SAVOUR made it triumphant return to Singapore, for the fourth year running last month at the F1 Pit Building. Larger than ever, this Premium Gourmet Festival continued its relentless pursuit to unite the best in wine and dine. From their all-star casts of restaurants, wine and sake tasting to hands-on cooking studios, it was out to satisfy anyone and everyone’s culinary desires.
Hailed by CNNGo.com as “One of the world’s best food festivals”, it was a joyous and exciting get together of everyone that loves good food, featuring both local and foreign chefs working their magic right on scene. With up to 19 acclaimed restaurants that showed off their craft, everyone was completely spoilt with choice.
Till then, let us recap through the Top 5 from this year’s spectacular turnout!
1. Ku De Ta, Singapore
Platter of 3; Pork Belly Lollipop with Apple Jelly,
Angus Beef with Apple Balsamic Teriyaki and Wasabi Salsa and
Duck Brest Sous Vide with Cauliflower Puree and Spicy Yuzu Miso
Chef Frederic Faucheux, executive chef of Ku De Ta, won my wholehearted approval in an instant. His pan-asian cuisine employs simplicity of flavours with incredibly unique twists. In this platter of three, either of them could have stood out as a single dish and won. There was a constant play between the meaty flavours and the sharp contrast from its accompaniments; I was hooked.
Pork and its partner-in-crime, apples have always been a family favourite, but you are not going to get just that at Savour. The crisp yet juicy pork belly meets the melt-in-your-mouth apple jelly to give a perfect match in flavour that is second to none. The sweetness from the apple was not overpowering, and just enough to excite your palette.
Moving on to my absolute favourite; the Angus beef cubes. It was cooked to medium rare perfection, allowing for the pure meaty bliss of the fatty beef to bask in its full glory. The apple balsamic teriyaki adds a level of sweetness that was contrasted by the sharpness of the wasabi salsa; both of which complimented and brought out the meaty flavour while exciting your palate for the next bite.
Last but not least, the Duck Breast. As another flavourful red that is best served medium rare, the sous vide style of cooking was ideal. You end up with an amazingly tender, and evenly cooked beauty. It goes great with the spicy yuzu miso, with cauliflower puree contrasting the whole dish in texture. Splendid.
2. OSIA, Singapore
Hokkaido Scallop with Roasted Israeli Cous Cous and Curried Coconut Cream
Seafood aficionados will fall in love with Chef Douglas Tay’s iteration of the fresh and plump Hokkaido Scallop. The beautiful golden-brown sear was perfected with the translucent centre; cooked just enough to bring out the characteristic flavours of the scallop. It gets better when paired with the Roasted Israeli Cous Cous and the Curried Coconut Cream. They flattered the natural sweetness of the seafood, from the slight nutty flavour of the cous cous to the flavourful yet controlled curry; the accompaniment worked to excite my taste-buds without overwhelming it.
3. IL Cielo, Singapore
Slow Cooked Egg with Parmagiano Foam, Foie Gras Cream and Pumpkin Seeds
Step aside Eggs Benedict. Il Cielo may have just replaced my favourite brunch item in the world.
Chef Riccardo Catarsi takes traditional Italian cuisine, and transforms them into modern marvels. This was the first time I have had a slow-cooked egg, and I have fallen in love with its delicate beauty. Cooked just till the whites were firm enough for a satisfying pop to reveal the creamy and raw yolk, it matched the nutty Parmagiano Foam and buttery smooth Foie Gras Cream perfectly. The surprise was the Pumpkin Seeds that was sugar-coated and prepared almost like granola. It gave the whole dish another dimension; you get a creamy smooth savoury at the start, followed by a sweet crunch and a lasting combination of both for the rest of the night.
Without doubt, this was the one dish I could not stop thinking about.
4. Forlino, Singapore
Forlino’s Linguine with creamy Hokkaido Sea Urchin with traditional Sardinian Bottarga
Among my friends, it is no surprise that this dish made it into my Top 5. Deliciae has been wowing me with all their concept restaurants, from &Made to Sabio by The Sea, and now, Forlino.
Chef Yohhei Sasaki was classically trained in the art of Italian cuisine, climbing the ladder from Italian restaurants in Japan to eventually, top Michelin-starred ones in Italy. His signature Forlino Linguine is a new addition to their menu, and is the very definition of his cuisine; contemporary Italian with a distinct Japanese touch.
The al dente linguine was tossed beautifully in a creamy and decadent sauce made from fresh Hokkaido Sea Urchin and Sardinian bottarga (cured mullet roe). I almost made a pass on this, thinking that it would be way too much, but to my surprise, the flavours of both complimented each other amazingly. The bottarga’s flavour was similar to that of the sea urchin with an added saltiness that brings out the sweetness of the sea urchin even more – leading to a buttery rich, addictive and absolutely delicious pasta dish.
5. Spathe’s Public House, Singapore
Lewis Smoked Baby BBQ Ribs
Chef Claudio Sandri’s prowess in the kitchen a force to be reckoned with. Barbecuing a good rack of ribs shows great command of the grill, and he did it just right. The meat slid off the bone with ease (mind you, I was using plastic forks), and remained succulent and packed full of manly meaty flavour we all love. More importantly, that intense marinade and rub was soaked all the way through to the bone; I could taste it in every bite and chew. Make sure to grab all the goodness of the sauce and some of the crispy shallots for the fulfilling explosion of flavour and texture.
Runner-Ups
Bird Bird, Singapore
Chicken Skin Sundae
With that double entendre of a name, I just knew I had stop by Bird Bird. Even more so, as they have combined everything I love into one glorious cup; coconut ice cream, sweet corn, salted palm sugar butterscotch and (Drumroll, please) fried chicken skin! It was like they have taken everyone’s obsession with salted caramel to a whole new level. The creamy smooth ice cream matched with the crunch of the peanuts and the crisp of the skin, was a delight to both my palette and inner child.
Garagistes, Australia
Sea Lettuce Cream, Frozen Sable, Jackfruit and Sencha Tea
Served with Chef Luke Burgess personally pouring liquid Nitrogen right in front me, I was already excited to give this funky dish a try. It was a party in my mouth with the sharp sweetness of the jack fruit and the milky white chocolate and the unexpected sprinkle of sea salt, all topped with the alternating play on textures between the creamy smooth sea lettuce cream and frozen sables. This was obviously a dish packed with an attention to details, from the flavours to the presentation.
Garagistes, Australia
Wagyu Beef Tongue, Fermented Jerusalam Artichokes, Kunzea Glaze
Truly bringing a taste of Australia to our sunny little island, the Team of Garagistes personally brought over native Kunzea shrubs for this dish. It adds a pleasing honey aftertaste to the succulent ribbons of beef tongue, and was surprisingly refreshing when eaten with the sweet-sour crunch of the picked Jerusalem Artichokes.
Stellar@1-Altitude, Singapore
Truffle Toro Miso
Seared to a deliciously warm grilled exterior and a creamy cool centre, the coveted fatty tissue of the toro is not lost, and creates a rich and creamy experience that was enhanced ten-fold thanks to the truffled white miso. This dish is a great opener to a SAVOUR night out (especially when enjoyed with a glass of light and fruit wine).
UNA@Rochester, Singapore
Suckling Pig
Meats were done so well this year. Honestly, UNA’s suckling pig was a contender against the Baby BBQ Ribs from Spathe’s. The glazed crispy skin, which made a satisfying crackle as I cut through it, was a winner. Then again, don’t have it purely on its own; grab a mouthful of the succulent meat and a dollop of the airy mash potato (almost foam) and savour the warm gravy binding all these elements together.
&SONS, Singapore
Lobster Mac & Cheese
The lobster flavour was soaked through to every strand of pasta, overpowering my taste-buds in every sense. &SONS were incredibly generous with the lobster, from the peeled claw to hidden chunks within the pasta for that satisfyingly indulgent mouthful.
Mark Your Calendars for the Next Savour Event
SAVOUR to me is like, a trip to the candy shop to a five-year-old. Every taste-bud came was jolted to life every night from the sensory explosion on my palette. Flavours I never knew could come together, the theatrics and technicality that goes into each dish, and, more importantly, the love each and every chef pour into the plates regardless of how exhausted they were. It is a true gourmet foodie get-together, to enjoy quality and exciting new dishes and meet the chefs that made them.
More information is available on SAVOUR 2015’s official website.
About the Writer
Jessica is a young lady of many obsessions. She gets herself into everything ranging from the latest in the monochrome fashion world (she only wears black, and sometimes, white) to convincing the masses that Community is the best TV series ever made.
Currently, she enjoys looking like Sailor Mercury had a baby with Wednesday Addams.
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