– Media Invite –

It is certainly a privilege and honor to be invited to the inaugural FIJI Water Signature Creations Expedition which took place on Saturday afternoon. As I had shared earlier on, each ticket costs $180 and all proceeds will go to FIJI Water’s selected beneficiary, Children’s Cancer Foundation. In a nutshell, all guests got to enjoy signature dishes of 6 top restaurants in a half-day road trip. I needed my lifelong companion with me and since the money spent would be for a good cause, misterchewy had absolutely no qualms about joining me 🙂

I shared this on my Facebook page and two of my big-hearted friends dropped me a message and expressed their interest two days before the event. This is Adelene, my primary school friend and also one of my bridesmaids and Desmond, my secondary school friend. And no la, they are not a couple. Hahaha. Thanks for the support, friends! 🙂

Free flow FIJI Water to keep everyone hydrated throughout the event! I have a friend who is a huge fan of FIJI Water but I was skeptical and thought, how awesome can water be? I was so wrong! FIJI Water has that soft and unique silky mouthfeel that you wouldn’t be able to get out of drinking other brands of water. Oh here’s a tip: FIJI Water tastes better at room temperature. So don’t chill it! 😉

Our first stop was Absinthe at Boat Quay. After registration, we had to climb two flights of stairs and make ourselves comfortable at the communal table.

Prior the event, leading food critics came together to sample the six restaurants’ signature dishes and each of them was responsible for selecting a signature dish from each restaurant in order to make up the expedition menu. Foie Gras Terrine with Warm Brioche by Chef Francois Mermilliod was picked by Don Mendoza of TODAY. The foie gras terrine had a smooth and elegant texture with a delicate taste. Paired with the brioche which was fluffy and crusty, I couldn’t help but wish I could have this for breakfast every morning!

After about an hour of eating and chatting over drinks, we were chauffeured in a coach to our second stop, Hashi along Bukit Pasoh Road, which was not very far away from Absinthe. I love Japanese cuisine!

This time, I got to sit with the other female bloggers, Charleen, Nadia and Dawn 🙂

Fresh Live Prawn, Hokkaido Scallop and Mixed Vegetable with Japanese Jelly by Chef Tadashi Takahashi, picked by Marcus Yeo of Lianhe Zaobao, was clearly a winner and everyone was seen wiping their plates clean. Many of us loved the dashi stock which was presented in the form of cold jelly. Extremely refreshing and it made me yearn for more. It was also Chef’s brilliant idea to grill the eggplants for that delicious smoky flavor.

We couldn’t resist a photo with Chef Tadashi Takahashi because he was very hospitable and went round the communal table kanpai-ing. Hehe! 😛

I was looking forward to our third stop, Tippling Club at Dempsey because rumour has it that the restaurant has a very strict no photography rule and this has kinda deterred me from visiting the restaurant.

Chef Ryan Clift giving a brief introduction on his signature dish.

Forgot to mention that there was also an Instagram “Snap & Win” contest. We had to upload photos of our expedition experience at each restaurant. Grand prize was one year’s supply of FIJI Water and dining vouchers from the restaurants. This certainly upped the fun element for this expedition.

Picked by Sylvester Ng of The Peak Selections: Gourmet & Travel, I reckon the Pigeon, Celery, Quinoa, Goats Curd is an acquired taste, at least for me.

Despite all the food that we had, we were still going strong and soon, we found ourselves at the fourth stop, The Pelican at One Fullerton.

The Pelican Lobster Thermidor by Chef Issac Tan, picked by Adeline Wong of Epicure, was a splendid dish that won praises. The double cream and Parmesan cheese complemented the sweetness of the lobster meat beautifully. This is definitely one of my favorite dishes!

Our fifth stop saw us at Fat Cow, a Japanese inspired steakhouse within Camden Medical Centre.

The cute and animated Chef Dan Segall spoke very quickly and gave us an idea as to what to expect for his signature dish.

As some of my readers know, misterchewy and I don’t eat beef due to religious reasons. I admit that I miss eating beef. Haha. Anyway, Wong Ah Yoke from The Straits Times Life! selected this Wagyu No Kakuni dish. From the description, the Japanese wagyu rib meat had been simmered in a sweet, ginger soy with fresh yuzu. Heard some mixed reviews for this dish. Some enjoyed it as it was tender while retaining some bite, while others thought that it was not well marbled with sufficient fat.

After more than 5 hours of feasting, we were at our sixth and final destination, Prive Grill at Keppel Bay!

Chosen by Evelyn Chen of Zagat Guide, the Hokkaido Corn and Shrimp Fritter with Lime Aioli by Chef Robin Ho, when paired with a glass of Konrad Riesling 2009, ended the FIJI Water Signature Creations Expedition on a sweet note.

Special thanks to Leroy and the rest of the FoodNews PR team for doing such a great job! My friends and I had a lot of fun and we are looking forward to the next one already!
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