It’s all about good food this month, whether you crave Italian or Korean cuisine, or just a spot of tea
A SPOT OF FANCY TEA
Lounge around and have a cuppa tea at Newens Tea House, which is promoting their Journey Through Tea, a monthly series of themed tea-time sets inspired by tea-time cultures from around the world. This month, the tea house will be serving their Joyous May Afternoon Tea set, which features delicacies such as apple and hazelnut cake, Rainbow Cake, scones with clotted cream, and strawberry-flavoured Maids of Honour Tarts as well as a free-flow of Life and Beauty Tea, a herbal infusion of aloe vera and tropical fruits. June features the Summer Holiday Afternoon Tea, where bright and summery flavours arrive on the tray in the form of mixed berries crepe, panna cotta and madeleines, served alongside a free-flow of Iced Fruits of Paradise Tea made with mango, pineapple and papaya.
SEOUL IN SPRING
If you’re in Seoul looking for a refined dining experience, be sure to book a seat at the Michelin-starred Soigné in Seoul. For the spring season, Chef Jun Lee has crafted a menu based on Korean wild plants, or namul, an often-underrated aspect of traditional Korean cuisine. “Many people know bibimbap, but the truth is, all of the vegetable ingredients on top of bibimbap are namul. Our goal in this episode is to re-illuminate the value of namul by stepping away from treating namul merely as materials for side dishes and instead focusing on the unique characteristics of respective ingredients, and to present the direction for our food cultural heritage,” said Jun. Dubbed ‘Breath of the Wild’, the seasonal menu features such dishes like Perilla Leaf and Porcini Mushrooms; Butterbur with Lobster; and Shepherd's Purse Soup with bomdong.
GOLDEN TIMES
It’s always a good time to be out and about in Australia’s Gold Coast, especially when the Gold Coast Food & Wine Festival is around. Held from 31 May to 3 June, the festival is one of the country’s most exciting and innovative food events, and this year is no different. Among the highlights of this four-day event is the Picnic In The Park, where you can dine on dishes from Surfers Paradise restaurants, while enjoying live music performances; food and wine tours; a gathering of the best barbecue teams serving up their best slow-cooked ribs, brisket, pork and chicken; as well as the Tambourine Mountain long table feast, where you can sample award-winning cheeses, paté, terrines and cured meats alongside craft beers and wines.
SHAKE IT UP
Appreciate the art of cocktail-making during the Singapore Cocktail Festival, which brings together some of the world’s best bartenders, bar owners and cocktail experts from 4 to 13 May to the island nation. Among the festival’s key attractions is the Festival Village at Empress Lawn, where from 4 to 6 May you can sample cocktails from 30 of Singapore’s best bars, while soaking in an outdoor festival vibe. Throughout the 10-day event, attendees who purchase a Cocktail Passport (SGD15/RM45) will get to enjoy discounts, special cocktails and food pairing menus in participating bars such as Astor Bar, Bar Stories, Nutmeg & Clove, Potato Head Folk and Smoke & Mirrors.
ITALIAN DINING IN LANGKAWI
Northern Italian cuisine arrives at The Danna Langkawi courtesy of The Terrace’s head chef Federico Zapperi. Here, he creates a range of Italian dishes that suit the Asian preference for sweet, savoury and balanced flavours, while never straying too far from their Italian roots. One dish that exemplifies this approach is the Beef Carpaccio starter, which is served with powdered truffle oil and ice cream, while the Braised Beef Cheeks is another winner, thanks to the eight-hour braise in a full-bodied red wine sauce. There’s no shortage of seafood dishes as well – among them are the Seafood Linguine pasta made with fresh seafood bought fresh from the market, as well as Baked Cod with Saffron Risotto. Before you end the meal, be sure to have Chef Federico’s Cioccolato Intenso – an intense bittersweet dessert comprising chocolate almond sable, almond nougatine, flexi chocolate and raspberry powder.
