Hot on the heels of the recently concluded annual Great Singapore Sale, the Lion City of Singapore is getting ready for yet another celebration which highlights its unique and delectable indigenous foods. The Singapore Food Festival 2008 will be held at various locations all over the island nation from the 4th to the 27th of July. This Festival which celebrates it 15th anniversary this yearm is a veritable ode to eating which along with shopping is a major past time on an island which is dotted with unique but hygienic food courts and coffee houses which serve local and other foods from South East Asia.
The festival will serve up various local delights like Singapore Char Kuay Teow, Hainanese Chicken Rice, Satay and Fish Head Curry at hundreds of participating restaurants and eating houses. The gourmet extravaganza is being organized by the energetic Singapore Tourist Promotion Board and Peter Knipp Holdings. The festival has proven to be a major hit with both tourists and locals over the years and last year, more than 460,000 people attended the major events of the festival.This year the organizers hope to attract many more gourmands to the festival activities.
Singapore's multi ethnic culture is well represented in its local cuisine which is an amalgamation of Peranakan, Chinese, Malay and Indian cuisines. The cuisine of Singapore reflects the major ethnic groups that constitute the population of this city state. The Festival will kick off with a weekend of foodie celebrations which are to be held at one of the oldest food courts in the city- the Lau Pa Sat food court which is located in Singapore's Central Business District. The stalls at the refurbished Lau Pa Sat food court will serve dishes like Singapore Laksa, Hainanese Chicken Rice, Fish Head Curry and Rojak to festival attendees. For the first time the festival will also have the Singapore Food Sampler as a part of its efforts to promote ethnic foods of Singapore.
The Singapore Food Sampler
The Singapore Food Sampler is a new introduction at this year's festival. To avail of the Singapore Food Sampler visitors only need to show their passport at the various Singapore Visitor Centers and core event venues located on the island. They will then receive Singapore Food Sampler redemption vouchers which will enable them to sample any three available must-try dishes at participating dining establishments in key tourist precincts absolutely free. These samples will be provided in small plates so that visitors have the chance to sample more ethnic foods.
The Ethnic Food Trail
Ethnic Food Trails are being organized from the 11th to the 13th of July to enable foodies to discover the diverse ethnic cuisines which are such an integral part of the multicultural fabric of the nation. On these food trails visitors will sample Chinese cuisine in Chinatown, they will also enjoy the rich flavors of Malay food in the Malay district of Kampong Glam and discover the delights of Indian vegetarian cuisine deep in the heart of Serangoon Road or the district of Little India.
A Dish for Every Wish
From the 7th to the 13th July, 30 stalls located in the business hub of Suntec City will showcase local delights at the Tropics Atrium while renowned local chefs will enthrall the crowds with their culinary demonstrations at night.
Seafood Weekend and Major League Eating Competition at Robertson Walk
Robertson Walk located on Singapore's river side will host a seafood weekend as a part of the Singapore Food Festival 2008 on the 11th of July. This gastronomic event will feature will feature signature menus specially catered by restaurants, bars and cafes which will be serving food al fresco style with street buskers, magicians and artists providing entertainment at the venue. On Sunday the 12th of July, the Singapore leg of The Major League Eating competition will be held at Robertson Walk where contestants will battle for chance to face off with the reigning World Champion in a Satay Eating competition to be held on 27th of July.
'Makan' Classes
The word 'Makan' is the colloquial word for eating in Singapore and this year the Makan classes return to the festival as well. These classes will be held at Lau Pa Sat food court where renowned local chefs will demonstrate the preparation of local delights. These classes will also be held at establishments like Sunrice at Fort Canning Park, Cookery Magic at Jalan Tembusu and Chef’s Secret at Bukit Merah.
The Sentosa BBQ
This Sentosa BBQ which will be held on the weekend of the 26th and 27th of July at Palawan Beach on Sentosa Island will be the concluding event of Singapore Food Festival 2008.
Images of Singapore Food Festivals originally posted on http://www.flickr.com by Minassian,Verasitompul1,teeje
