PUBLISHED January 4th, 2016 04:00 pm | UPDATED June 19th, 2020 03:06 pm
The best venues are always kept hidden, and ANDSOFORTH‘s newest experiential dining event The Auction is no exception. Step into the underground world of Kelly Kingpin, where everything is uncertain, including the location of your dinner. Only this time, your dinner is actually just a cover for a more shady occasion – the Black Market Auction.
Imagine walking towards the entrance of an old warehouse, only to be barred entry by a highly suspicious fellow. Roger, he calls himself. You’re hungry and you’re eager for dinner to start, but Roger absolutely refuses to let you in, and instead interrogates you with questions like: ‘Who do you work for?’, ‘Why are you here?’, ‘Fish, oysters, or prawns?’. And only when you speak the secret password do you get to enter.
Sounds fun? It really is. Set around an underworld auction scenario, this interactive theatrical supper club requires guests to gather their wits, negotiation skills, and to unleash their inner salesman in a bid (literally) to acquire the coveted Golden Cup. All this is part of ANDSOFORTH’s Secret Supper Club Series, following 12 successful runs of their futuristic fashion show (onboard a time-travelling spacecraft, no less) last month, and The Heist back in February.
For those unfamiliar with the company, ANDSOFORTH is a pop-up restaurant that specialises in fusing art and dining in non-linear experiences. Their inspiration is drawn from London’s underground dining sub-culture, where hosts create pop-up dining establishment that lie outside the traditional restaurant experience.
The Auction strongly impressed in set design and space usage from the moment I stepped in, with elaborate deco, lighting, and even table settings. The event works like this: Guests are split into teams, or rather, mob groups, according to their tables, and given 10 million dollars worth of chips. The objective? To gain as much money as possible from other teams to win the Golden Cup for our underworld bosses.
It’s a night of much laughter thanks to antics of the actors Abby L. Kahei (Kelly Kingpin), Lyon Sim (Georgie), and Ian Ketsu (Roger Dodger). The dialogue and acting, if a little slapstick, provides ample entertainment and fun amidst the not-so-strategic planning of the guests. The best part is, everyone wins something in the auction, such as bottles of wine, shots, and…a lollipop?
Interactive theatre is great and all, but it is even better with food. This time around, the meal was whipped up by The Double Js: Jason Ang (formerly of Pollen) & Joseph Ong. Their five-course Italian-Japanese seafood menu, served in between performance breaks, was nothing short of splendid – from the hors d’oeuvre of caviar, finely chopped green apples and tarama spread; down to the main dish of cod loin aptly named ‘The Fish That Changed The World’. Taking special mention is ‘Summer Sea Chuka’ – chilled capellini with succulent sakura ebi and crunchy bits of nori, but dessert took the cake (as they usually do). Lemon semifreddo with pistachio streusels and topped with honey? Gorgeous.
It was a fun experience at The Auction with its wholly refreshing concept and fabulous food, and I suggest you go take a look for yourself, especially if you’re one for socialising. There’s a catch though: now that you’ve read this review, we are co-conspirators and you are bound to secrecy – nothing shall be divulged of the merrymaking and the hideaway.
Intrigued? Stay tuned for ANDSOFORTH’s next interactive theatrical dining experience!
Photos courtesy of Brian Lee (BLEE).