From left to right: First runner-up Mr Joe Muhammad Abdullah from Suntec Singapore, Champion Mr Chong Kok Loon from Suntec Singapore, and second runner-up, Mr Tan Kok Keng from One-Twenty Six Restaurant -- PHOTO: SPHERE EXHIBITS
MORE than 250,000 people attended the Food Safari and Home Electronics Fair which was held from 14 - 16 Nov at the Suntec Convention Halls.
Mr Robin Hu, Chairman of Sphere Exhibits, which organised the fair, said: 'I am very encouraged by the overwhelming response. This is a good start and shows that we are on the right track.
'We will continue to fine-tune the concepts for our future events to make them refreshing and exciting for both exhibitors and visitors.'
The Food Safari and Home Electronics Fair not only featured food and beverages from around the world, but also housed a home electronics section where visitors could hunt for the latest models and other bargains.
'Although the current sentiment is poor, the crowd at the fair was tremendous. This shows that Singaporeans love great deals and will still spend when there are good bargains,' said Ms Joanne Ho, Marketing Consultant of Audio House, which was a key exhibitor at the event.
A wide variety of workshops, such as gourmet food preparation at home and wine pairing, hosted by culinary experts were held over the three days.
The event also incorporated a culinary competition - The Safari King Culinary Challenge, where twelve aspiring, under-30 young chefs, competed to come up with the most unique Singapore dish.
Mr Chong Kok Loon, 28, from Suntec Singapore eventually emerged as the first-ever Safari King.
His winning dish was Chicken Roulade with Prawn Paste accompanied with Char Siew Rice, and Panfried Minced Beef with Nonya Paste.
'The Safari King Culinary Challenge is a useful platform to showcase our food industry's diverse talent and product offerings. The exciting dishes and flavours that our young chefs have created is testament to Singapore's quality food product offerings and culinary talents,' said Mr Tan Soon Kim, Deputy Director, Lifestyle & Business Services of International Enterprise Singapore.
He added: 'This winning combination will help to set us apart from the global competition.'
In the Cake-a-Decor Contest, Mr Liu Bing Hang from Creative Culinaire, was awarded $1,000 and a gold medal for the best-decorated cake.
Sphere's next show - 'License to Play' - is slated to take place in mid-2009.
