Signature Luxury Travel & Style
SIGNATURE GOURMET
Inside Singapore’s Epicurean Market Meet the chefs of Marina Bay Sands The flavour of Los Angeles
From the waters of the infinity pool perched above Marina Bay Sands, Singapore glitters in the evening light. The edge of this gravitydefying marvel seems to graze the highest illuminated city towers; perched on top of the 57th floor, it stretches 150 metres across the skyline. Down at the reclaimed botanic expanse of Gardens by the Bay, the alien grace of the Supertrees, are already colouring the sky with a fantastical light and sound display. With a celebratory cocktail in hand, I slip into the water and take in the view.
The relaxed atmosphere found at the Sands SkyPark is a welcome respite from my weekend of epicurean encounters. Even the most dedicated gourmand would need a palate cleanser after sampling incredible fare from over 50 restaurants – and at Marina Bay Sands’ Epicurean Market, that is just the beginning.
The garden of Epicurus
After a roaring debut in 2013, the Epicurean Market returned from 12 to 14 September 2014 to tempt tastebuds with a surge of renowned chefs, tastings and master classes. I attended the three-day feast, savouring the world’s finest dishes, wines and produce, all set up within Marina Bay Sands’ Expo & Convention Centre.
The Market gathered chefs and restaurateurs from across the globe, including Nancy Silverton of Mozza, Justin Quek of Sky on 57 in Singapore, as well as pastry chef Jason Licker from KU DÉ TA Bangkok. Two Australian masters, David Thompson and Tetsuya Wakuda – each fresh from claiming San Pellegrino’s Asia’s 50 Best Restaurant honours – also delighted the crowds with creative classes: Tetsuya with seafood and Thompson with Thai street eats.
Tetsuya’s latest venture, Waku Ghin, lies within Marina Bay Sands, an elegant location to indulge in fresh Japanese flavours. David Thompson’s Nahm at the Metropolitan Hotel in Bangkok opened to acclaim in 2010 and just this year was named Asia’s Best
Restaurant. His latest project continues his Thai food love affair with a street-inspired concept, Long Chim, which opened in Marina Bay Sands last year.
I also had the chance to sit down with David Myers – the unstoppable force behind Sona, Comme Ça, Pizzeria Ortica, SOLA, David Myers Café and Hinoki & the Bird, as well as Marina Bay Sands’ latest, Adrift, which opened in February – to discuss the influence of travel on his cuisine.
“[My new restaurant] is really geared towards small-plate sharing,” he smiled.
“It’s got a significant California feel with unique Singaporean spices.”
Intrigued, I sampled portions of the steak tartare; green papaya & coconut shooter; prawn, passionfruit and salted plum crème fraiche; mandarin yuzu kosho freeze pop and caramel-sweet soy popcorn on offer at his stand in the Celebrity Chef Arena. Here he rubbed shoulders with Justin Quek’s unique specialties from Sky on 57, including foie gras xiao long bao in broth and soft-shell crab salad with ginger flower dressing.
Each chef contributed to the full Epicurean schedule, enlightening us with everything from Modern Asian Mixology and The Perfect Home Bar to Cooking Alaskan Halibut and a MasterChef-inspired ‘Mystery Box’ challenge with David Almany of Osteria Mozza and Jonathan Kinsella of db Bistro Moderne. Marina Bay Sands’ own Executive Chef, Christopher Christie, showcased the beauty of Canadian beef while the resort’s Property Mixologist, Lucas Swallows, taught eager students light aperitifs with vermouth and aromatised wine.
Even children were swept up in the gourmet thrills, donning db Bistro Moderne pastry chef aprons as they baked trays of homemade cookies.
Wandering from zone to zone was an intercontinental journey in itself, taking in wine appreciation, a central cocktail bar, gourmet coffee and dessert, and even a Fresh Food Market for take-home delicacies. I travelled by palate, sampling countries by cuisine, reinforcing how integral food is to our experience of the world.
When Tetsuya smiles
Beyond the frenzy of the Epicurean Market, Marina Bay Sands is unrelenting in its pursuit of the world’s best. Its shopping centre, The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, is a high-density microcosm of coveted designers – including the most luxury children’s labels I’ve ever seen under one roof. An orchid-ringed tea room purveying Singapore’s own exceptional TWG brews is watched over by Cartier, Prada and Ralph Lauren. The complex is also home to the MasterCard Theatres where Cavalia was showing off equestrian acrobatics, as well as an ice rink and an ArtScience Museum, housed within a blooming lotus created with a fibreglass polymer more commonly found in racing yachts. Everything is uncompromisingly luxurious.
This philosophy is also seen at the hotel’s restaurants. On my last night, I dined at Osteria Mozza, a concept conceived by Mario Batali and Nancy Silverton and imported from Los Angeles. We feasted on hearty pasta dishes and refreshing antipasti, finished with the unique taste of a rosemary olive oil cake, served with olive oil gelato.
The highlight, though, took place at Waku Ghin, Tetsuya’s only restaurant outside of his Sydney establishment. It presented a different dining experience from any I have had before, based upon guests moving through the restaurant’s silvered corridors. Although there is over 700 square metres of space, there are only 25 seats. Our intimate dining experience began with a glass of Billecart-Salmon in the aperitif lounge before we took our places at the Chef’s Table in one of the private dining rooms, a wood-panelled enclave offset by vibrant blue tiles. Chef Masa was our culinary maestro for the evening, watched over by the man himself, Tetsuya. His easy smile and gentle manner had me enchanted, and it is this same exceptional balance that is found in his dishes. Blending modern European with Japanese cuisine is no easy feat, but Tetsuya pulls it off in extraordinary dishes, including his signature, Marinated Botan Shrimp with Sea Urchin and Oscietra Caviar, served in the urchin’s prickly shell. Indeed, every mouthful of the 10-course menu represented the very best of modern cuisine, from the enormous oyster that opened our meal to the tarragon-infused lobster and mouth-melting slices of wagyu with wasabi.
For dessert, we left our private table for the main salon. Here we ended our meal in fitting style surrounded by floorto-ceiling windows, devouring blueberry cheesecake and chocolate mousse with a side of Singapore’s matchless glamour – and Tetsuya’s enigmatic smile.