Asia's Dining Destination Package - Behind-the-scenes Kitchen Tour at Waku Ghin, Guy Savoy And Santi

Continue from my previous post on the Asia's Dining Destination (ADD) package, here I am sharing with you one of their main highlight which is the "behind-the-scenes" kitchen tour at the renowned Waku Ghin, Guy Savoy and Santi. These are 3 of the celebrity chef restaurants which serves Japanese, Spanish and French style of fine dining cuisines and desserts.

And apart from the celebrity chef kitchens tour, our group also have a bonus chance on getting to know more about the hotel main kitchen (Heart-of-house tour) which is located at the basement area.

HEART-OF-HOUSE KITCHEN TOUR

On Day 2, after our breakfast we were lead by the Executive Chef of Marina Bay Sands, Chef Christopher to brief us on the work areas and main functions of the hotel kitchen. As photographing is restricted in the main kitchen areas due to security purpose there aren't many photos about this 45 minutes trip.

But during the trip we get to see how food are being prepared in different sections of the kitchen such as in-house bakery to prepare all the daily breads and pastries for most of the hotel cafes and restaurants. Personal lockers and laundry cabinets for those with uniforms as well as shoe shine service provided by their Public Area Department for all Team Members at S$2.00 each.

Guess what we found! A 7-11 store located at the Heart-of-House area in order for the team members to get their snacks or drinks during break-time or at their convenient. And for your information they do have a staff canteen where team members could have their 2 meals per day complimentary by the hotel too.

WAKU GHIN

After lunch, we proceed to the highlight of the day where we are able to have a close-up inside view of the celebrity chef restaurants and their kitchen. First stop we arrived at Waku Ghin which showcases the brilliance of Chef Tetsuya Wakuda in his only establishment outside of his world famous Sydney restaurant. All the work stations were surprisingly clean and sparking in their main kitchen and we also get a chance to see a cooking demonstration by one of their chef at their private dining area. During the cooking demo, the skillful chef prepared some quick and easy braised lobster which taste so juicy, flavorsome and succulent when bite.

The restaurant's dining concept is based on multi-faceted use of space, where diners can move from room to room, luxuriating over the dining experience.  They have Four unique rooms which offers private enclosures for small parties to experience the art of skilled chefs preparing food for each group personally. After meal, diners may move on to the drawing room to relax over desserts and coffee while admiring the view of the Singapore skyline.

The restaurant has two seatings per night at 6.00pm and 8.30pm. For more information you could call +65 6688 8507 or refer to their website HERE.

GUY SAVOY

Next stop, we headed over to Guy Savoy which serves French style of fine dining cuisines and desserts. Selecting only the finest ingredients to prepare and serve with an uncompromising awareness is what makes a dining experience truly exceptional at Guy Savoy.  Here, guests can dine in its modernist dining room or choose to have a pre-dinner aperitif at the champagne bar. They even have a degustation bar menu which is available in the afternoon allowing guests to enjoy wines from every part of France and paired with a tasting portion of the famous Guy Savoy cuisine.

During the kitchen tour, we also get the chance to try their signature"Artichoke and Black Truffle Soup" which serves with toasted mushroom brioche and black truffle butter. Although this is my first time having Artichoke Soup but it's intense flavour and texture definitely has left a deep impression in my memories.  For dessert we get to try the floating island cube serves with earl grey tea chocolate and macrons. I would review more on Guy Savoy "Bites and Bubbles" menu in another post soon.

Guy Savoy is available for bar dining at 3.00pm - 10.45pm while dinner starts from 6.00pm - 10.45pm. As reservations are required, you may call +65 6688 8513 or check up more details at their website HERE. 

SANTI

Our 3rd stop is at SANTI where it combines Mediterranean culture with the authentic taste of the Catalan region in Spain. The cuisine is both basic and sophisticated using seasonal ingredients and meticulous attention to the preparation of the food.

Out of the three restaurants, I prefer the layout and decoration of Santi with cool grey stones and soft white linen which gives me a "at home" kind of cozy feeling upon entering the dining area. During the kitchen tour we are able to see how the savory and pastry chefs are dealing with their dishes plus get to know more on their ingredients used and storage.

To end the kitchen tour we also get to try their signature "Iberic Ham with Tomato Bread Toast" sever with traditional “Gazpazho Andaluz”. Indeed this is a great starter for pre-dinner dish and the Iberic Ham taste great with the tomato bread combi which brings up it unique flavour. (There will a review on SANTI, Tapas menu in the upcoming post soon). 

SANTI is available daily for dinner from 7.00pm - 10.30pm and the tapas bar and lounge is opened from 6.30pm - 11.00pm. For reservations, you can call +65 6688 8501 or check up their website HERE.

SOUVENIR

At the end of the trip we are also given a Souvenir Bag each which contains a complimentary recipe each from the renowned restaurants mentioned above together with Marina Bay Sands Apron and Chef Hat too.

Lastly for more photos of this behind-the-scenes kitchen tour, you could refer to Cuisine Paradise Facebook HERE.

Asia's Dining Destination Package - A Gastronomic Discovery at Marina Bay Sands

Recently Marina Bay Sands(MBS) and United Overseas Bank(UOB) has come out with a epicurean adventures at Asia's Dining Destination(ADD). For a year, this ADD programme comes with a luxurious stay at Club or Suite floor; champagne on arrival, a behind-the-scenes kitchen tour at the renowned SANTI , Guy Savoy and Waku Ghin; as well as breakfasts, cocktails and dinner at the celebrity chef restaurants and other participating outlets.

THE CLUB ROOM

The Club Room is located in Tower 2, on the 35th to 49th floors. It has a room area of 62-square meter space, featuring floor-to-ceiling windows, calming contemporary decor, executive work desk, 42” interactive flat-screen television, iPod docking station, DVD player and Nespresso machine and etc.

On top of the above guests from the Club Room also entitled privileged access — to The Club at Marina Bay Sands which is situated 57 stories above the ground, the famous Sands SkyPark and the Infinity pool. Enjoy complimentary breakfast at The Club at Marina Bay Sands, a beautiful venue that offers airy seating, wide-open city views and attentive service.

Breathtaking view from our hotel room at level 39 which is facing the city view. The room at Tower 2 has a great panoramic view of the city which you could admire at all time of the day.

Beautiful night view of the city from our room.

INFINITY POOL @ SKYPARK

The 150 meter Infinity pool is located at SkyPark which is the world’s longest elevated swimming pool that is 200 meter above ground level. Although the SkyPark is open to the public access via ticket sales (for the Observation Deck) but the use of the pool is only available to hotel guests where they have security guards in between the gate of tower 1 and 3 to check on the flow coming in and out of the pool area.

OBSERVATION DECK @ SKYPARK

With an impressive 12,400 square meters of space that stretching longer than the Eiffel tower laid down, the Sands SkyPark can host up to 3900 people. At the Observation Deck which is located at Tower 3, visitors can feast their eyes on the unforgettable panoramic view of the city landscape (click HERE for the observation view points) as well as a choice to dine-in at Ku De Ta Restaurant.

The Sands SkyPark Public Observation Deck, which is open to members of the public and is a ticketed area, is accessible daily from 9:30am and closes at 10pm (and at 11pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday). For more details on purchasing the ticket(s) you can click HERE.

THE CLUB @ SKYPARK

As The Club Room guests we also get to enjoy complimentary sumptuous Afternoon Tea and refreshing pre-dinner cocktails from The Club located at level 57, Tower 2 . As you can see from the above there is quite a selection of English style tea snacks which is enough to fill your tummy before dinner.

The Club also served American Breakfast from 6.30am till 11.00am daily with wide selection of pastries, harm, cheese, bread, salad and etc. They even have a egg station at the counter to prepare your desire choice of egg dishes. According to the service waitress, if you are an early bird you could even catch beautiful sunrise at about 6.20 - 6.30am in the morning too.

RISE @ LOBBY AREA

For guests who purchase the Asia's Dining Destination package it also includes 2 complimentary breakfasts from either The Club at SkyPark or RISE at lobby area. In this case, guests get to try out two different concept of breakfast and dining experience in two different environment too.

At RISE guest would have more selection of their food  compared to The Club as they usually served international style of buffet items ranging from western pancake, omelette, sausage, salad to Asian dimsum, fried noodles and etc. And there is a also wide selection of pastries and bread plus fresh cut fruits too. But if you prefer more quite environment plus bird eye view of the city landscape from the SkyPark, The Club would be definitely your choice.

THIS ULTIMATE GASTRONOMIC DISCOVERY PACKAGE OFFERS:-

• a 2-night stay in a Club Room or Orchid Suite
• an exclusive behind-the-scenes kitchen tour through a selection of Celebrity Chef restaurants
• a 5-star dinner at the Celebrity Chef Restaurant of your choice
• daily breakfast at either The Club/RISE
• complimentary Afternoon Tea
• complimentary Sunset cocktails at The Club at Marina Bay Sands and more
• complimentary Airport Shuttle Bus on arrival

You can to select a 5-star dinner from one of these restaurants:
~ CUT
~ db Bistro Moderne
~ SANTI (review coming up soon)
~ Guy Savoy (review coming up soon)
~ Osteria Mozza
~ Sky on 57

For more details, pricing and reservation of the Asia's Dining Destination Package, you could refer to Marina Bay Sands official website HERE. Or related photos about this post can be found at Cuisine Paradise Facebook Page HERE.

BEHIND-THE-SCENES KITCHEN TOUR

(Upcoming post)

Behind-the-scenes Kitchen Tour of the Celebrity Chef Restaurants is one of the key focus in the Asia's Dining Destination(ADD) package where the guest(s) has a chance to tour and go behind the kitchen to meet with the chef and get to know the process of food preparation. Although the kitchen tour is only available for SANTI and Guy Savoy from the ADD package,  but we are also glad that we could managed to get into Waku Ghin's kitchen too.

So stay tune for more updates on the Behind-the-scenes Kitchen Tour(updated on 05 Dec 11, HERE) plus review on SANTI and Guy Savoy. Lastly I would like to thank Venetia and Philicia from Marina Bay Sands for the invite to experience this Asia's Dining Destination Package.

Asia's Dining Destination At Marina Bay Sands - db Bistro Moderne

db Bistro Moderne is a contemporary French-American restaurant where traditional French cuisine meets the flavours of the American market. Just a few days back, I had a chance to dine-in this celebrity chef restaurant (opened by Chef Daniel Boulud) which is one of the 6 selected restaurants for the Asia's Dining Destination Package (ADD) organized by Marina Bay Sands.(I would share with you more about this ADD package in the next few posts.)

db Bistro Moderne also includes a stylish 15 seats counter bar, as well as an informal lounge area for causal dinning, 2 private rooms sitting 8 guest each or 20 when used in combination are also available for personal or business entertaining.

Before our dinner, we had an exclusive kitchen tour and interview with the Executive Chef, Mr Stephane Istel of db Bistro Moderne where he shared with us his experience and team in the kitchen as well as how he co-ordinate with Mr Daniel to oversee db Bistro in Singapore. Mr Stephane mentioned that he always believe good food comes from heart and the one who cook must put in "heart and love" while preparing he/her dishes in order to perfect the dish.

As you could see from the above photos, the kitchen area is quite spacious and surprisingly "clean" and neat which is rather different from what we usually see from the TV shows. The kitchen is divided into  a few area such as Burger station, Fish and Pasta, Soup, Salad, Dessert and etc.

Upon seated, we are served with some fresh daily homemade bread from Marina Bay Sands in-house bakery which is located inside their central kitchen. These bread are made and distributed to most of the restaurants and cafes in the hotel. Example:- db Bistro Moderne, Santi, Rise and etc

For Appetizers, Chef Stephane has specially prepared this Mushroom Tarte Flambee with White Truffles which is an Alsatian Flat Bread served with Fromage Blanc, Onion, Mushroom and shaved white Truffles. It has a crispy base similar to thin crust pizza and the combination of the toppings makes it a great starter to go with some wine or sparking drinks.

Next appetizer we had Gillardeau Oyster which is serve with Lemongrass Coulis and Caviar. Interesting combination of using Asian lemongrass to combine with western cheese, cream and caviar to create this appetizer. I love the lemongrass coulis which is not too overpower on it's lemongrass fragrant or taste and it really brings up the taste of the fresh oyster with that extra caviar on top.

Japanese Kagoshima Beef Carpaccio is something quite refreshing which is thin slice of Wagyu top with capers, mizuna(a Japanese water greens), Aged Parmesan and a good drizzle of Extra Virgin Tuscan Olive Oil. 

For Main Course, we get to try 3 different types of dishes such as Ravioli(a pasta dish), Roasted Dory and Ribeye. First to be served is Braised Beef Cheek Ravioli which is sort of similar to our Asian minced pork dumplings(wanton). Here the Ravioli is wrapped with some flavorsome ground beef and cooked together with cheesy sauce and veggies.

Personally I prefer dishes with Fish compared to Meat and before I tried this Roasted John Dory, I actually have in mind that the fish might have a fishy taste. But to my surprised, the Chef who prepared this dish definitely has done a great job with it. The fish taste great with a crisp outer layer and yet soft and juice when bite and it goes well with the aged truffle risotto and extra shaved white truffle. 

This is my first time trying Kagoshima Ribeye and it texture is definitely a great different from those ribeye steak that we had in normal restaurants. Each cuts and bites release a different sensation and taste while chewing in the mouth. Most of us love that char-grilled taste and almost "Fatless" feel whenever it goes into our mouth. The accompany Agria mashed potato is so smooth and creamy but yet it does not have that greasy taste and it goes well with the spinach and lettuce too.

Array of French dessert to satisfy our sweet taste buds ranging from Araguani Dark Chocolate & Peanut Butter Souffle, White Truffle Clementine, lie Flottante, Raspberry Souffle, Malt, Pomme, Profiteroles.

Out of all the desserts served above, my favourite choice is this Profiteroles Au Cafe. Love the whole combination and it makes you crave for more after each mouthful. The profiterole is filled with praline ice-cream and top with smooth and luxury melted chocolate.

For more related photos of the food tasting and kitchen tour on db Bistro Moderne, please refer to Cuisine Paradise Page album, HERE.

THANKSGIVING SPECIAL

(until Sunday, 27 November 2011)

Usher into the Thanksgiving holidays, db Bistro Moderne will be serving up some "Thanksgiving Specials" just for this festive season. This menu is available only till Sunday, 27 November 2011. The Thanksgiving menu will feature delicacies such as Alaskan King Crab Cakes and Duo of Organic Turkey. The three-course menu is priced at S$85++ and each item is also available separately on the ala carte menu too.

db Bistro Moderne 

2 Bayfront Avenue B1-48, Galleria Level
The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands
Singapore 018956

Reservation: +65 6688 8525
Website: HERE

Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition @ ArtScience Museum, Marina Bay Sands

Good news to all Titanic fans, RMS Titanic has arrived in Singapore docking at Art Science Museum(near Marina Bay Sands) where you can go on board the largest Ship in the world for the first time in Southeast Asia.

And for one of the highlight of the exhibition, each visitor is given a boarding pass at the entrance of the gallery to participate as one of the passengers on board the Titanic. And towards the end of the exhibition, you could also check the name written on the back of the boarding pass against those shown at the "Memorial Gallery" to see what had happened to that "passenger" in the story.

ARTSCIENCE MUSEUM

Currently there are two exhibitions held at the ArtScience Museum which are; DALI Mind of a Genius (extended until 13 November 2011)  and Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition (from 29 October 2011 to 29 April 2012).

The Museum is at Marina Bay Sands along the Marina Bay waterfront and it is easily accessible via public transport and car. If you are traveling by the MRT, Promenade Station(circle line) is about 10 minutes walk from the station whereas Marina Bay Station(North South Line) will takes you about 15 minutes walk to reach the Museum from the station.

RMS TITANIC IN SINGAPORE

Visitor can grab a copy of this "ArtScience Museum Chronicle" at the Museum's lobby on the ground level where you could read up some highlights about this Titanic Exhibition as well as some fascinating facts. For example:- The full name of the Ship, RMS Titanic actually stands for "Royal Mail Steamer Titanic" because Titanic was also built to carry British and US mail apart from those rich and famous passengers.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE EXHIBITIONS

The Titanic Artifact Exhibition occupies 2500 square meters of gallery space in ArtScience Museum with 9 different exhibit areas showcasing from the Constructions of Titanic to it's First Class Stateroom,  Boiler Room, Iceberg Gallery, Discovery and etc.

In the Iceberg Gallery you can touch a real sheet of ice and experience the freezing waters of the North Atlantic where the passengers of Titanic encountered during the night on 14 April 1912.

Despite whether you have or yet to visit the Titanic Exhibition you could also check out their online Passenger Logbook at www.titanic.sg where visitors to the Exhibition shared about their thoughts on the Titanic experience. 

VISITOR INFORMATION

LOCATION
ArtScience Museum (Marina Bay Sands)
10 Bayfront Avenue
Singapore 018956
Official Site: HERE


WHERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS
Online: Marina Bay Sands Ticketing Portal

Ticketing Hotline: +65 6688 8826

Marina Bay Sands Box Offices

~ ArtScience Museum Lobby
~ Hotel Lobby, Tower 1 L1
~ Retail Concierge, The Shoppes L1
~ SkyPark Ticketing Counter, Tower 3 B1
~ Theater, The Shoppes B1

*Note:- 20% discount on admission for all OCBC Credit / Debit Cardmembers


HOURS OF OPERATION

10am to 10pm Daily
Last admission at 9pm


This visit to the ArtScience Museum has being a fruitful trip as we get to see 2 different exhibitions(Titanic plus Dali) for the price of S$21.00 per Adult(with 20% dsicount from OCBC Cardmembers). But as for the downside we are not able to take many photos as photographing and filming are prohibited in the galleries.