Tag Archives: Healthy Food

Travel |

|

Singapore Food Festival

Chinatown. Singapore

GTS Productions / Shutterstock.com

An annual event that is being held this year from the 15th to the 31st of July, the Singapore Food Festival is celebrated throughout the island of Singapore, consisting of food-related events, culinary workshops and demonstrations, themed celebrations and competitions. The main theme for the festival this year is “Savour the Past, Taste the Future”, highlighting Singapore’s local flavors while showcasing the innovative spirit of Singapore’s food scene.

STREAT
The signature event of the Singapore Food Festival each year, STREAT will be returning again in 2016, featuring award-winning local chefs. The event will feature a pop-up restaurant that will be serving up a specially curated five-course dinner that promises to elevate iconic street food dishes, and there will also be 10 popular hawker chefs present, cooking up a range of local and progressive dishes.

50 Cent Fest!
From the 30th to the 31st of July, Singapore’s Chinatown Food Street will be transformed into a foodie wonderland, lined with several delicious street stalls, as well as buskers and street entertainers. The local dishes on sale here will all be sold in small 50 cent portions, enabling visitors to really sample a different taste from each stall.

Open Stoves
Open Stoves is a special event that will be held from the 23rd to the 24th of July, and features a BBQ outdoor kitchen, live cooking demonstrations, live music from local bands, and even neon beer pong. This is a great event for those who want a behind-the-scenes peek into the kitchen, where resident and guest chefs will be creating new and innovative dishes in full view of their audience.

Recreating History
As Singapore has developed over the years, certain areas of the country, which were once go-to places for local dishes, lost their foodie charm. This year’s Singapore Food Festival aims to recreate that in certain areas of the country, bringing back the food stalls that once lined the Farrer Park district, as well as highlighting the heritage of certain eateries, such as the landmark hawker center, East Coast Lagoon Food Village.

Singapore Restaurant Month 2016
Singapore Restaurant Month runs in conjunction with the Singapore Food Festival and is part of the Health Promotion Board’s quest to encourage the public to eat healthier foods. There are 46 restaurants taking part in Singapore Restaurant Month, 10 of which are heritage establishments, and they have come up with 95 exclusive and wholesome dishes, which have been inspired by traditional local dishes. Each dish is under 500 calories, showing that it is most definitely possible for authentic local dishes to still be just as delicious, but much healthier. Some of the dishes that you can expect to sample are the Steamed Sea Bass with Spicy Chilli and Lime Sauce from Nara Thai, and the Eight Treasures Box filled with delicate steamed dumplings from Shin Yeh.

The Singapore Food Festival is always a highly anticipated event, with Singaporeans in general quite passionate about their food. Each of the special events that will be held in honor of the festival promise to not only showcase the way in which local food has held onto its heritage over the years, but also bring to light the innovative new dishes that have been putting Singapore at the forefront of the culinary world in recent years.

Travel |

|

The Biltmore Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara beach

Now owned by the Four Seasons group, the Biltmore Santa Barbara was first opened in 1927, boasting iconic Spanish Colonial architecture that sets it apart from its competition. An oceanfront resort situated on idyllic Butterfly Beach, the Biltmore offers luxury accommodation, beach-side dining venues, rejuvenating spa treatments and a number of other unique activities, all the while tying this in with its historic charm.

The Accommodation
Unlike the many high-rise hotels that have become all-too-common, the Biltmore consists of low-lying buildings and single storey bungalows, each being home to around five guest rooms and boasting private entrances. The Ty Warner Bungalow not only includes a large living area with a fireplace, but also a 1000 square foot garden patio, complete with fire pit and heated plunge pool, while the Anacapa Suite has a private driveway and panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean. Each of the various rooms offer something slightly different, and are able to cater to just about every need that their guests may have.

Dining Options
The Biltmore is home to some of Santa Barbara’s most revered restaurants. Bella Vista, the resort’s Italian restaurant, is considered to be the restaurant with the most beautiful oceanfront setting in all of Santa Barbara, and has made quite the name for itself thanks to their focus on fresh and organic ingredients, as well as their iconic Sunday brunches. Tydes, which focuses on modern Californian coastal cuisine, is another one of the resort’s oceanfront restaurants, overlooking Butterfly Beach, but is a much more exclusive venue and is only open to guests of the resort and members of the nearby Coral Casino Beach and Cabana Club. In terms of their more casual dining options, guests can choose from the Coral Café and Bar, as well as Fins, which focuses on healthy and light dishes.

The Spa
The resort’s spa consists of eleven elegant treatment rooms, with the treatments on offer making full use of ingredients from the ocean, as well as botanicals from the many gardens of Santa Barbara. With fourteen different massages, as well as a range of body and facial treatments, this is the ideal way for guests of the Biltmore to relax and unwind.

Beach Volleyball
For guests that are sports enthusiasts, the Biltmore offers a truly unique experience that guarantees to make your stay totally unforgettable. Santa Barbara native Todd Rogers is a two-time Olympic gold medallist, and has been playing beach volleyball for around twenty years. The Biltmore can arrange for guests to spend some time on world-famous East Beach with Rogers, picking up some of the many tips he has learned over the years while facing off against the champion for a friendly match.

Sophisticated yet casual, the Biltmore perfectly mirrors California’s vibe, and offers guests the opportunity to truly indulge. With a stunning oceanfront setting, some of the best dining options in all of Santa Barbara, and activities to make each visit extra-special, it is no surprise that the Biltmore is considered to be one of the finest resorts in the region.