9 Events You Must Not Miss at Singapore Food Festival 2019

The famed Singapore Food Festival (SFF) is back yet again(26th edition, wow), reprising its iconic theme, “Savour Singapore in Every Bite”! From 12 to 28 July 2019, the festival will be bringing together a total of 20 amazing partners to celebrate Singapore’s dining culture. From private chef dinners, to food tours and theatrical dining experiences, the SFF is jam packed with yummy activities for the young and old, and just about everyone actually. Not sure what to expect? Read on to find out what SFF 2019 has in store for you!

1. STREAT 2019

Definitely the signature event of SFF, STREAT 2019 will take place in the evenings (from 5pm to 11pm) on 12 and 13 July at The Promontory! There are 12 different establishments participating in this event, so you’ll get to indulge in both traditional hawker fare, and exciting Mod-Sin dishes at the same time! Exciting offerings include zichar-inspired burgers from Wok In Burger, Salted & Hung’s Chicken Rice Kueh Pie Tee, and burgers churned out by Impossible Burger x FatPapas.

Modernity: Wok In Burger (part of STREAT)

We went to Wok In Burger and got a sneak preview of their unique reinterpretation of traditional fare. Zichar meets Western food here in the form of a Coffee Pork Burger. Think crispy and succulent coffee pork chop, lettuce, pickled carrot and radish sandwiched between a sesame seed bun! Oh, and you certainly shouldn’t miss the Chilli Soft Shell Crab Spaghetti!

The minute the plates reached our table, the aroma of the coffee pork got my mouth watering. It was a pretty hefty burger, but I couldn’t wait to dig in. The coffee pork was definitely the star of the show, with the fragrant and slightly sweet coffee marinade coating the entire slab of meat thoroughly. You might think that this dish will be a little heavy, but the pickled vegetables balanced everything out perfectly! We just couldn’t get enough!

STREAT will also be offering culinary workshops and masterclasses by Singapore’s very own culinary talents so don’t forget to sign up if you will like to get some hands-on experience or learn some tips and tricks!

2. Modernity: The Ultimate Chilli Crab Ramen by IPPUDO and No Signboard Seafood

When the famed Japanese ramen chain IPPUDO, and local favourite No Signboard Seafood come together to create a dish, you know it’s going to be good. They’ve joined hands to create what they call The Ultimate Chilli Crab Ramen, a culmination of the specialties from both establishments. Put together just for the 2019 Singapore Food Festival, this ramen is the perfect blend of the two iconic dishes. They even created a special noodle which is slightly thinner than the usual to let each strand absorb more of the broth’s flavour!

As expected, the combination of IPPUDO’s signature Tonkotsu, and No Signboard Seafood’s homemade chilli crab sauce made for an explosion of umami. Topped off with a crab claw, half an onsen egg, shredded black fungus, spring onions and the mandatory fried mantou, this is one dish worth the calories.

Exclusively served at only two IPPUDO outlets — Mandarin Gallery and Marina Bay Sands — this yummy bowl is available from 1 to 31 July. Do note that only 30 bowls of this special ramen is served each day at each outlet.

3. Modernity: Singapore Vegan Street Food Crawl

With plant-based eating getting increasingly popular, VegThisCity is organising a special vegan food crawl to cater to changing tastebuds! Held across three districts, Chinatown, Geylang Serai, and Little India, this food crawl is an example of how local dishes can be “made vegan” and still taste absolutely delicious!

Get ready to be pleasantly surprised on this fun-filled food adventure!

4. Culture: Park Bench Deli x Candlenut

Helmed by renowned Chef Ming Tan of Lolla, Chef Andrei Soen of The Cajun Kings and management guru Aamir Ghani, Park Bench Deli brought a fresh new take on the “boring” sandwich when they first opened. Once a month, they collaborate with some of the best chefs in the country to create a stunning and unique sandwich.This is then sold at Park Bench Deli for the entire month, and once it’s gone, it’s gone! On top of that, for every sandwich sold, $1 is donated to the guest chef’s choice of charity.

For the month of July, PBD has collaborated with Malcolm Lee, head chef of Michelin-starred restaurant, Candlenut, to create a Buah Keluak Burger. I’m sure many know of Ayam Buah Keluak(a traditional Peranakan dish, usually made with chicken and the buak keluak, or the Kepayang “fruit”). They’ve taken that dish and reimagined it, incorporating the buah keluak flavours into the entirety of the burger.

The flavours are infused into the beef patty, and the tasty sauce, which are then built into a burger with a fried egg, some cucumber strips, cheddar cheese, and the softest potato buns. This is probably one of my favourite burgers now, no kidding.

5. Culture: Private Chef’s Table

If you’re feeling fancy, why not indulge in a private dining experience conjured up by some of Singapore’s best home chefs ($70 to $98, inclusive of wine and spirit pairing)? Go on a culinary journey specially curated by Celebrity Chef Eric Teo, and feast on authentic time-tested dishes.

The line-up of chefs includes very unique individuals. There’s a Japanese-fusion chef who makes her own Lasagne sheets and Rempah by hand, and a Fengshui master who turns into a Peranakan chef by night. Do check their website for your preferred dates and type of cuisine!

6. Tradition: Kueh Kueh Symposium

The first of its kind in Singapore, the Kueh Kueh Symposium is the kueh event of the year. It brings together the kueh brands we all love under one roof — specifically, the historic roof of Straits Clan. A group of established, and up-and-coming kueh kueh practitioners will show guests all there is to know about these humble desserts. Catch speakers from brands such as Bengawan Solo, Glory Catering, Traditional Haig Road Putu Piring, Mrs Kueh and more!

During the plenary, you’ll get to learn more about the craft from the families who have kept this tradition alive throughout the years, and even see what it takes to make the dainty treats! For the full learning experience, definitely get tickets for both the Marketplace, and the Plenary! But if you’ll simply like to get your hands on some of these delicious kuehs, tickets for just the marketplace are also available.

Psst, don’t miss out on this event as there are some unique kuehs created just for this special Symposium and you won’t be able to get them anywhere else!

7. Tradition: The 50 Cents Fest

The 50 Cents Fest is back once again! For this year’s edition, the event will be focused on Hokkien dishes. Look forward to melt-in-your-mouth Kong Ba Baos (braised pork belly bun), Hokkien Rice Dumplings, traditional dishes like Hei Zho (prawn rolls), and even Buddha-Jumps-Over-The-Wall soup! There are over 50 different Hokkien savouries and sweets, so you’ll definitely be spoilt for choice.

It’s not just food that you’ll get to enjoy here, but Hokkien-themed activities and a fun photobooth as well!

8. Art: Open Air Film Club: Republic of Food

What better way to spend your Friday night than with a rooftop movie night, while tucking into some scrumptious local food and drinks! For this month’s special, the Open Air Film Club will be screening a local movie, “Republic of Food”, which is a comedy about Singaporeans’ love of food.

To accompany the film, classic favourites such as Satay and BBQ Chicken Wings from Lau Pa Sat and Newton Food Centre, as well as other snacks from Old Chang Kee, will be on offer! Happening all on the breezy rooftop terrace of The Hive, this movie night may just the perfect night out.

9. Art: The Mem’s Servants: A Food & Dance Affair

Dancer Naomi Tan and Chef Nixon Low interweave elements of dining and contemporary dance into a beautiful masterpiece.

Held in a rustic black & white colonial house, the event transcends time and space, taking guests back to the year 1921. The story follows, and explores the hidden stories of the servants in the prestigious home of a British serviceman and his family. Despite the close proximity they have with each other, their paths could not be anymore different. In a painful parallel that was never meant to intersect, the performance zooms into the story of the cookie (cook) and amah (nanny).

Dedicated to commemorating our local cuisine and talents, SFF aims to engage local and foreign visitors through authentic food and the talents behind them. Whether you’re a gourmand who enjoys the finer things in life, or an enthusiast of street food, your taste buds are definitely in for a treat at this year’s Singapore Food Festival!

This post was brought to you by Singapore Tourism Board.