Is it possible to have a dinner party when half the guests at your table are 6300 kilometres away? Last night Singapore Tourism Board proved that it really is.
The creative concept saw groups of Sydneysiders sit down at tables of four and dine with another four Singaporeans who were linked in via video-conferencing.
The creative set-up
We wondered if our digital dining companions would freeze on screen or if we would forget their presence and instead focus on our real life friends in the room.
But the concept worked amazingly well.
The conversation flowed naturally as we shared tidbits and anecdotes about our respective lives in Sydney and Singapore.
The parallels between our dining experiences were uncanny. The Aussies were seated at Sydney’s Shangri-La Hotel while the Singaporeans were at Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore.
Our meals were all identical and served, like clockwork, at the same time.
Four top chefs came together to make this one-off dinner a reality.
This meant food was a major topic of conversation too.
Sydney chef and tv presenter Adam Liaw teamed up with Singapore’s Michelin-starred chef Malcolm Lee to create a modern spin on Hainanese chicken rice; while Shangri-La Sydney’s punk princess of pastry Anna Polyviou joined forces with Singapore culinary artist Janice Wong of Singapore’s popular 2am:dessertbar to serve a multisensory dessert experience.
The 101 step ‘passion-ate possible’ dessert amazed diners in both countries.
Singapore Tourism Board’s Regional Director Oceania John Conceicao said the unique dinner was a way to active Singapore’s new brand Passion Made Possible.
“Singapore is about sharing your passions; whether it’s a passion for food or for travel, for exploring or for shopping. That’s what the whole brand is about.”
Singapore Tourism Board’s Regional Director Oceania John Conceicao.
John Conceicao.
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