Savour 2015: What did we enjoy from the gourmet festival

Last year, the gourmet festival took place at The Promontory, which provided a great bucolic atmosphere. You could feast on food from one booth to another and take in sights of the beautiful waterfront panorama. So, when we heard that this year’s Savour was going to hold its fort at F1 Pit building, we were a bit hesitant. Bitumen, really? But as food enthusiasts, off we went to satiate our taste buds.

Upon reaching the premises, we were quick to forget the venue itself, as our excitement swelled just from trying to agree on where to begin. Curious and impatient, we started off with a tour in the auditorium and made some interesting foodie discoveries. Aside from the demos and cooking classes, we had a scoop from the recent winner of the Asian leg of the World Gelato Tour, Momolato Gelato. Then, we took a sip of the exclusive and high-quality liqueurs at Tamborine Mountain Distillery before finally relishing in some Marou chocolates. Produced in Vietnam, the fair trade chocolate brand is one of the few to manufacture from the bean to the bar.

Afterwards, we headed to Jason’s market, which occupied the entire second floor of the building. Everything from wine, sake, premium fruits and vegetables from around the world were beautifully arranged, waiting to be picked up by food lovers. There, we also enjoyed listening to the sagely advice from the suppliers themselves.

Chili peppers from Holland, French fragrant gariguettes and cheeses – each shelf was eye-catching but for our wallets’ sake, we decided to make our way to the chefs’ and restaurants’ booths. After all, going to Savour does not only give you the chance to taste different kinds of cuisines in one place, but also the opportunity to meet and discuss with the chefs in a casual manner.

We particularly had a good time at Garagistes, helmed by chef Luke Burgess who showcased his Tasmanian products; and Kiin Kiin (1 Michelin-star) from chef Henrik Yde where he featured his exceptional Thai cuisine while explaining the inspiration behind each dish. We were already fans!

For the Singapore-based restaurants, Deliciae had the most noticeable crowd queuing for their combo offerings. A lot of new venues were also part of the event this year: Il Cielo, Osia, Artichoke, or Ku De Ta. However, if we had to choose one favourite, it would be Saint Pierre, for the food and entertainment. The ‘Japanese coal smoked pork pressa and mantou buns’ grilled in front of the public delivered incredible flavours and their cocktail-dessert ‘Nitrorita’ made with liquid nitrogen is always a show on its own.

In overall for this edition, we had a whole lot of fun, met great people who willingly shared their passion with us and munched on a wide variety of dishes. As we savoured every last bit of the event, we hope next year, the bar will be raised even higher with more international chefs in the mix.

Céline Manoukian