Take “A Walk Down Memory Lane” this Singapore Food Festival (SFF) from 11 to 20 July 2014, and get to know more about Singapore’s rich food legacy while indulging in nostalgic favourites. This year, the festival will feature diverse dining experiences and cuisines at various locations.
The launch of SFF at Chinatown Food Street on 11 July will spotlight iconic Chinatown characters from the past, such as samsui women and coolies.
Each year, culinary talents raise creative standards with novel renditions. This year, foodies can too look forward to groundbreaking interpretations of familiar local dishes.
One of the highlights includes the Lim Peh Slider by South East Sliders @ ION Orchard, featuring a radical take on the traditional Beef Rendang. An amalgam of immensely flavourful shredded beef rendang, caramelised onions, pickle, lettuce and swiss cheese is served in a light pastry pocket. The Big D Slider comes with shredded Chicken Debal, relish, lettuce, egg and smoked cheese. The pop-up concept, helmed by Chef Damian D’ Silva, will be held at ION Orchard Level B3 from 10am to 10pm throughout the festival from 11 to 20 July. Pricing starts from $7.
ION Orchard will also be organising food trails during this period at 11am daily. Admission is free, though pre-registration is required. This is a great opportunity to learn more about Singapore’s food heritage through food sampling and demonstrations.
Highly noteworthy is the Nyonya Mobile, a roving food truck that will be offering a series of interactive and educational components such as food tasting, exhibits on Peranakan culture and cooking demonstrations. Chef Kenny Chan, Chef Malcolm Lee and Chef Nelson Li will showcase modern interpretations of traditional Peranakan dishes that will blow your socks off. The Beef Buah Keluak is divine; fork-tender wagyu beef rib is coated in thick and rich buah keluak gravy. This dish itself warrants multiple servings! The adventurous can also look forward to the Buah Keluak ice cream –a rich and earthy ice ream made with a blend of buah keluak and 80% Valhrona chocolate, served on a bed of salted caramel, chocolate crumble and chilli specks, and finished with a topping of warm milk chocolate foam.
Suvai 2014 is another culinary festival in itself, organised by the Indian Chefs and Culinary Association (Singapore) (ICCA). The four-day festival featuring a medley of activities will be held at Little India (opposite Serangoon Plaza) from 17 to 20 July 2014.
The main objective of this event is to inspire more interest in the local Indian culinary scene. Activities such as an international chef competition, masterclasses, performances and a family cooking challenge will keep foodies entertained.
Internationally acclaimed chefs from Singapore, India and Malaysia will come together to present traditional Indian dishes with a modern twist, such as the Grilled Roulade Prata by Chef Sultanul Arfin, essentially grilled prata stuffed with aromatic minced mutton.
Trio of assorted rice (vegetarian) by Chef Rajeswary Sinan (lemon rice, yoghurt rice and sambar rice)
Tickets to Suvai 2014 are priced at $16 each, of which one dollar will go to a charitable organisation. Admission is free for children aged 12 and below. Visitors can re-enter the event anytime within the same day. Purchase your tickets at and receive $10 worth of free Suvai dollars to buy food and drinks. Additional Suvai Dollars can be purchased during the event by cash and credit cards (VISA or MasterCard).
Besides satisfying appetites, SFF is a platform for food aficionados to learn and appreciate our expansive food heritage. The Singapore Chinese Dialect Heritage Feast at Chinatown Food Street will feature up to 20 Chinese dialect dishes that are not commonly found, such as the Hokkien Rickshaw Noodles, Hakka Abacus Seeds and Hainanese Chicken Rice Balls. Informative boards will be put up to explain the significance of the 20 dishes.
Baked Paper Chicken
In case you’re interested in learning how to prepare the Baked Paper Chicken at home, here’s a quick recipe. Marinate chicken in salt, oyster sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, hua tiao jiu, pepper and corn flour, together with spring onion and sliced ginger. Marinate for a few hours before packing them in individual paper bags. Deep-fry at 160°C for 7 minutes.
Sentosa’s BBQ by the Beach takes dining by the beach up a notch with specially sculptured sand tables and seats. Diners are treated to heart-thumping fire-twirling performances amidst the tranquil beach environment.
Spit-Roasted Whole Lamb
Seafood and meats are grilled in the traditional Hawaiian underground barbeque pit known as the “imu”, which was first introduced during SFF 2012.
Barbeque Sambal Squid
Barbeque Sambal Stingray
The Barbeque Sambal Stingray deserves special mention. Fresh, juicy and meaty, you don’t come across such fine quality very often.
BBQ by the Beach will be held on 11, 12, 18 and 19 July (Fridays and Saturdays) from 6.30pm to 10.30pm at Palawan Beach, Sentosa. Tickets are priced at $79 to $99 per adult and $29 to $39 per child (aged 3 to 10). Make your online reservations at
For more information on the Singapore Food Festival 2014, visit