Savour 2014! Here's the lowdown.

Savour 2014 at the Promontory

Savour is back! I was a little worried that things could be getting old, but the new venue at the promontory with breathtaking views of the bay really brought out the festival vibes, and of course the gourmet village, gourmet market and masterclasses continue to surprise and entice, with a good number of showstoppers. Here's what I loved this time round.

Mikuni (SG): 72hr Miso Braised Short Rib, Hokkaido Botan Ebi with Caviar

Mikuni's booth was first class. The 72hr Miso Braised Short Rib was sublime, and certainly the best thing you can get at Savour for 10 savour dollars. The Hokkaido Botan Ebi with Caviar was completely delicious as well, served on a ladle of intense crustacean bisque. There's even tiny glasses of sake served as a treat to the patient diners waiting in line!

Kiin Kiin (Denmark): Frozen Red Curry with Prawn and Coriander Salad, Bubbledogs (UK): José

With a reputation as the first Thai restaurant in the world to be awarded a Michelin star, I had to give chef Henrik Yde's Kiin Kiin a go. His Frozen Red Curry with Prawn and Coriander Salad, essentially a robustly flavoured red curry ice-cream with beautiful crunchy prawns, just blew me away. So incredible. Bubbledog's gourmet hotdogs completely charmed me as well, with José's flawless combination of fresh tomato salsa, guacamole, sour cream and pickled jalapenos adorning a snappy, delicious dog.

Bo Innovation (HK): Umami (Black Truffle, Toro, Rice Noodle, Dry Shrimp Powder), Lap Mei Fan (Foie Gras, Rose Wine, Crispy Rice)

I never ever miss trying chef Alvin Leung's Bo Innovation booth, since Alvin always has new tricks up his sleeves each year. This time, I fell in love with Umami. The combination of an incredible sliver of toro (which was surprisingly fatty) served atop rice noodles perfectly seasoned with black truffle and dry shrimp powder was just fantastic. The Lap Mei Fan, a claypot rice mousse with hints of foie gras, garnished with rose wine cubes and rice crispies was very interesting, but not really something I'd dig.

Lugdunum Bouchon Lyonnais (JP): Eclair D'escargots, JAAN (SG): 55' Organic Egg with Smoked Potato, Chorizo Iberico and Buckwheat

I loved chef Christophe Paucod's Eclair D'escargots - the choux pastry went surprisingly well with the snails, served with tomato, persil and garlic. Chef Julien Royer's (JAAN) 55' Organic Egg was simple but excellently executed and darn tasty - guess you can never go too wrong with runny yolk and chorizo iberico 'bacon bits'.

Rocksalt (UK): Pan-fried Rye Bay Scallop, L'Osteria via Solata: White Chocolate Mousse with Watermelon and Ginger Sauce

Chef Mark Sargeant's (Rocksalt) Pan-fried Rye Bay Scallop was tasty, but not particularly interesting. Chef Ezio Gritti's White Chocolate Mousse with Watermelon and Ginger Sauce wasn't particularly exciting either, and a little too sweet for my taste.

Culinary gadgets at ToTT

This year, ToTT, the cookware purveyor of dreams, has also joined in the Savour bandwagon. If you've ever wanted to find out how exactly sous-vide is done, there's a demonstration for the SousVide Supreme right at the counter! Also at the counter were complimentary mini cupcakes adorned with Magic Sparkles (sparkly, light reflecting sparkles in a variety of colours that are fully edible).

ToTT's QR Code Shopping Wall

I felt good just admiring the beautiful KitchenAid mixers, silently adding new items into my mental list of what my future dream kitchen would stock. By the way, as a Savour special, shipping is complimentary for purchases over $80, instead of the usual $200, so no worries about lugging your bulk purchases home. Everything not physically displayed can also be browsed on their iPads or bought online (thus the QR code shopping wall). Honestly, everyone who loves cooking should check out their brick and mortar store at Dunearn Road at least once, or visit their online store.

Jasons Gourmet Market

Jason's gourmet market is always my last stop at Savour. It only seems fitting to round up the experience by grabbing some gourmet groceries home. There's the usual wonderful array of hams and cheeses and what nots that you can taste, as well as a beef section where you could sample small chunks of grilled wagyu!

Jasons Gourmet Market

One last tip, plan your time around the masterclasses - there are some very interesting ones out there like macaron baking and cocktail mixing classes that you might hate yourself for missing. I mean, I speak from experience. Bon appetit!



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