"Savour the Past, Taste the Future" at The Singapore Food Festival 2016, taking place from 15 to 31 July 2016

The annual Singapore Food Festival 2016 is back again for the 23rd year, happening from 15 to 31 July 2016. The theme for this year's event will be "Savour the Past, Taste the Future", and it's the biggest Singapore Food Festival to date. This year's event will features a stunning line up of 18 gastronomic experiences at various locations across the island. Singaporeans and visitors will be able to savour Singapore's food heritage and discover modern Singaporean cuisine around the island during the festive period.

Together with a few foodie friends, we went on an exclusive tour to give us a glimpse of some of the events that will take place during the Singapore Food Festival. Our first stop was Open Stoves by Timbre+, where the resident chefs at the gastro-park have collaborated with guest chefs to develop new and innovative dishes that will be available for purchase during the festival.

One such dish is the Cebu Bellychon Curry Noodles with Salted Vegetables and Lime created by Chefs Christian Calledo of Iskina Cebu Singapore and Bjorn Shen of Artichoke and Bird Bird. We got to interact with the chefs themselves during the tour to understand their inspiration behind the dish. We even got to prepare the dish ourselves and savour the delicious creation, igniting a fiery start to the tour.

Open Stoves by Timbre+ will be taking place on 23 and 24 July 2016, 12pm till late. Other new innovative dishes you can look forward to at the event include the Prata Taco with Stewed Tripe and the Prata Taco with BBQ Pork Collar made by Chefs Jeremy Cheok of Dusk by Stake and Tan Huang Ming of Park Bench Deli. It will also features activities like cooking demos, bands jamming, a pop-up barbeque blowout etc. Find out more at http://www.timbreplus.sg/open-stoves

Our second stop is at Restaurant Labyrinth where we had a fun session plating our own dish or rather the dishes curated by International celebrity Chef Susur Lee, Senior Executive Chef Ken Ling of Tunglok Heen and Chef-Owner Han Liguang of Restaurant Labyrinth for STREAT 2016 taking place at Clifford Square, 15 to 16 July 2016, from 5pm to 1030pm.

The chefs have re-interpreted and created new expressions of Singapore's iconic street food, presenting it in an exclusive five-course, six-hands dinner menu. We were given a glimpse into some of these modern interpretation of our signature street food such as the Singapore Satay, Chilli Crab and Oyster Omelette Pie Tee.

A stellar selection of hawkers and chefs will also join the trio, setting up stalls alongside the pop-up restaurant at Clifford Square in celebration of our dining scene. Some of the curated medley of Singaporean food establishments which includes Candlenut, The Disgruntled Chef, Char, Casuarina Curry Restaurant and more.

STREAT 2016 will be taking place on 15 and 16 July 2016, 5pm to 1030pm. STREAT will showcase how food in Singapore has evolved over the year with an all-star cast of hawkers and chefs convening in one location in celebration of our dining scene. Find out more at http://www.singaporefoodfestival.com

Our last stop is at  Chinatown Food Street at Smith Street where The 50 Cents Fest by Select Group will be held. The food street will be transformed with street hawkers, lively music from a bygone era, buskers and costumed entertainers. The event taking place on 30 and 31 July 2016 will bring back many nostalgic dishes during the festival.

Look out for street hawkers such as the rojak on bicycle as you dine along the shophouse-lined streets of Singapore. Most of the dishes will be sold at only 50 cents and not more than $2 each in denomination of 50 cents.

Bringing back memories of our parents' childhood, we even learn how to make the ice ball. A popular dessert during our parents' time. During the event, public can get to purchase the ice ball to cool off from the humid weather for only 50 cents.


Relive the good old days at the The 50 Cents Fest! happening on 30 July (3pm - 11pm) and 31 July (11am - 11pm) where public can feast on more than 30 iconic hawker dishes, with many priced at 50 cents each. Some of the dishes includes Sweet Noodles, Kok Kok Mee, UFO (Fried Oyster Cake), Mee Teh and more. Find out more at http://www.chinatownfoodstreet.sg/the-50-cents-fest

SNAP & WIN
Take your best flatlay image of your favourite SFF dishes and share it on instagram with the hashtags #SFFflatlay & #SingaporeFoodFestival and tag @Visit_Singapore to win delicious prizes! Full T&C here: http://bit.ly/29MRBLw

Timbre+ @ Ayer Rajah Crescent (One North) - What To Eat At Timbre+

Will this be our future Hawker Centre? Judging from the crowd since its opening, Timbre+ seems to have got it right housing 35 different F&B brands under one roof at the latest and newest gastropark with a mix of hawkers and restaurants. I prefer to call it the hipster hawker centre.

---

NAM HENG CHICKEN RICE

---

While Timbre+ may house most of the latest F&B brands, it did not forget about the heritage of Ayer Raja Crescent. As per my best understanding, the original food stalls from the demolished Ayer Raja Crescent hawker centre which moved to a temporary tent nearby has been invited back to the latest iconic dining spot in Singapore. It may not be the best chicken rice in town but it definitely has its followers after all these years.

---

WONG KEE WANTON NOODLES & ROASTED DELIGHTS

---

Not to be missed at Timbre+ is Wong Kee Wanton Noodles and Roasted Delights. I would recommend having their Char Siew Dumpling Tomato Noodles and Beef Brisket Spinach Noodle. The tomato noodles has a hint of sweetness on top of the springy bite but the char siew can be better. I would suggest trying the beef brisket spinach noodle. The beef brisket cooked with more then 15 different spices and stewed for hours is really flavourful and tender. The savoury sauce pairs excellently with the noodles too. Another star at the stall is the chunky dumpling that is stuffed with crunchy chestnut bits, turnip and black fungus.

---

FISHBALL STORY

---

Many would ask what make the fishball noodle at Fishball Story so special? Douglas, 26 years old this year makes his fish balls and fish cakes from scratch using yellow tail fish only. His usual day starts from 4am to make the fish balls and fish cakes, even the sambal chilli and pork lard. I mean who at this age or his generation is willing to do this nowadays. At Timbre+, the Premium Fishball Noodle ($6) comes with fish balls, fish cakes, deep fried fish cake and fish skin.

---

WANG JIAO BAN MIAN

---

Normally we will order ban mian soup for its rich and flavourful soup. At Wang Jiao Ban Mian, I would recommend trying the Dry Ban Mian ($3.30). The bowl of dry ban mian comes with a perfectly cooked egg, ikan bilis and chewy homemade noodle. All these are hold together by the savoury dark sauce, bringing everything together.

---

SOON HUAT BAK KUT TEH

---

Sentenced to 13 years of imprisonment, Jabez Tan found a new lease of life in God. Coming up with his own Bak Kut Teh recipe, he started his F&B business in 2011 and employs mainly ex-convicts to work at the restaurant giving them a second chance in life. The signature item at Soon Huat Bak Kut Teh has to be there Dried Bak Kut Teh. Using the same soup from the Bak Kut Teh, it was reduced in a concoction of soy sauce and oyster sauce coating the pork ribs with its sweetness while the dried chilli gives it a nice kick in spiciness. The whole enjoyment is rounded off with the aromatic topping of the fried cuttlefish. This is a must try.

---

TWO WINGS

---

Two Wings has made a name for themselves after their first flagship outlet at Bukit Merah. At Two Wings, the wings are deep fried for nine minutes which will give them that moist and juiciness inside while crispy on the outside. Worth mentioning is the special homemade chilli sauce that is pretty potent. If you can't take spicy stuff, I advice you to skip it as it probably will numb your taste buds deterring you to enjoy the delicious wings. In conjunction with the opening of their third outlets at Timbre+, Two Wings launches its new flavour - Salted Egg Yolk Chicken Wings.

---

ISKINA CEBU

---

Iskina Cebu which sells the popular Lechon is opened by owner Chris. Words soon get around the island and long queues are formed each day at his Paya Lebar stall to taste the delicious Lechon (roasting the whole pig over charcoal fire) which painstaking takes about 5 hours to cook. Chris has also recently changed his supply using Spanish pig instead of Holland pig. It is understand that the quality is better and more flavourful.

---

THE WORLD IS FLAT

---

The World Is Flat is by the same folk behind Tanuki Raw, Standing Sushi Bar and Shinkasen. Offering something new in its unique pizza menu, is the deep dish pizza inspired from California. A think slide of the Fat Samurai ($9/slice, $49 whole pizza). The charcoal infused doughy crust is topped with duck confit, bacon, prawn, burnt onions, smashed US beef, roasted cabbage, Konbu mayo, balsamic Okonomiyaki sauce, crispy bonito flakes, mozzarella and brie. It is really rich and heavy in flavour. For some light bites, you may like to try the interesting Marshmallow Sweet Potato Fries.

---

FOOD ANATOMY

---

The most instagram food has to be from the Food Anatomy. The so called stacked food comes in a variety of combination. Each meal is $16 which comes with a choice of 3 different stacked food. We tried the Cold Soba, Organic Lasagna and Pork Cheek with Fragrant Rice. The cold soba is our favourite with the creative de-constructed cold soba idea. Pretty in presentation but I think the stall overlook the fact that it is very hard to handle and eat the dishes.

---

D'S JOINT

---

I have long heard about Chef Damian D'Silva's culinary skill but I never get to try it until my recent visit to Timbre+. D's Joint is Chef Damian's later concept serving up some surprises such as the Lim Peh Slider. I had a bite of the pastry, stuffed with the aromatic rendang and I could not stop eating. This is a must try.

---

TEPPEI DAIDOKORO

---

Teppei Daidokoro is the latest Japanese yakitori concept of Chef Teppei Yamashita. Teppei Daidoroko (“Daidokoro” means “kitchen” in Japanese) brings Chef Teppei’s characteristic high quality and reasonably-priced Japanese food with a focus on yakitori (Japanese skewers) into Timbre+. In addition, Teppei fans can also enjoy the signature Kaisen Don $16 (sashimi rice bowl), grilled/deep-fried breaded bentos/dons and Hokkaido croquettes.

---

BOTTLE SHOP

---

The Bottle Shop has a rotating beer and cider menu of close to 200 different types. At any one time you visit the Bottle Shop, there are at least 100 beers and ciders for you to choose from to go with the variety of food at Timbre+. For the not-so-beer-nerds, the Bottle Shop also offers a limited range of spirits and wines.

---

$1 Tray Return System

---

Besides the good food and drinks at Timbre+, it also introduces the first ever tray return initiative. All the trays are mirco-chipped. When you order your food and you required a tray, a dollar is charged to your total bill. When you return the tray at the centralized collection location, the system will return a dollar back to you. I find this a good initiative since the current campaign at hawker centres does not work. At least I am not seeing dirty plates lying around , stacking up and even birds eating the left over food.


Timbre+
JTC LaunchPad @ One North
73A Ayer Rajah Crescent
Singapore 139957
Website
Nearest MRT: One North (CC Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Sat: 6am - 6pm (hawker stalls), 11am - 11pm (restaurants)
(Closed on Sun)

Direction:
1) Alight at One North MRT station. Take Exit A or C. Cross the road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

SgKingCroc Food Adventure March 2015 at Iskina Cebu

The monthly SgKingCroc Food Adventure for March 2015 organised by Tony Tee brought us to Iskina Cebu at Paya Lebar. Every month, Tony will collaborate with a restaurant to feature their signature dishes as well as having a crocodile meat dish on the menu.

Iskina Cebu which sells the popular Lechon is opened by owner Chris. Words soon get around the island and long queues are formed each day at his stall to taste the delicious Lechon (roasting the whole pig over charcoal fire) which painstaking takes about 5 hours to cook.

For the month of March, history is created in Singapore. Tony has worked with Chris, bringing Lechon Buwaya or Farm Crocodile Lechon to Singapore which is created by businessman and owner of the Davao Crocodile Park, Mr Philip Dizon in October 2011. Due to the uneven weight and the thickness of the crocodile meat, it needed more time and preparation to roast the crocodile. The picture above is the crocodile with the head and tail removed.

The national dish of Philippines has been roasted to a nice golden brown colour.

Chris the owner constantly check the temperature and ensure the meats are evenly cooked.

Besides the Lechon and Lechon Buwaya, we also have the Lechon Manok which is stuffed with lemongrass, spring onions, ginger, garlic and roasted over charcoal fire.

Lechon Manok

The result is a plate of delicious roasted chicken or Lechon Manok. The chicken has a nice charred smoky skin while the flesh was tender and moist.

Cebu Pochero Bulalo

The dinner also showcases a couple Philippine dishes that Singaporeans have little knowledge of. It is a culinary education for me besides the great taste. The Cebu Pochero Bulalo is slow cooked until the tendons and meats almost fall off the bone. For the event, Tony and Chris has replaced the beef shanks with pig shanks to respect the beliefs of some of the guests. Bamboo shoots and sweet corns in cobs are added to enhance the flavours. This also distinguish the cebuano pochero from the tagalog bulalo version.

Lechon

One of the highlight of the diner is the Lechon. This is my first time having it. I was very impressed how the roasting can achieve such a thin layer of paper thin crispy skin. The meat itself was not gamey at all. In fact the texture was so tender that it felt as if I was eating chicken.

Bulalo on Hot Plate

I was told that Bulalo on Hot Plate is one the relatively new dish in Cebu gaining popularity. Instead of soup, the marrowy part of the beef shanks is tenderized and placed on a sizzling metal plate and then generously topped with buttered cream of mushroom gravy. For the event, Tony and Chris has replaced the beef shanks with pig shanks to respect the beliefs of some of the guests.

Lechon Buwaya

Crocodile meat is one of the healthiest meat containing little fat and high in protein. After a day of marination, stuffed with the same ingredients as the Lechon Baboy, the crocodile meat is roasted over the charcoal fire for around 6 hours, slightly longer due to the thickness of the meat. I have to say the team did a good job in tenderizing the Lechon Buwaya. The result somewhat felt like eating sio bak with the different layers of textures and the hint of saltiness from the seawater crocodile. However I thought the garlicky seasoning was a bit too overpowering.

Halo Halo

For fans for Iskina Cebu, here is a good news. Chris will be offering Philippine desserts with a new partner. We were lucky to have a glimpse of some of the yummy desserts.  My favourite is the Halo Halo, somewhat like a combination of our local ice kachang and bo bo cha cha.

Lastly I leave you with a shot of the dinner which sees the largest crowd ever with 100 pax. This is the reason why I like food blogging and kept me going for all these years as food bonds people together.


Iskina Cebu
Blk 1016 Geylang East Ave 3
Singapore 389731
Tel: +65 67280765
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Iskina-Cebu-Singapore/1374400862814975
Website: http://iskinacebu.com.sg/
Nearest MRT: Paya Lebar (CC Line, EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Tue-Sat: 12pm - 930pm
Sun: 12pm - 730pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Paya Lebar MRT station. Take Exit C. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]