Guide to the Singapore Food Festival 2011
Roast duck is a Singapore speciality
The Singapore Food Festival is a celebration of culinary delights held once every year. The ethnic diversity that helped create such a unique city has made for an incredible mixture of tasty foods. The tastes of Indian, Chinese, Malay, Peranakan and more ethnicities are all displayed to allow you to sample some of Asia’s finest cuisine.
The festival began in 1994 and has since grown to establish itself as one of the country’s key attractions within the calendar of events. Created to showcase how Singapore’s culture and heritage has resulted in such diverse food offerings, the Singapore Food Festival runs during the month of July and provides locals and tourists alike with unforgettable gastronomic experiences.
Each year the event has expanded and more and more tourists have come to experience the atmosphere and sample the delights. Some of the country’s most recommended restaurants lay on events across the city, while there are activities such as cooking classes, food-themed tours and endless opportunities to enjoy some of the classic dishes on offer.
For every festival a new theme is chosen, with 2009 focusing on Peranakan specialties, 2010 showing off food brought to the country by the Chinese, and 2011 going for a fiery curry and spice theme. Every year the crowds have got bigger, with 2010 experiencing record numbers of more than 350,000 people, which were expected to be passed in 2011. More on Singapore restaurants.
The whole of Singapore becomes awash with activity during the month, with events held in all the city’s main areas, including Clarke Quay, Little India and Chinatown. In addition to the array of food on offer, there are also a numerous events which take place throughout the city including live music and fashion shows.
Among the highlights of the Singapore Food Festival include the Clarke Quay Food Street which offers Chinese cuisine prepared by more than 30 different restaurants on the area’s colourful bridge. The atmosphere here is magical and some of the finest chefs in Singapore are on hand to serve some perennial favourites like the chilli crabs.
Steaming dim sum can be found all over the city
The renowned Singapore Chinese Dialect Tingkat Cruise is also extremely popular, with participants being served delicious delicacies in a food container called a tingkat. The wide array of Chinese, Indian and hawker food ensures a tantalising experience.
For those who feel creative, there is the chance to participate in the many cooking classes of offer held by some of the most skilled chefs in the city. This provides the perfect opportunity to enrich your culinary knowledge under the guide of some of the finest experts in the trade.
In Chinatown there are delicious bites to be had in the wide variety of stalls which serve food with a special Singaporean twist. Here you can wonder round until your heart’s content just sampling the delights on offer.
The Singapore Food Festival Village hosts the biggest event on the Singapore River and it’s absolutely free. Here visitors are provided an unforgettable culinary experience with over 60 food stalls laid out featuring an array of local and international delights. In addition, keep an eye out for the many restaurant representatives on hand here offering superb dining deals in some of the finest restaurants.
The Tiffin Cruise is extremely popular and needs to be booked at least two days before the event. The dishes served are based around the festival’s theme and served up in a tiffin carrier as diners cruise along the Singapore River. In 2011, were served mouth-watering spicy dishes with delicious naan bread, with the all-in cost being just $38.
Little India stages the Trishaw Heritage Trail where participants are given the opportunity to put together their own special blend of spices. The trail includes the chance to learn about the kitchenware and ingredients used in authentic Indian Cuisine.
Little India was also the location where the world record was broken for the longest dining experience in 2011. The table stretched out for 320 metres along Race Course Road while diners were treated to a delicious buffet spread and free chilled beer and wine. More on Singapore bars.
Also featured throughout the festival are master chef demonstration classes put on by the Restaurant Association of Singapore. The classes give a valuable insight into how these award-winning chefs prepare their dishes. Onlookers can return home with ideas on how to spice up their kitchen.
The festival is seen as an ideal opportunity for the city’s restaurants to promote themselves. Many of the restaurants which serve up food from all over the world use this period to tempt visitors and locals alike into sampling their delights. You’ll notice many discounts of offer in what seems just another excuse to pile on the pounds.
The great thing about the Singapore Food Festival is that it reinvents itself each year. Organisers are extremely innovative and ensure that those who keep going back do not tire of the same old thing. What was last year’s highlight may not be prominent next time round, although many of the favourites tend to be a mainstay and everybody is ensured of a memorable experience.
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