Some names kept pop ping up when I was researching this story.
I wanted to begin with a list of people who are the acknowledged stars in Singapore for throwing parties, particularly the ones where food is the central component. I enlisted the help of colleagues and friends for my mission, starting with editor Anton Javier, who reviews restaurants for this magazine, columnists Stefanie H aug er, whose house parties are always memorable for the conversations and the energy, and Wendy Long, who has probably dined more times at the best restaurants here and abroad than an average food writer. I also took some advice from PR mavens Bin gB lo kb er gen-Leo wand Adeline Wong, who represent some of the local F& B big wigs. Between them, I figured, I would be able to compile a decent list of subjects for interviews.
I must admit that I amata disadvantage: my interest in food hovers between sociological curiosity and normal alimentation. I only go out for work and would be hard-pressed to name the top chef sand the restaurants they own or work for. The only names I recall are those of World Gourmet Summit’ s Peter Knipp, St. Pierre’s Emmanuel Stroobant, il Lido’s Beppe De Vito, Rang Mahal’s Surya Jhunjhnuwala, Events by Olga’s Olga Iserlis, Indochine’s Michael Ma, and Tung Lo k’ s Andrew T joe–all of whom I have met professionally in the past. They’re still around and relevant, which says a lot about their stature and influence, but I’m unsure if they’re still associated with the aforementioned establishments.
Even the big hosts and hostesses that I knew have moved on, their extravagant all-nighters at hotel ballrooms or on mega-yachts replaced by intimate house parties hosted by the younger set. Occasionally, I reminisce about the parties that were hosted by Singapore grande dame Jennie Chua or the-then manabout-town Giorgio Ferrari, where such reminders as“Nothing fancy, just us” was short hand for smart jacket and champagne.
The young set, meanwhile, have attended culinary master classes, supped at chef’s tables in acclaimed restaurants, and are adequately prepared to host elaborate dinner sin their homes. Among the most charming and thoughtful that I can recall were the house parties given by AunK oh and S u-Ly nT an, Celina Lin, Peter Rose, Renato and Kathy de Guzman, Jeremy Ramsey, and the Lee brothers, whose spectacular Lunar New Year re unions gathered nearly everyone who was anyone to their family home. Add to these H aug er’ s chic pizza nights and Long’s intimate soirees featuring sandwiches and petit fours fl own in from Hong Kong and you have a picture of party town Singapore. Although I was never part of the ‘smart set’, I was sometimes invited or welcomed as a plus-one–more like a Nick Carr away than a Samuel Pepys.
But‘ the scene ’, as we know it, is fickle, and more names are added to and subtracted from ‘the list’ with each passing season. I speak of a time when influencers did not exist, a Michelin star felt important, and a pandemic had not imposed restrictions on the number of guests–I needed an update.