epicure May 2018

This month we celebrate the decadent 2Cs: chocolate and coffee. It’s hard to imagine a world without these two products, but it seems they are already under threat. Coffee lovers may have to contend with poorer-quality brews as extreme climate changes and pests reduce land for coffee production and push prices up. Chocolate purveyors have already sounded the warning that global demand for chocolate will outpace supply, leading to price hikes at the retail level. What does it mean for a world of caffeine-seeking consumers and the farmers who toil in cocoa and coffee plantations to bring us two of life’s greatest pleasures? Sustainable planting and forest conservation are some of the strategies undertaken in coffee producing countries like Ethiopia and Brazil. Coffee genetics is the buzzword, with scientists working on…

LENA CHAN honed her pastry skills at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris and is well-versed in classic European baking techniques and modern British pastry designs. During the past 15 years as a pâtissier, she learnt the ropes from top names in the pastry world such as Cedric Grolet, Vincent Vallée and Carlos Lischetti. Now, as pastry couturier at her own establishment, Mad About Sucre, Chan indulges in her love for the Romanticism era with her intricate and elaborate creations. What’s the most outrageous request you’ve received from a customer? “An eight-tier, 1.9m-tall gold wedding cake adorned with nine dragons and nine phoenixes that had to be entirely edible. The client flew us by private jet to Bali for the wedding, which also meant that we had to prep everything beforehand in…

epicure is available at the following: Onboard Singapore Airlines (SIA) as an inflight magazine Airport Lounges/Airline Offices Air France KLM British Airways Cathay Pacific Airways CIAS DNATA CIP Lounge Emirates SATS Premier Clubs SIA KrisFlyer Gold Lounges SIA Silver Kris Lounges Thai Airways Deluxe Rooms & Business Centres of Hotels & Resorts in SINGAPORE Amara Sanctuary Resort Sentosa Amara Singapore Capella Singapore Carlton City Hotel Singapore Carlton Hotel Singapore Concorde Hotel Singapore Conrad Centennial Singapore Fairmont Singapore Four Seasons Hotel Singapore Furama City Centre, Singapore Furama RiverFront, Singapore Goodwood Park Hotel Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel Grand Hyatt Singapore Hilton Singapore Holiday Inn Singapore Orchard City Centre Holiday Inn Atrium Hotel Grand Mercure Singapore Roxy Hotel Indigo Singapore Katong Hotel Jen InterContinental Singapore JW Marriott Hotel Singapore South Beach Klapsons, The Boutique Hotel Le Meridien Singapore, Sentosa M Hotel Singapore Mandarin Orchard Singapore Marina Mandarin Singapore Mercure Singapore on Stevens Naumi Liora Novotel Singapore on Stevens Oasia Hotel Singapore One Farrer Hotel & Spa Orchard Hotel Pan Pacific Orchard, Singapore Pan Pacific Singapore PARKROYAL on Beach Road PARKROYAL on Kitchener Road PARKROYAL…

Stick With Me Sweets Stick With Me Sweets is the brainchild of Korean American Susanna Yoon, who meticulously handcrafts – from shelling to painting – vibrant bon bons in New York’s Little Italy. Previously available only at the end of a three-hour affair at the three Michelin-starred Per Se, the chocolatier now doles out 25 (and counting) flavours housed within glistening Valrhona domes decorated with coloured cocoa butter. There are childhood favourites like PB & Jelly and Dulce de Leche, and luscious vanilla-infused caramel and pecan praline seasoned with fleur de sel in the blue-speckled Vero. They retail in boxes, fashioned like thickly bound books, in sets of six (US$25/ S$33), 12 (US$49) and 24 (US$88). A massive 54-bon bon option (US$188) is also available, as is custom orders ranging from…

What do you choose after a satisfying meal – dessert, or a cup of Joe? The Italian’s post-meal ritual is the quintessential dessert-beverage hybrid – the affogato. A classic affogato involves a serving of vanilla or fior de latte gelato drenched in a two-ounce double shot of hot espresso. The espresso should flow down and pool at the bottom of the serving glass, allowing the gelato to melt gradually into it. This treat is indulgent enough on its own, but it’s common to find more embellished versions these days such as a splash of dessert wine or liqueur for an alcoholic kick. While using gelato is the most authentic way to go, affogato with ice cream (of various flavours) is widely served too. Roasted almonds, amaretti, and biscotti biscuits may also…

Strait up Get ready for one of the most exciting F&B openings this year: Straits Clan. Chefs Jeremy Nguee and David Thien head up the Clan Café and Bar, and Dining Room respectively. At the former, a laidback salon with armchairs to sink into, Nguee’s inventive approach to Asian fare has produced intriguing dishes such as Kakiage with Genmaicha Broth as well as Grilled Angus Ribeye with carrot lotus kinpira and Asian mushrooms on a bed of mixed grains. The Dining Room is, on the other hand, a more elegant space where Thien impresses with unfussy, comforting classics like Yellowfin Tuna Tartare with dashi jelly and avocado, and Stingray Meunière with tomato sambal. Stroll up to the second-floor The Bar to sip cocktails and tuck into local hawker delights such as turmeric-seasoned…