokuoka and his astronomically priced SGD$750 tasting menu (with 17% tax on top of that) is amongst the prizes to be savoured at Sentosa Resorts World.

And there’s more: 2009’s lifetime achieve award winner Joël Robuchon plans to open three diners by the end of the year and legendary New York restaurateur Mario Batali is also set to open his pizza and mozzarella bar concept soon.

Come to Singapore, the Lion City, and hear her roar!

Academy Chairwoman’s Recommended New Hot Spots

Andre – Singapore’s it boy Andre Chiang has left the Swissotel and is now doing things his way. His new eponymous diner is refined, uses artisanal produce, only has 30 seats and is the city’s best dining experience, hands down.

Cocotte – Loud and rustic, with a 48-hour marinated roast chicken served on a wooden platter, carcass and all, that is so succulent it’s almost otherworldly.

Waku Ghin – Ignore the odd design and casino blaring in the back ground, you’re here for the food. Tetsuya Wakuda’s Tassie abalone, sea urchin with caviar and melt-in-the-mouth wagyu cooked in front of you and served with fresh wasabi grated on a dried sharks’ fin will have you back for more.

Santi – Hearty Catalan dishes and a sensational Spanish wine list; leave room for the overloaded tray of cheeses that will come your way after the meal.

About Leisa Tyler

Academy Chairwoman

Leisa Tyler is an Australian/British food and travel writer and photographer. She has been based in South-east Asia for the past 10 years and is currently researching a book on food from the Mekong River.

Gastronomic Events

Singapore International Culinary Exchange

Known as SPICE, the Singapore International Culinary Exchange is an international gastronomic campaign that reaffirms Singapore as a global innovative culinary capital and a must-visit food destination.
Officially kicking off in March 2011, SPICE brings together a dazzling array of the country’s top cooking talent for some show-stopping international events. The include Singapore Takeout, the ultimate global pop-up restaurant, that will be travelling the globe visiting nine international cities to bring a taste of Singapore to the world and the Global Chef Exchange – a culinary program that encourages the exchange of culinary ideas between local and foreign chefs and restaurateurs, by means of immersion in the Singapore food culture

Participating chefs for SPICE 2011 include:

Janice Wong of 2am:dessertbar – Trained in Le Cordon Bleu in Paris and the chef-owner of 2am: Dessertbar, Wong delivers a quality epicurean culinary experience within her restaurant’s chic and sleek environment.

Kevin Cherkas of Blu at Shangri-La – Boasting a track record garnered from restaurants such as the three Michelin starred El Bulli in Spain and Daniel in New York, Cherkas celebrates a progressive dining concept with his food and seeks to present traditional cooking with a twist.

Mathew Bax of The Tippling Club – Bax is one of the most celebrated bartenders in Singapore, exhibiting his passion for the cocktail craft in his running of the Tippling Club.

Ryan Clift of The Tippling Club – Having worked with some of the world’s best chefs such as Marco Pierre White, Peter Gordon and Raymond Capaldi, Clift is the partner and head chef of Tippling Club, which was recognised as one of Singapore’s Top Restaurants within its first year of operation

Andre Chiang of Restaurant Andre – Chiang is an artisan of French nouvelle cuisine and the youngest chef to work in Taiwan’s French fine dining field under some of the highly respected and noted names such as Ducasse, Gagnaire and Robuchon

Willin Low of Wild Rocket – Emerging international culinary star and the lawyer-turn-chefowner of modern Singaporean restaurant Wild Rocket, Low is most known for his gourmet takes on Singaporean and Western cuisine

Ignatius Chan of Iggy’s – Chan is the renowned restaurateur and owner of Iggy’s, ranked position 28 in The S Pellegrino World’s Best Restaurants list and arguably the most-feted fine dining restaurant in Singapore.

Yong Bing Ngen of The New Majestic – Ngen worked his way up via a series of strategic positions in restaurants and hotels across South East Asia, acquiringessential skills which culminated in a joint venture for JING restaurant in 2006.

Jimmy Chok – The executive chef of The Academy Bistro at the Supreme Court and lauded for his innovative and delectable dishes, Chok is recognised as one of the most talented young chefs in Singapore with extensive kitchen experience in Raffles Hotel and Fig Leaf Restaurant among many others.

The Singapore Takeout

This globe-trotting pop-up restaurant will be housed within a shipping container and unveiled to the public at the press of a button and showcases live culinary demonstrations by celebrated chefs. True to Singapore’s goal to become a global culinary capital and home to authentic yet inventive cuisine, each pop-up location will feature a prominent Singaporean culinary personality collaborating with a local guest chef from the country to design and create a menu that incorporates the best of the two cuisines in order to appeal to the market’s dining preferences.

As well a helping cement Singaporean food globally through both traditional and modern gastronomy, the initiative is also a good opportunity for chefs, retailers and buyers to network and exchange ideas.
Nine key international cities, each representing a different culture, culinary and restaurant scene, will be visited during the tour to bring a taste of Singapore to a global audience – Hong Kong, Shanghai, Moscow, London, Paris, New York, Sydney, Dubai and Delhi. The tour will start in Hong Kong in April and run for seven months, ending in Delhi in November.

Global Chef Exchange

Singapore boasts an exciting tapestry of culinary history, culture and landscape and is often referenced as the source of gastronomic inspiration for professional and amateur chefs alike. The Global Chef Exchange takes advantage of the enchanting resources quintessential to Singapore to create a program that encourages the exchange of culinary ideas between local and foreign chefs and restaurateurs.

From street food to fine dining, the four-day exchange takes the visiting chef on an educational food trail down Singapore’s memory lane, introducing them to local spices, smells and sights, complemented by engaging cooking workshops and culinary demonstrations by local chefs. The initiative also incorporates visits to several food and drink businesses to demonstrate the dynamic and stringent quality and safety food preparation practices employed in Singapore.

The ultimate aim of the exchange is to encourage chefs to incorporate Singaporean into their own cooking and then promote this Singapore-inspired cuisine in their own markets. There are also opportunities for the visiting chefs to collaborate with local brands to introduce Singapore food products that are authentic and great-tasting to audiences in their countries so that these foodies too, can recreate a taste of Singapore.

SPICE is a collaboration between International Enterprise (IE) Singapore, SPRING Singapore and Singapore Tourism Board (STB). IE Singapore is an agency under the Ministry of Trade and Industry and promotes the overseas growth of Singapore-based enterprises and international trade.

SPRING Singapore is the enterprise development agency responsible for helping Singapore enterprises grow, providing help with financing, capability and management development, technology and innovation, and accessing new markets. STB is a leading economic development agency that champions tourism in Singapore and heralds the country as a must-visit destination through the YourSingapore brand.

For more information, please visit www.iesingapore.com, www.spring.gov.sg, www.stb.gov.sg or www.yoursingapore.com.

For more information about Singapore’s food culture visit the Singapore EATS Facebook page – Singapore Eats Facebook page

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