F&B goes fast & furious.
Ready; get set; and launch! The F&B industry has been buzzing with activity ever since phase 2 of the circuit breaker in Singapore kicked in, and this wave of opportunity and innovation continued its momentum as the year approached tail-end. Chefs were ready to re-engage with diners and presented new menu ideas aplenty. Going beyond the typical seasonal menus, there were chefs who dug deep down to uncover their roots. For Chef Andrew Walsh, it was about remembering home in Ireland and rediscovering his heritage, culminating in Singapore’s first Irish Nua cuisine of humble dishes featuring the best of Irish produce (Happenings, epicureasia.com), besides launching Catfish and Ember Beach Club at One & Only Desaru Coast.
For Chef Mauro Colagreco in Menton, France, the lock-down inadvertently caused him to relook the roots of his culinary approach at three-michelin-starred Mirazur – and he found it in his garden. Known as the “gardener in a chef’s toque”, his discovery led to a total transformation of his menu, resulting in the new Lunar Menu, with dishes presented in the respective categories of Leaf, Root, Flower and Fruit. He shares with us his vision and why it is important to cook and eat according to the moon’s cycles (pg 31).
Other Michelin-starred chefs who have won recognition for their restaurants continue to make headway with new fine dining concepts; Beppe de Vito adds on to his portfolio of restaurants with new Italian steakhouse Gemma, and Jason Tan opens Restaurant Euphoria to regale diners with his gastro-botanica cuisine (look out for our online review).
Businesses were agile in their strategies, choosing to repurpose existing spaces; refresh and pivot with new offerings and concepts; or launch multi-brand concept outlets. Resorts World Sentosa transformed its MICE space into a showcase for “Aqua Gastronomy” experiential dining; The Hainan Story presents five brands offering dishes such as cold butter toasts, chicken rice and British-hainanese Oxtail Stew; and Swissôtel The Stamford’s former buffet restaurant Clove now features a Burgers & Shakers concept.
These are just several examples of the opportunities being manifested by businesses. On the back end, there have also been pivotal shifts in the supply chain, with distributors bringing in healthier food options such as organic and plant-based produce or superfoods such as black garlic (find out more on epicureasia.com). Companies such as Sonnamera saw the need to cater to consumers’ demands for home cooking and dining with organic frozen produce and ready to eat meals; we find out more from Sharma Abhay, founder and CEO of Sonnamera on his new product launches and how he’s making them more accessible via e-commerce (pg 28).
It is comforting to have an abundance of such positive news to round up a turbulent year, which bodes well for a year of recovery in 2021. In this spirit of optimism, I hope that the festive season brings in much cheer and encouragement for everyone, and let’s not forget to keep on entertaining and dining; be inspired by Gunther’s recipes for a modern minimalist French dinner (pg 48); and shop for premium French produce at fine grocers (pg 60). And of course, the year-end calls for festive shopping to pamper yourself and loved ones as well as add more flair to your home; check out our suggestions for great buys (pg 64).