Savour 2013

I'm not into bags, shoes or clothes, but what I do like is food. So when I heard about Savour last year, I was determined to attend this year. Was it worth it?

If you want to try dishes from some of the world's best restaurants at a cheaper price, then yes. You won't need a plane ticket, hotel reservations or have to pay a fortune at the actual restaurant for a three course meal. Just pay the entrance fee of SGD 48 (including the SGD 3 Sistic fee) and the cost of whatever you'll be ordering.

And because we booked our tickets during an early promotion, we not only saved money (tickets sold at the gate were SGD 20 more expensive), we also got a goody bag:

But let's get back to the main reason for going to the event - the food. Here's what we got in no particular order:

Alvin Leung | BO INNOVATION, Hong Kong

2 Michelin Stars

#15 Asia's 50 Best Restaurants

#52 World's 100 Best Restaurants

Our first taste of molecular gastronomy! We had the Molecular "Xiao Long Bao" (SGD 6 each) where the soup just bursts into your mouth upon the first bite and the Bo Chicken Rice (SGD 10) which reminded me of a soft boiled egg mixed in with rice - both were definitely interesting in good way.

Margot Janse | THE TASTING ROOM AT LE QUARTIER FRANÇAIS, South Africa

#57 World's 100 Best Restaurants

Seared Scallop, Aerated Scallop and Dill Vichyssoise, Barley and Squid Ink Crumble (SGD 10) - this was tasty but not spectacular. Maybe because it was such a tiny piece that we further divided into two?

The Biltong Cured 1824 Beef Fillet, Warm Corn and Maize Salad, Chakala Ketchup, Bone Marrow Dressing (SGD 16) was nice, but Earl was not too fond of the red sauce.

They serve the beef "medium" which I do not eat as I'm not into raw meat, so I asked if they could do it "well done". Not sure how the chef felt about that but they were nice enough to accommodate my request which in the end came out "medium well".

Anthony Demetre | WILD HONEY, UK & ARBUTUS, UK

1 Michelin Star (per restaurant)

What the Slow Cooked 1824 Beef 'Cottage Pie', Hot Smoked Potato (SGD 14) lacked in presentation, it made up for in taste! Both Earl and I liked this a lot. To me it was like rich tasting comfort food - something to tuck into on a rainy day at home with rice (I am Asian after all).

Emilio Maccias | ASTRID Y GASTÓN, Peru

#35 World's 100 Best Restaurants

Technically, all the dishes we ordered tasted good - it's just that when they're all good, some will stand out from the others. And for us, the best was the Hot and Cold Combination: Traditional Fryede Fish with Milk, Chocolate & Andean Grains Chupetes & Jalea de Pescado with Iced Dulce de Leche Lollypops (SGD 18). At first it looked like a weird duo, but when you eat the fish followed immediately by the dessert, it just made absolute sense.

Earl and I both had a lot of fun at Savour 2013 despite the fact that bottled water costs SGD 4 each and the weather was so very hot. On the bright side, at least it did not rain while we were there.

For those planning to go next year, I have two suggestions: One is to go with friends you can share food with so that you can try more dishes. The second is to choose the dinner session instead of lunch so you'll be able to go around more comfortably at this outdoor event.