International and Asian chefs to gather in Singapore for 20th World Gourmet Summit

THE Asian city state is considered one of the finest culinary capitals on the continent and in the world, and Singapore will confirm its reputation during the 20th edition of the World Gourmet Summit, a unique month-long culinary festival during which Asian and international chefs will get together to cook.

Singapore has been a pioneer in spotlighting the work of chefs with live shows or pop-up dinners for years. With this anniversary edition of the World Gourmet Summit, the event wants to shed a new light on culinary creation, while not forgetting about the importance of wine.

From March 28 to April 24, around 20 chefs will settle in the kitchens of some of Singapore's top culinary addresses, from the Mandarin Oriental to Odette's kitchens. Spanish chef Javier Aranda of La Cabra in Madrid will represent his country's new culinary techniques, while French chef Arnaud Bignon, who holds two Michelin stars for The Greenhouse in London, will also be in the city state to showcase European savoir-faire. Japanese masters will also take part in the action: Yoshinori Ishii, whose double Michelin star restaurant Umu shines in London, as well as Takagi Kazuo, the revered Kyoto chef.

Some of the key dinners, concocted by one or several chefs working hand in hand with their respective brigades, and the masterclasses can be booked via www.worldgourmetsummit.com.

A new Michelin edition dedicated to Singapore

While being a culinary capital in Asia, Singapore is yet to have its own Michelin edition. The bustling city is currently crawling with anonymous Michelin inspectors, who will eventually possess the power to pronounce which restaurants will feature in the local guide to be released in the second half of this year.

It's very likely that this new edition will include André Chiang's André restaurant. Trained in France, this Taiwanese chef is considered one of the best chefs in the world, particularly for his André restaurant in Singapore.

Michelin continues to weave its gastronomic web throughout Asia. The Seoul, South Korea debut edition is to be released next November. The red guide is already available for Hong Kong and Macao, while its Japanese edition boasts the greatest number of starred restaurants on the continent.

The Michelin guide has yet to take on Thailand or Vietnam, where culinary stars such as the Australian David Thompson (Nahm, Bangkok) and French restauranteur Didier Corlou (La Verticale, Hanoi) preside over the local scene.