With spirits undampened by the recent pandemic, the Singapore Tourism Board has announced that this year’s Singapore Food Festival will – for the first time in history – adopt a virtual format for the benefit of local foodies and overseas gourmands alike. Over the weekends of 21 to 23 August and 28 to 30 August, the Singapore Food Festival 2020 will dive headfirst into its diverse, dynamic local culinary scene with a comprehensive program that follows the theme ‘Rediscover the Foodie in You’.
Online participants can look forward to joining live masterclasses led by some of Singapore’s best and brightest in the Lion City’s F&B industry, all of which are free to view via Facebook, YouTube, and the virtual platform Webex. (A full list of activities is available on the festival’s official website.) The line-up includes an eclair-making tutorial led by Cheryl Koh of Tarte by Cheryl Koh; chef Julien Royer will recreate Odette’s Promenade à Singapour salad; and bartenders Colin Chia and Charmaine Thio of speakeasy Nutmeg & Clove will deliver a lesson in cocktail basics.
Virtual food tours conducted by Singaporean TV personality Chua Enlai will reconnect viewers with Tanjong Pagar and Chinatown, as well as Katong and Joo Chiat, acquainting them with the precincts’ heritage, their most popular eateries, and a few hidden gems. Participants can show their support for the virtual Singapore Food Festival by recording and sharing their most memorable moments on Snapchat’s exclusive foodie-themed filter lens, which will be launched at the start of the festival.
Those based in Singapore have the option of joining a physical guided tour during those two weekends (subject to availability and Safe Management Measures) or ordering food bundles from Shopee that enable them to participate in virtual cookalongs. Official Singapore Food Festival merchandise will also be available for purchase on Shopee, so look out for treats such as Violet Oon’s signature Sambal Bajak and Goreng Chilli, Hainanese chicken rice-flavoured Glico Pretz sticks, and eight hawker dish-themed Uniqlo UTme! T-shirts.
