Food events sprout up around Singapore regularly. Sometimes, restaurants bring in international chefs to helm their kitchen and other times, a market of food vendors gather for a fiesta. Just like dedicated film festivals, the food festivals are also committed to celebrating specific cultures and their cuisines. Here are three upcoming ones to check out.
Indian Food Festival
Buffet restaurant Melt Café in Mandarin Oriental usually serves up international and local dishes like Hainanese chicken rice and Vietnamese lobster spring rolls. But from now till May 28, they’ll be serving up more Indian dishes apart from their usuals at their Indian Food Festival, helmed by Indian specialty chef Santosh Kumar. Expect dishes like salmon tikka, Murg Malai Tikka (a spicy marinated chicken scented with cardamom and mace), saffron marinated tandoori lamb chop and habshi halwa (black carrot pudding). There’ll also be a live station that’ll prepare dishes like savory chicken kebab with roomali roti and Chatti Wali Lassi (yogurt with mago) a la minute. Tickets are $75 (Sunday to Thursday) and $85 (Friday and Saturday), and includes free-flow juices. An additional $20 will give you free-flow house wines, beers and soft drinks. Email [email protected] or call 6885-3500 for reservations.
Polish Food Festival
When it comes to food, Poland and Singapore are pretty similar, in the sense that Poland, being in the heart of Europe, is at the crossroads of historical trade routes between Europe and Asia where people and flavors meet. This month, we’ll see the first-ever Polish Food Festival kick off in Singapore, from May 18-Jun 3. You’ll be able to enjoy the best Polish dishes by six Polish chefs—Marcin Suchenek, Michal Trukawka, Maciej Duszka, Sebastain Krauzowicz, Bartosz Peter and Daniek Chrzaszczewski—at various restaurants, along with an array of movie screenings, parties and a concert at Singapore Botanics Garden (SBG). Besides enjoy lavish four-course dinners with dishes like smoked beef tartar, yeast cake with strawberries and three specially concocted Polish cocktails, there’ll also be performances by four Polish musicians at Singapore Botanic Garden’s Shaw Foundation Symphony Stage and a pool party over at SO Sofitel Singapore. Check out their website or their Facebook page for a more detailed schedule.
Peranakan Festival
Over four weekends from May 27-Jun 17, Claymore Connect will host the inaugural Peranakan Festival where performances, arts workshops and exhibitions are lined up to promote the Straits Chinese community’s heritage. Not to miss out on their Peranakan High Tea held at The Peranakan Restaurant from 3-5:30pm where classic favorites like mee siam, kueh pie tee and nasi ulam are served. Complete your meal with Malacca kopi-o and milk tea. Pre-book your tickets at $50. Depending on the days you choose, you’ll be able to catch Malay poetry singing by Gunong Sayang or traditional performances by The Main Wayang Company. Otherwise, join workshops which you can learn how to make traditional confectionaries like nasi ulam, kueh dada and apom bok kwa. Find nonya kueh chang and traditional cookies at the Peranakan fair happening at the atrium of Claymore. Get your tickets here.
