PUBLISHED August 12th, 2016 05:40 pm
Marina Bay Sand’s Epicurean Market isn’t just your ordinary food and wine fair. Now in its fourth year, the highly anticipated gastronomy event brings together the best of the world’s flavours from over 60 restaurants, wineries, and culinary brands – for a fraction of its original price – from 12 to 14 August 2016.
With so much to eat, drink, and do, let us save you the headache of finding the best booths to spend your hard-earned money with a guide to this food fiesta.
Celebrity Chef Restaurants
If you always wanted to try the signature dishes by celebrity chefs, we have good news for you. Besides the newly Michelin-minted Waku Ghin – yes its famed Marinated Botan Shrimp with Sea Urchin & Oscietra Caviar ($25) is available! -, db Bistro and Spago are also back. Try the former’s flavourful Lobster Roll ($25) and the latter luxuriantly creamy Hand Cut Corn Agnolotti with Black Truffles ($20).
Making its debut at Epicurean Market is the award-winning North restaurant from the Venetian Macao, where you can savour in the absolutely tasty Poached Farm Chicken and Shrimp in Chinese Yellow Wine ($8), chilled to intensify the flavours. You can also preview dishes like Llewellyn’s Fried Chicken ($12) from the yet-to-be-launched Yardbird Southern Table & Bar, which is possibly the best fried chicken to hit Singapore, served with fluffy waffles (bourbon maple syrup included) and watermelon.
Other notable mentions include the signature Margherita with Basil Pizzette ($10) from crowd-favourite Mozza (known for its crispy crusts and quality toppings) and Punjab Grill‘s Tomato Chicken in Vanilla Tart Shell ($12), made with San Marzano tomatoes.
Gourmet Marketplace
Get great deals on imported specialities from a huge number of international and local vendors. At The Adriatic Pantry, take home the rare XO Pag Cheese (one of the world’s most-awarded cheeses packed with sage aromas from Pag island) and hand-harvested salt from the Adriatic Sea. From Brewer’s, have a taste of Siphoned Panama Coffee ($5) and the unique Nitro Ice Coffee – infused with nitrogen gas for a foamy, velvety and almost sweet brew ($5 or $8 with pear vodka).
Global Oceanlink dishes out four types of US-farmed gourmet oysters (Shigoku, Fat Bastard, Pacific, and Kumamoto) at $15 for six, while you can get your caviar fix at Vision Distribution, $30 for a blini with Noble Caviar and a shot of NEFT Vodka – much like the peanut butter and jelly combo of luxury pairings.
Wines & Spirits Galore
Set aside time to browse through over 1000 labels, including award-winning vintages, at the Wine Walk. From Penfolds, the Koonunga Hill Autumn Riesling presents notes of poached pear balanced by Granny Smith apples, with a clean yet lively finish. More of a ‘red’ person? The Kalimna Bin 28 Shiraz is packed with sweet tannins, plum and blackberry flavours, and finishes quite assertively on the palate.
For the cocktail folks, look forward to Tess Bar’s Steve Leong, DIAGEO Reserve World Class 2016 Singapore Winner Boo Jing Heng, and Steve Schnieder from Employees Only mixing up their signature drinks (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night respectively) at the World Class Bar. That said, don’t knock the other drinks at the bar, the Don Julio La Primavera ($15) is incredibly smooth and refreshing with mint and lime.
Fresh Surprises at the Farmer’s Market
Passionate home-cooks will find the ever-popular Farmer’s Market to be a produce haven, with the season’s freshest products sourced and imported from Asia, Europe, and North America. Think yellow beans from western Canada and musk melons from Japan at close to wholesale prices.
Here, you can talk to merchants for cooking tips and learn more about what you’re buying. There is also a section dedicated to cheese (by the Cheese Artisans), where you’ll have to go for the Gorgonzola with Truffle Honey – $12 for a scoop of blue cheese savoury goodness tempered with honey in a cup – and the Truffled Camembert with Mascarpone. Nearby, enjoy house-made charcuterie and pastries by Daniel Boulud’s Épicerie Boulud.
Late Night Indulgence
When night falls, Epicurean Market transforms into a groovy After Party with live DJ sets by Ce La Vi resident DJs (YA5th, Patrick Oliver and Joshua P, just to name a few) on 12 and 13 August, where you can savour cocktails and drinks from renowned mixologists and nibble on bar grub whipped up by participating outlets all the way till early morning.
Don’t forget to pick up your complimentary Schott Zwiesel champagne flutes worth $46) at the collection booth located by the Epicurean Campus!
Epicurean Market is happening 12 to 14 August 2016, 12pm, at Level 1 Sands Expo and Convention Centre. Tickets are priced at $35 for a 3-day pass (including entry to the After Party). For more details, check out the event page here.