Just when you thought your bulging bellies could take a break after the inaugural Asian Masters in Jan, followed swiftly by Restaurant Week last month, the next big food event is all set to hit our shores. 2011’s World Gourmet Summit (WGS) rolls around from Apr 25-May 8. This annual epicurean festival needs little introduction, and brings to town celebrated chefs from all over the world, as well as internationally-acclaimed vintners. But what do those involved actually think?

Ryan Clift, chef and co-owner of Tippling Club (8D Dempsey Rd., 6475-2217), feels, “Every country should have a big food festival; it’s important for the industry and general public. Plus, it adds a new dimension to the city for two weeks. You’ve got some big name chefs who come to town. If you haven’t got the chance to travel and try their food, it’s great.” We certainly agree. The existence of festivals such as WGS still inspires confidence in the dining landscape of Singapore (ignore the protests of jaded food critics), and offers an even broader range of cuisines and experiences than what is usually available. If you’re a true gourmand (all our favorite people certainly are), you’ll want to attend everything. But unless you’ve got deep pockets and a whole lot of time, it’s probably wiser to stick to a few choice events.

While there’s no doubt that the novelty of WGS has worn off since its launch (they’re in their 15th year after all), there’s still a good deal of anticipation from foodies about the announcement of the chef line up. This installment of the popular food event will see culinary heavyweights such as three-Michelin-starred Bruno Ménard and Luisa Valazza; two-Michelin-starred Norbert Niederkofler, Ramón Freixa and Kevin Thornton; Paul Wilson (three chef’s hats) and Brent Savage (two chef’s hats) stopping by our tiny isle and crafting indulgent gourmet creations for your hedonistic epicurean pleasure. That’s not all. There will also be a number of culinary workshops, as well as wine dinners and tasting events for you to choose from.

Despite its roaring commercial success, it’s heartening to discover that several visiting chefs aren’t just included on a purely business basis. A few actually have long-standing, ongoing friendships with hosting chefs.

Case in point: Chef Rosio Sanchez of noma and Janice Wong, hosting chef-owner of 2am:dessertbar (2/F, 21A Lorong Liput, 6291-9727). “I had met Janice a few years before back at WD-50 in NYC, and thought the idea sounded like something I would like to participate in,” says Sanchez. Janice’s admiration and respect for Rosio is clearly evident. “I think her style is unique, so I really wanted to bring her here to showcase that.” The sweet-toothed should check out Rosio Sanchez’s unique creations from May 3-7 at 2am:dessertbar ($25 per dessert, $90 for four-course degustation), featuring winter’s version bitters dessert (whey discs, bitters syrup, milk crumbs and sorrel), huldreost brown cheese custard with beet granite, and milk and grains (milk ice cream, birch syrup and biodynamic grains).

Another collaborative partnership is that of Tippling Club’s Ryan Clift and Bentley Restaurant & Bar’s Brent Savage. “This year, as always, I’ve brought a chef, Brent Savage, with a similar style to what we do here. We always approach chefs ourselves as we steer towards the avant-garde, progressive side of things,“ he says. “In fact, Brent was actually my competition back in Melbourne. But that was a long time ago.” Savage has fashioned a seven-course menu with wine pairing ($230) from Apr 26-30 at Tippling Club, that features ocean trout with ocean trout mousse and fennel pollen, pork belly with wattleseed, garlic milk and rhubarb, and roasted duck breast with cuttlefish and mushrooms.

Aside from several hard-to-find food items, all these chefs are keen to source for produce locally. In a bid to introduce different flavor profiles to diners here, Savage will only be bringing wattleseed (which is native to Australia), while Sanchez is packing dry goods like birch syrup, biodynamic grains, and Norwegian brown cheese. One-Michelin-starred masterchef Tam Kwok Fung, whose modern Chinese culinary style is centered around the philosophy of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), meanwhile is confident he’ll be able to find the ingredients he needs for Weingut Markus Molitor Wine Dinner on Apr 27 (from $228) hosted at Cassia (4/F Cappella Singapore, 1 The Knolls, Sentosa Island, 6591-5045): “I know Singapore as a world class gourmet destination and am sure everything I use can be sourced locally,” he says.

To reserve a space, call 6270-1254 or email [email protected]. For more details, log on to www.worldgourmetsummit.com.

Check out I-S Picks for WGS 2011

Whether you’ve an important deal to seal or just fancy a change from your usual grab-and-go lunch spot, the set menus at many fine dining establishments around town offer superb value for money. Here we pick some of our favorites across a range of price bands, with tips on what to expect and how much time to set aside. Your lunch hour will never be the same again.

Select on the price bands below for recommended restaurants.

• Under $50
• $50-80
• Above $80

Food For Thought
Sure, the cost of ingredients varies from dish to dish, but we can’t help wonder if all of the extra charges on some of these set menus are really justified. For example, at FiftyThree we topped up just $10 for our main of Wagyu beef (very reasonable in our opinion) but had to shell out an additional $40 for our Wagyu main at Iggy’s. Paying an extra 50 percent of the price of your set lunch seems frankly ridiculous.

How To: Work after a boozy lunch
So you’re out to lunch, and it all gets a little Mad Men. Two hours later and you’re practically on the floor. But what to do if you’ve got a presentation to make upon your return to the office?

1. Dunk your head in the toilet bowl. It won’t sober you up, but it will clear the meeting room pretty quick when you walk in.

2. Spike the attendees’ glasses with vodka before the meeting starts. Ensure it works by raising a toast after your first slide.

3. Tell the room that your presentation is inspired by Inception, and will be taking place in your dreams.

4. Put on a TED talk instead. It’s better than anything you’ll ever present anyway.

Lunches under $50

OTTO RISTORANTE

The menu: Rotating weekly, with delicately prepared reworkings of homestyle Italian classics, many from the north (their chef’s from Treviso). You get a choice from three appetizers, three mains and two desserts. On our visit, there was soup, salad or beef carpaccio, as well as spaghetti with Parma ham and butter sauce, baby snapper fillet with soft polenta or pan-roasted chicken breast with fontina cheese.
The damage: $38 for three courses, including coffee or tea.
The verdict: Boy, does this place get busy. That’s worth bearing in mind if you’re in a rush, when food can take a while; it’s quieter around noon, though. If you’re looking to impress, the combination of innovative dishes and enthusiastic service makes it a real winner. And you’ve got to love the building it’s in.
#01-02 Red Dot Traffic Building, 28 Maxwell Rd., 6227-6819. Mon-Fri noon-3:30pm.

PAMPLEMOUSSE BISTRO + BAR 

The menu: Chef Adrian Ling presents a selection of modern European dishes and has the others beat in terms of sheer variety. We were able to pick from six different starters, eight mains and three desserts (that’s a whopping 17 dishes in total). For appetizers, we went with citrus-marinated salmon and miso aioli, as well as foie gras terrine sachertorte with roselle espuma and apricot jam ($10 supplement), both of which were lovely. Settling on our mains proved to be a tricky business, but we finally decided on the signature uni tagliolini with a rich crustacean cream sauce and pork gratons and onglet steak with caramelized onions, pomme puree and truffle-infused Madeira sauce ($5 supplement). For a delightful finale, osmanthus-scented crème brûlée with lychee sorbet and baked black rice pudding with H jicha ice cream made us happy campers.
The damage: A mere $32 for three courses—talk about a steal.
The verdict: This is an ideal spot for lunch, whether you’re dining with business associates or catching up with friends (although we noticed more than a few tai tais in attendance). We’re big fans of the discreet, decidedly un-snooty service and real value-for-money sets. Dempsey’s not convenient for everyone, though.
#01-04, 7 Dempsey Rd., 6475-0080. Tue-Fri noon-3pm; Sat-Sun 11:30am-3pm.

RESTAURANT EMBER

The menu: A range of 11 appetizers (three of which are foie gras, $6 supplement), seven mains and 10 delectable desserts. We can’t help but be impressed that their dessert selection is almost as varied as that of their starters. Don’t miss chef Sebastian Ng’s droolworthy homemade crispy tofu with foie gras-mirin sauce and pan-seared Chilean seabass with smoked bacon ragout and truffle yuzu butter. We also adore 12-hour-cooked pork belly with savoy cabbage, apple puree and spiced Calvados sauce. End on a sweet note with the caramelized pear tart and baileys ice cream or coconut panna cotta with gula melaka and water chestnuts.
The damage: $39.50 for three courses, including coffee or tea.
The verdict: It gets really busy here during lunchtime, with an endless parade of OLs and execs who work in the area. So if you’re after a quiet meal, this isn’t the place for you. But if you care more about good quality fare, are a dessert fiend and don’t mind the bustling surrounds, we can’t think of a better spot.
G/F Hotel 1929, 50 Keong Saik Rd., 6347-1928. Mon-Fri 11:30am-3pm.

SALT GRILL

The menu: Conceptualized by Australian chef-restaurateur Luke Mangan, some of his signatures make an appearance as entrées including “glass” Sydney crab omelet in a mild white miso-mustard broth with enoki mushrooms, basil, chili and sesame seeds. There are also vegetarian options for each course such as “Salt” salad (seasonal baby vegetables, slow-poached hen’s egg, buffalo mozzarella and candied walnuts) and an incredibly light pan-fried potato gnocchi with sweet corn, lemon thyme and truffled verjuice. Carnivores will appreciate the pork scotch—Australian berkshire kurobuta, café de Paris and green beans with confit eschallot.
The damage: $40 for two courses—an entrée and a main. Not too painful at all, but not as good a deal as some of the other establishments about town.
The verdict: While the food is undoubtedly tasty and the view arresting, we would have preferred the option of a three course set lunch. That said, there’s nothing stopping you from ordering up your dessert of choice off the à la carte menu.
5/F ION Orchard, 2 Orchard Turn, 6592-5118. Mon-Fri 11:30am-2pm.

SENSO RISTORANTE & BAR

The menu: A three-course Italian set lunch, with four starters, three mains and two desserts to choose from, that changes every week according to what’s available. On our visit, starters were a fresh cucumber salad, a superbly delicate raw king fish tambale, homemade foie gras pate with mango chutney, so popular it’s always on the menu ($8 supplement), or a silky cream of cauliflower soup. Oven-roasted spare ribs were the stand-out main, though the homemade linguine and grilled tuna fillet ran them close. Then a mixed fruit cocktail and lemon sorbet, or raisin parfait with crushed nuts to finish (for the time being, at least).
The damage: $36, includes coffee or tea.
The verdict: Hard to fault, especially at this price and in such a charming space (they occupy five adjacent shophouses, you know). The only problem is that with a menu rotating so fast, the dish you love one week could be gone the next. Some of the portions could perhaps be bigger, but this is lunch after all: We’re just greedy when it comes to food this good.
21 Club St., 6224-3534. Mon-Fri noon-2:30pm.