The 27th edition of the Singapore Food Festival (SFF) - dedicated to celebrating local cuisine and talent in the food and beverage scene - returns in a virtual format this year.
Held across two weekends - Aug 21 to 23 and Aug 28 to 30 - the festival's activities include online live masterclasses, virtual food tours and exclusive products.
Pick up cooking tips and tricks from the live masterclasses, which are free for viewing on the Webex virtual platform and live on the SFF Facebook page.
Highlights include The Sunday Times' food critic Wong Ah Yoke and culinary doyenne Violet Oon's session on cooking with sambal; as well as a presentation by chef Julien Royer - of three-Michelin-starred restaurant Odette - on the classic French dessert Paris-Brest done with a local spin using coconut and kaya cream.
Taste the dishes presented during the classes through ingredient boxes and food bundles which will be made available for purchase and delivery from Thursday to Sept 13 on the SFF website (www.singaporefoodfestival.sg) and Shopee (shopee.sg/m/sff2020).
Take a virtual food tour around cultural precincts, featuring Tanjong Pagar, Chinatown, Katong and Joo Chiat. A limited number of slots for physical tours - subject to safe management measures - will also be available.
Or show your food patriotism by wearing special event merchandise. Japanese retailer Uniqlo - in collaboration with local artist Mandy Kew - is launching a T-shirt collection with eight designs of local favourite dishes including laksa, chicken rice and roti prata. It is available from Friday at Uniqlo's global flagship store at Orchard Central.
Organised by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), SFF is part of the recently launched SingapoRediscovers campaign, which seeks to show locals a different side of Singapore and encourage rediscovery of the nation's world-class tourism and lifestyle offerings.
Ms Ranita Sundra, STB's director of retail and dining, says: "SFF has always been about putting the spotlight on our vibrant and evolving local F&B landscape. This year's programming aims to bundle the joy of feasting with interactive and engaging experiences.
"We encourage everyone to support our chefs, bartenders and food personalities, while rediscovering the foodie in them through the exciting gastronomic activities we have planned."
COOKING WITH SAMBAL