Epicurean market happened over the weekend at Marina Bay Sands with their third edition. It was my first experience at the annual event and seeing pictures on instagram last year, I decided I shall give this year a try. A 3-day event with a whole lot of Masterclasses from celebrity chefs, Farmer’s Market with fresh produces and wines and Whisky & Cocktail bar, it was bound to be an attraction with hundreds of attendees. So here’s a recap of what happened, for those who missed it

A whole selection of wine retailers, and you get to sample all the wine as well. Just bring a wine glass around and they will be more than happy to let you try

Fresh produce at Farmer’s Market

Super fresh herbs, which we even get to try

Premium sausage selection from Carne Meat where you get to buy some home

Truffle Salami Stick $10 (left) Blackforest Breitseite $5 (right)

But we got them in a platter just so we can pair them with our whisky session. It was an awesome idea by the way. The meat was really delicious and the whisky gave a different flavour when you eat after drinking

Whisky flight tasting which we get to try 3 different whisky for $15. And they were pretty generous with the portion 😀

We chose the series of smokey Whisky and my favourite? The Lagavulin 16 for its richness and roundness aftertaste

Popped by the Masterclass workshop which we attended the workshop ‘How to order Italian wine like a pro?’

Cannonau di Sardegna, Fiano di Avellino, Primitivo

But I think, Italian wines are generally not my favourite

Moving on to the celebrities’ restaurants corner, it was so crowded. I think there were plenty of tables and chairs to go around, but some were placed pretty far away which makes it inconvenient if you were too lazy to walk. In addition, there were lines sprouting out of every booth, especially if you hit dinner time. And to maximise full use of time, people just leave their belongings at the tables without being guarded. The friend was saying, you can only do this in Singapore and I totally agree

Spicy Tuna Tartare Cone $22 (for 2)

While the friend was queuing at Waku Ghin, I decided to try some of Spago’s cuisine cos 1) myfoodsirens say it’s good and 2) there was no queue at all =o Spago by Wolfgang Puck is slated to open at Marina Bay Sands later this year and a preview of the food gives some idea to what to expect at the flagship restaurant in Asia

The spicy tuna tartare cones look like a simple appetiser but they tasted full of flavours and surprise. The tuna was marinated nicely with chilli mayonnaise & wasabi but yet you can still taste the sweetness of the tuna. The sesame miso cone was sweet, crispy and taste of lingering miso paste and the fragrance of sesame oil

Steamed Beef Short Rib Bao $26 (for 2)

The steamed beef short rib was a little tough but the flavours were good and definitely catered more to Asian tastebuds

It was a busy station at Sky on 57 with chef Justin Quek in the house and I kept hearing the chef expediting saying ‘Guys, you gotta hurry up’ I can totally see the stress on the chefs’ face. lol

Seared Wagyu Tri-Tip w Slow-Cooked Egg, Lu Shui Truffle Sauce $18

This was the daily special on the first day of the event for Sky on 57. The wagyu was a little tough and there was not much truffle taste in the sauce though It probably is the most beautifully presented and value-for-money dish with the generous amount of beef

JQ’s Hamburger $10

Slow-cooked Iberico Pork Belly w Miso Mustard Sauce

We really like the JQ’s hamburger. There was a really nice flavour on the pork belly which tasted somewhat like coffee and the miso mustard sauce complements really well without being too overpowering

Durian Creme Brûlée Icecream Sandwich $5

Completely sold by the icecream, though not quite much by the bread. It was a burst of flavour of durian, caramel and creme brûlée pudding beneath before ending with the carmelized crisp on top. It was pretty delicious

Next up, Bread Street Kitchen!

Traditional Fish & Chips, Crushed Peas, Tartar Sauce $14

Their fish & chips never disappoint and I got it for the friend to try, since I have already tried it at his restaurant. You can read the full review here

Potted Salted Beef Brisket, Grain Mustard, Piccalilli, Caraway Crackers $12

The least unexpected dish with a twist of surprise. The beef brisket was really tender and I like how it goes well with the grain mustard & piccalilli which gave a balance between the sweetness of the beef and the hotness of the mustard

Squid Ink Chitarra w Crab, Sea Urchin & Jalapeno Pesto $22

Cold pasta from Mozza, which was different yet refreshing. The beautiful flavour of the squid ink pasta was enhanced by the sweetness of the crab meat and the jalapeño gave enough heat to make the dish balanced and rounded

Fresh seafood at DB Bistro, though the chef shucking the oysters must be pretty stressed at the insane order of oysters

Oysters $5 each

I love the tiny bottle of tabasco, so much cuteness. The oysters were okay, fresh but the meat was somewhat too little to have a full taste to what the oysters were about

Lobster Roll $25

The lobster roll came with abundance of lobster meat, so firm and sweet and eating it with the buttered brioche bread was really yummy though it gets pretty oily and messy

King Crab Melt, Pimento Cheese, Bread & Butter Pickles $15

Signature item from Adrift. I totally get why it was their signature item. Just think melted cheese, buttered toast and abundance of sweet crab meat and topping off with the pickles to give that crunchy, spicy and acidic aftertaste

Waku Ghin – Probably the longest queue of all restaurants. Maybe long is an overstatement

Grilled Rolled Ohmi Wagyu Beef w Fresh Wasabi from Shizuoka $24

The wagyu beef was grilled to perfection it melts in your mouth. Drizzled with a generous portion of salmon roe and end it off with wasabi and garlic chips, it’s like teppanyaki on a plate

Marinated Botan Shrimp w Oscietra Shrimp $25

The most anticipated but disappointed dish. Probably came with too high expectations so when we tried the dish, it just went ‘oh.. okay.’

Never miss the Waku Ghin desserts cos they sold out at the fastest time possible

Chocolate w Hazelnut & Passionfruit $8

Completely in love. Whether it was the hazelnut mousse, thin layer of passionfruit or the chocolate and brittle biscuit, it was wonderfully delicious

Strawberry Cheesecake $8

Very light and delicious strawberry mousse and when you dip into it, it felt like eating clouds ending off with a strawberry surprise in the middle of it

Also keep some space for the cocktails at the World-Class Bar to try some of the delicious cocktails

Crowd at 9pm, still pretty packed

A gift from Coca Cola, if you visit 5 different restaurants in a day

Epicurean Market 2015 has been nothing short of lots of fun. A event for food lovers, you will find yourself surrounded by good food and drinks and it’s definitely more fun if you go with a group of friends. I actually went over 2 days cos 1 night is just too rushed and not enough. Gave the 3rd day a miss since I would have tried most of the dishes already. And I must say, I look forward to next year’s already 😉