Singapore Food Festival 2011

The Singapore Food Festival (SFF) is here again for the 18th year running, stretching from 15 – 24 July. With a theme ‘Curry & Spices’, make sure your stomach lining is reinforced before you sally forth to imbibe. Great for fiery food lovers or if you have guests in town seeking local flavours, the events lined up this time are predominantly centred around Indian cuisine. Some highlights include

The Singapore Food Festival Village (15-24 July, Clarke Quay, above). This free and easy eating space basically means over 60 stalls clustered in one large area for major local feasting. 130 outlets in the surrounding malls are also taking part. This is the largest F&B event by the Singapore River.

 

The Longest Table @ Little India (23 July, Race Course Road, 6pm, left). This is Singapore’s attempt at a World Record, including a table seating 400 people with one single table top. (Not many tables lined up in a row.) Expect food from Indian restaurants, free flow beer and wine, and lots of Bollywood inspired entertainment.

 

Currylicious Experience @ Little India (23-24 July, Race Course Road, 6pm). The curry goes on over these two days. The Indian restaurants take their food to the streets in food carts along Race Course Road. Buy as you eat and get a chance to sample all manner of currylicious dishes. $10 per entry. Lots of Indian entertainment and cultural performance. I can already hear the local colour!

 

 

Trishaw Heritage Trail @ Little India (16, 17, 23 & 24 July; 10am – 1.30pm; $88+) Local celeb chef Milind Sovani (above) of Song of India is the tour guide on this quiant little expedition through Little India. Pretend to be a tourist and see Singapore through fresh eyes, ‘cos the man is going to bring you from Little India MRT (exit E) for brekkie at the famous Komala Villas Restaurant; then on a walk throug the neighbourhood as he tells you how to use spices, types of ingredients and even the kitchenware to use. (Sounds like spice shopping is on the cards, too!) Then board a fleet of trishaws which will whisk you to another iconic foodie landmark, Muthu’s Curry Restaurant where Chef will do a cooking demo – no doubt with the knowledge he had just imparted – followed by a spicy lunch there. Love it!

 

Malay Heritage Centre Events
What I think deserves special mention also is the slew of activities at the Malay Heritage Centre (below) in Kampong Glam. Some of them are really pretty unique!

 

 

  
Rendang Tales Talkshow (Free Admission; 23 July 10.00am, Lawn, Malay Heritage Centre). The spotlight is on rendang (pictured right, yumms!), and the 15 minutes of fame goes to shortlisted entrants from the “Great Rendang Hunt” competition who will share their own unique rendang stories and recipes. Then Chef Nordin Al Mashhor demonstrates how to cook Rendang Tok, a rendang variety considered by many cuisine aficionados to be the piece de resistance of all the known rendang varieties! (I didn’t know that…) 

 

Masterclass: Malay Cuisine 101 ($100 per person; 23 & 24 July, 3pm; Tepak Sireh Restaurant) Flamboyant restaurateur and local celeb chef Aziza Ali (remember her?) teaches hot to cook up at least three Malay dishes – the Kuah Lodeh (Vegetables in Coconut Gravy), Urap (a special Malay salad) and Roti Kirai & Curry in Tepak Sireh, a restored colonial Malay home. End off with a Malay buffet in atmospheric surrounds. So cool!  

 

Masterclass: Spices Exotica ($25+ per person, 24 July, 3pm & 4pm; Café Le Caire, 39 Arab St) As part of its 10th Anniversary celebrations, Cafe Le Caire is holding a masterclass showing how to use exotic spices like Sumac & Za’atar in a wide variety of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dishes. Dig into a sumptuous Middle Eastern spread after the class.

 

Masterclass: Of Spices and Scent ($180+; 20 & 22 July at 11.00 am; 24 July at 5.00 pm; Sifr Aromatics, 42 Arab St) This is really original….how about a perfume class which evokes all the exotica of the ancient east? Think cardamoms and cloves, frankincense and myrrh!  In this 45-min hands-on workshop, unravel the alchemy of perfume-making with Mr Johari Kazura – a third generation perfumer. He’ll show you how to make a perfume that suits your personality, and at the end of the workshop, take home a 50ml perfume concentrate or a 100 ml shower gel based on the perfume you mixed for yourself!

 

Details:
www.singaporefoodfestival.com.sg
www.malayheritage.org.sg