WGS 2016: Gourmet Paradise you don’t have to spend miles on

Welcome to Stellar at 1-Altitude!

   Haven for the Best  Start till end               

Of course, food and wine connoisseurs, drooling foodies, quick-fingered shutterbugs, established and budding chefs… from all walks of life gathered in anticipation!

 Jam Sessions programme lineup 

 Stellar at 1-Altitude entrance 

Bringing together international cooks, Michelin-Starred chefs and Singapore’s local talents, it was a sight to behold awaiting the spectacular showcase of exciting sessions between the chefs and guests.

Renowned chefs helmed in from top restaurants such as Jaan, Les Amis, Odette, Restaurant Andre, Stellar at 1-Altitude and Tippling Club proudly presented 20 masterclasses, allowing guests insights to their cooking methods, signature recipes and tasting sessions.

Cuisines ranged from Australian, French, Spanish to comfort dishes with an Asian flair and Mod Sin (Modern Singapore). One would never get bored at the electrifying series of line-ups!

So… HERE COMES …

Candlenut

Peranakan restaurant Candlenut incorporated Buah Keluah (a kind of Indonesian black nut sauce) into the food.

The braised beef cheeks (top left) and prawns (top right) were coated in a thick black paste that tasted rich, nutty and slightly salty.

Surely, looks can be deceiving!

Lee Kum Kee

Spotted Chef Michele from Lee Kum Kee distributing macarons to the class.

I managed to get my hands on a couple of those colourful beauties. The macarons with LKK plum sauce fillings was delicious with that tangy sweet and sourness.

The JiaoZi (Chinese for dumpling), on the other hand, had a soft yet thick firm skin that kept in the moisture and juice of the pork fillings well. Paired with the soy ginger jelly cubes on the side, I popped the whole dumpling into my mouth to be rewarded with sheer bliss and decadence. On a side note, LKK had been around since 1888, developing and using its own sauces and recipes.

Punjab Grill

Using their ‘legendary Monsoon spice’ cooking method, Punjab Grill presented the Salmon Tikka with caviar, lying on a bed of cous cous salad that was packed with aromatic Indian spices. The salmon was fork tender while moist with a pinkish interior.

Wild Rocket

Local Chef Wilin Low opened Wild Rocket in 2005, serving up innovative Mod Sin cuisine. The Truffled Chicken Rice was a rendition to the Hainanese Chicken Rice commonly known in the local food scene.

The faint hints of truffle with tender poached chicken in a glorious heap of chicken rice totally won me hands down. I only wished for more!

Artichoke and Burnt Ends

What’s a collaboration between Chef David Pynt (Burnt Ends) and ever-daring Bjorn Shen (Artichoke) be like?

They just Smoke the Shit Up. And they don’t care.

So Shut the Crap and leggo to the FOOD.        

Vanilla ice cream + Sour cherry + nutty chocolate coat +  meringue + A blowtorch = Happiness x Infinity = Burnt Neh Neh Pop

This was one craziest creamsicle I ever tasted which that crunch and gooeiness when I took my gigantic bite off the top. Think pulling cheese off pizza. Think stocking them in the freezer. Even Chef Millar had a go for it!

El Mero Mero and Ola Cocina del Mar

These two restaurants probably had the most food and drinks taster being churned out to the guests. Both El Mero Mero and Ola Cocina del Mar blended Mexican and Spanish flavours into their food, creating stunning dishes of taste and colour. 

The ceviche comprised of succulent red prawn, scallop, fish and sweet potato with a dash of lime juice and Peruvian yellow chili. The Octopus Aguachille had melt in the mouth tenderness, paired with a crunchy Taco cracker.

There were two accompanying cocktails (WOW!) too, one of which was the refreshing Pisco Sour which that strong punch.

Forlino and Gattopardo

Here we see two popular Italian restaurants coming together to bring Italian food to greater heights. And… so we have refreshing dishes of Sicilian flavours! Both dishes were simply stunning with interesting use of ingredients.

The Sicilian dish (top first photo) with Extra Virgin Olive Oil Popcorn  was a beautiful mess followed by the Burrata (top second) sprinkled with chopped Iberico ham while perched on a pool of Caponata consomme. 

La Marmite and Stellar at 1-Altitude

Chef Reto Mathis and Chef Millar’s take on the deconstructed Carbonara featuring a Carabinero prawn beside an egg yolk poached in smoked oil. It was a burst of flavours with the smokey creaminess and bacon crunch that was bound to make the whole dish a truly memorable one!       

Les Amis

Amidst eagerness, Chef Sebastian Lepinoy from Les Amis whipped up a Cold Truffled Angel Hair pasta topped with caviar and gold leaf, which was elegant in its simplicity. 

It was done just right. All ingredients executing their roles perfectly with flavors complementing each other well, none too overpowering. All I need was a bigger portion!

Fiercely mind-blowing.

Those were the words to describe the passion, intensity and exhilaration behind the chefs at work, curious participants and the sheer amount of effort that went into each dish. Behold for there are much more salivating photos to come. All of which should be given credit and praised for fulfilling everyone’s (and mine) wildest dream.

Many great food came from scratch and each dish was prepared, cooked on the spot and showcased by the chef to the guests. Ways of cutting, washing, folding, grilling and plating, while not forgetting secret tips on methods and recipes were exchanged within the walls of Stellar at 1-Altitude. The amount of pots and pans, small plates, bowls and cutleries was nothing compared to the finished dishes that laid in rows and rows.

It was visually appealing to the eyes, a magnificent feast to our hungry tummies!

Two days of back-to-back Jam Sessions and all these would not have run smoothly without the contributions, time and hard work put in by the various people involved. 

WHO ARE THEY?

Don’t forget to give them a hug when you spot them!