DRMumbai: For most Indians, food is an essential part of their travel. They believe in the power of food to connect with the local culture and make it a point to sample the destination’s local fare. In a survey (Meet India’s Passionistas), commissioned earlier this year by the Singapore Tourism Board across 14 Indian cities, it was noticed that most people picked the option of sampling local food at a foreign destination over options like exploring the nightlife, going shopping, trying out adventurous activities, discovering the destination and checking out the art and culture of the place.
Singapore has always been regarded as a paradise for foodies given its diverse culinary offerings that suit every palate. The city’s local street fare is a delicious melting pot of Singapore’s diverse cultures, while the country’s vibrant fine dining scene has emerged as one of the world’s most exciting, featuring many celebrity chef restaurants.
The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) launched its unified brand campaign ‘Passion Made Possible’ in 2017, and introduced the concept of “Passion Tribes”, which groups visitors based on their lifestyles, interests and what they travel for. “Foodies” delight in food, cooking and dining and want to experience flavours in new ways. The STB will be focusing on this passion tribe to engage Indian travellers in the coming months. A series of activations – food video content, on-ground events and exciting collaborations – have been planned for this tribe to entice them over to Singapore. Speaking about showcasing Singapore’s vibrant dining scene, Lim Si Ting, Area Director – India & South Asia, Singapore Tourism Board said, “The Indian traveller today is open to experimenting with various cuisines. Sampling local food is always on the top of their lists and Singapore with its diverse food culture offers a host of options for gastronomic adventures. Whether it is fine-dining or street food, Singapore has it all! We want to showcase Singapore’s culinary landscape in an engaging and exciting manner to the Indian audience.”
To begin with, Foodies in Mumbai can look forward to indulging in authentic Singaporean cuisine with the launch of a popular restaurant, Nasi and Mee Asian Canteen at The Orb, Mumbai. The restaurant with outlets in Bangalore, Chennai and Kochi will offer familiar favourite Singaporean food options for guests to indulge in. The STB celebrated the launch of the restaurant in Mumbai with a fun cook-off between Indian celebrity chef, Saransh Goila and Singaporean Chef from Nasi and Mee, Daniel Chin. Both the chefs co-created a signature dish of Black Pepper Crab, which captured the flavors of both Singapore and India for the guests.
During the launch, Ravindran Nahappan, owner of the specialty restaurant chain Nasi and Mee said, “Nasi and Mee is delighted to open our doors here in Mumbai. It was a night to remember with a great turn out with the highlight being the cook-off between Chef Saransh and Chef Daniel! The crab was delicious! We had a great time showcasing our unique offering of Singaporean dishes and look forward to welcoming more diners to the restaurant soon.”
Another highlight at the event was the unveiling of a three-part video series*, produced in collaboration with leading OTT platform, Voot and featuring Saransh Goila. The series titled “#CheatWeek in Singapore with Chef Saransh chronicles Singapore’s gastronomic landscape through content on unique restaurants, street food and nightlife among others. The videos have captured Chef Saransh’s experience of Singapore’s diverse culinary offerings.
Sharing his experience, Saransh said, “Few places in the world can offer as diverse, exotic and thoroughly appealing a food scene as Singapore. The city has every imaginable cuisine, for every imaginable budget. I had a great time shooting these videos in the city where I got to explore many off-beat eateries as well, besides the renowned ones.”
Adding to this was Akash Banerji, Business Head VOOT, “With VOOT Studio, our aim continues to be to provide marquee brand solutions beyond the 30-seconds commercial. The film conceptualised and curated for the STB is a true representation of the shared passion for Food for both Singaporeans and Indians. It provides a great opportunity for the brand to connect with its relevant target audience through superior and immersive storytelling. We believe that such integrated and seamless storytelling is what helps brands deliver their proposition effectively”
In addition to all the videos that will be available on the Voot platform, a handy food guide has been designed which has documented the places covered by Saransh and more. This food guide will also be available in a mobile-friendly format soon.
The STB also has a treat in store for foodies across India. In partnership with Indian restaurant aggregator and food delivery startup – Zomato, the STB will be having a Singapore Experience Zone set up within Zomaland (a series of food carnivals & picnics across 10 key Indian cities). In line with the brand Passion Made Possible, the Board will highlight the culinary offerings, appealing to the Foodie passion tribe in the country.
