Wine & Dine - August 2019

I recently read a local news report about Singapore being named the 10th most-visited destination for travellers on Twitter and the top reason that attracted these tourists to our sunny shores is none other than good local food like chilli crab and chicken rice. It’s easy to see why foodies from around the world are willing to travel thousands of miles just to savour Singaporean dishes like satay, rojak, laksa, bak kut teh and more—the food is diverse and boasts a rich melange of flavours distilled from diverse cultures and traditions. While Singapore is famous for its hawker food, the country is also considered a hotspot for top-class gastronomy and drinks, home to local restaurants such as Odette, Burnt Ends, Waku Ghin and Les Amis. In fact, this food loving city state recently played host to The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2019—the first country in Asia to host the prestigious culinary awards.

With food being such a big part of Singapore’s culture, what better way to celebrate the nation’s 54th birthday this month than by recognising the people who have made significant contributions to the F&B industry and celebrate the impact they make in bringing Singapore to the world (p51). We also shine the spotlight on chefs like chef Dave Pynt of Burnt Ends restaurant (No.10 on the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants List 2019 and chef Julien Royer of Odette (No. 18 in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2019), and companies that have made a name for themselves in the local food industry and are now leaving a mark outside Singapore with their overseas venture. We also delve into the stories behind some of the favourite local snacks that travellers love to bring home with them like IRVIN’s salted egg fish skin, The Golden Duck chilli crab seaweed tempura, and Prima Taste’s range of premixes of Singapore dishes (p42).