PARISIANS walking along the River Seine on Thursday night were greeted by an unfamiliar sight - a Singaporean minister of state serving satay to passers-by.
Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth Sam Tam was visiting the outdoor market Saveurs de Singapour sur les Berges de Seine, which opened to visitors on Thursday.
Organised by Temasek Polytechnic, les Berges de Seine and the National Heritage Board, the event is part of Singapour en France - le Festival, the largest overseas showcase of Singapore's contemporary arts, culture and heritage.
The festival opened on March 26 and is one of the international celebrations for Singapore's golden jubilee year, marking 50 years of diplomatic ties between the two countries.
Students from Temasek Polytechnic's diploma in baking and culinary science course whipped up popular Singaporean dishes such as chicken rice, bak kut teh and chendol.
The students also put on a photo exhibition introducing Singapore flavours and organised traditional games such as chapteh and kuti-kuti. There was also a fashion display by students from the school's diploma in apparel design and merchandising course.
Mr Tan said: "Saveurs de Singapour sur les Berges de Seine... is a good opportunity for our youth to show their culinary skills to the rest of the world.
"It also presents our rich food heritage that reflects the multicultural diversity of Singapore."
Some 500 people visited the event, which ends tomorrow, on its first evening.
A visitor to the event, known only as Ms Josiane, said: "This is a very beautiful opportunity to get together with family and discover the power of Singaporean culture."
