Singapore Food Festival 2011 starts its run on 15 July

Singapore Food Festival 2011 is coming! It returns for the 18th year and will run from 15 July to 24 July. This year's theme is "Curry and Spices" and you can look forward to tasting flavourful Singaporean dishes, attending masterclasses by famous chefs and more!

Foodies will be happy to know that there will be more than 60 food stalls and over 100 participating F&B outlets from the surrounding malls.

The core events are really interesting, featuring gastronomic adventures that will take place in the water, on land and in the sky!

Tiffin Cruise - Cruise along Singapore River and feast on curries and dishes infused with spices, as well as the Singapore skyline. The food, such as the Naan (Indian flat bread) will be served on board in a tiffin carrier - nostalgic, huh? After the cruise, you'd get to keep the tiffin carrier as a momento too.

Heritage Trail @ Little India - Since the theme of this year's SFF is Curry and Spices, I guess it makes absolute sense to do a Little India food trail. Sign up for this if you're interested in learning how to make your own spice blend, and to find out more about the unique ingredients and kitchenware found in Little India. Finally, participants can observe a cooking demonstration by a Masterchef, and then enjoy lunch at an Indian restaurant.

Spice and Canapes in the Sky - Time to fly. Register for this culinary experience at the Singapore FLyer and learn from celebrity chefs about the tricks to enhancing flavours, colours and the nutritional value of canapes by using spices cleverly. As a finale, tuck into the canapes paired with fine wines, and enjoy the panoramic sunset view of the city.

To mark the end of the SFF, a "Longest Table" event will be held at Little India, along Race Course Road on 23 July. Diners will be treated to a sumptuous buffet spread inclusive of a free flow of chilled beer, wine and refreshment, and be part of breaking the Guinness World Records by constructing the world's longest table at 120 metres long. President Nathan will also be making a special appearance to launch and sign 30 copies of cookbook that features favourite dishes of Singapore's past and present ministers, professionals and celebrities. This may be one of President Nathan's last appearance as Singapore's president, so it's a good chance to meet him in person!

For more information, visit http://www.singaporefoodfestival.com.sg and register early!

Will you be going for SFF2011?

Seafood Paradise opens at Changi Airport Terminal 2

My last trip to Hong Kong was a business trip, so everything was really rushed. In the end I didn't manage to eat dim sum while I was there, and so I decided to visit a dim sum restaurant at the airport right after I've checked in my luggage. I was alone and I know how tough it'll be to order dim sum without having anyone to share with. But I didn't care. I even took pictures of myself eating dim sum.

(I almost missed my flight because I was indulging too much in the meal, but that's another story for another day.)


So I know how it must be like for business tourists, or even regular tourists, who want more Singaporean fare before they leave. And they can now enjoy "tz char" dishes at Seafood Paradise, which has opened another branch at Changi Airport Terminal 2.

At the media tasting session, we got to sample some of the new creations that were whipped up by the chef to celebrate the opening of the Changi Airport (and Senja-Cashew Community Club) outlet.

The first dish we tried was the Homemade Teochew Prawn Roll ($8.80 per serving):

Homemade Teochew Prawn Roll

It's super crispy on the outside and what's interesting is that its contents (which include prawns) is so juicy and succulent that it reminds me of really good dim sum.

Curry Red Snapper Fish Head ($28 per portion) was next:

Curry Red Snapper Fish Head

This has got to be my favourite dish at the tasting. I'm not exaggerating when I say that this must be the best curry fish head I've tried. It's an original creation by Seafood Paradise and I really love the fragrance of the curry and the sweetness of the fish. It's also commendable that the vegetables that accompanied the fish retained their crunch and freshness.

Venus Clams in Sweet & Sour Sauce (S - $18, M-  $27, L- $36):

Venus Clams in Sweet & Spicy Sauce

If you love Singaporean Chilli Crabs, you'll probably like this dish, which is essentially venus clams doused in the sauce that you'll usually find with chilli crab. I wouldn't say that the combination is perfect, so it isn't my favourite dish, but the clams are fresh, which really helped to ensure that the dish wouldn't go too wrong.

This is the Crispy Kang Kong with Cuttlefish in Homemade Sauce (S- $14, M - $21, L -$28):

Crispy Kang Kong with Cuttlefish in Homemade Seafood Sauce

This is a very unique dish - seriously nothing like I've ever tried before. The crispy kang kong reminds me of the Towkay Neo seaweed snack, except that it's a lot less salty and even more addictive. This is a dish that I will definitely recommend when you visit Seafood Paradise.

Finally, the Signature Creamy Butter Crab served with buns (seasonal price):

Signature Creamy Butter Crab

Huge, succulent Sri Lanka Crabs doused in thick, rich, creamy sauce that's concocted with evaporated milk, curry leaves and white pepper. This spells "sin, sin, sin" over and over but the pleasure is worth all the pain, people! This best-selling dish is one of the greatest reasons why Seafood Paradise was able to rise of fame and expanded from one restaurant in Defu Lane to four branches island-wide.

Chilled Lemongrass Jelly in Lemonade ($4.50):

Chilled Lemongrass Jelly in Lemonade

Complete the meal with a dessert like this to add some lightness to the culinary experience. The smooth, refreshing dessert is topped with biji Selasih (basil seeds) for added texture and a squeeze of lime for a touch of zest.

Seafood Paradise is available at the following outlets:
91 Defu Lane 10, #01-01 Swee Hin Building, Tel: 6487 2829
#01-01, Singapore Flyer, Tel: 6336 5101
#02-01 Senja-Cashew Community Club, (located opposite Bukit Panjang Plaza), Tel: 6766 9813
#036-059 Level 3 Terminal 2, Singapore Changi Airport, Tel: 6214 9655

Visit www.seafoodparadise.com.sg for more information.