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Singapore’s cultural diversity is reflected in its expansive culinary landscape, which spans a melting pot of cuisines and flavours. This culinary abundance has resulted in a joke among locals that “eating out is a national pastime”.
At Jurong Point, adventurous diners are able to pursue this pastime to the fullest. This expansive mall – the largest in Singapore’s west region and one of Link’s first acquisitions in Singapore – is home to a dazzling array of dining options. With its collection of thematic food precincts offering delicacies from Hong Kong, Japan and Malaysia, as well as its many restaurants, cafes and snack kiosks, Jurong Point is recognised by in-the-know diners as one of the island city-state’s leading dining destinations.
The mall plays up this role by organising culinary events where the local community can come together to discover new gourmet experiences. Last year, the mall organised the Japan Matsuri Fair, which combined Japanese street food, interactive games, cultural performances and unique giveaways to bring a slice of Japan to Singapore. Based on the popularity and success of the Japan Matsuri Fair, Jurong Point expanded the concept to a full-fledged international street food festival this year – the Food Feastival.
The Food Feastival injected a new vibrancy into the mall’s atrium when it ran from 25 August to 15 October 2023, attracting foodies from across the island to satisfy their tastebuds. Visitors entering the atrium were greeted by more than 20 food stalls offering street food delights such as moo ping (grilled pork skewers) from Thailand, burgers from America, egg roll pancakes from China, and other street food favourites from Japan, Malaysia and Korea.
“Chinese egg roll pancake! It is something I have always wanted to try and I am excited to finally try it here at Jurong Point,” exclaimed Christy, a frequent shopper at Jurong Point.
In a nod to the diversity of flavours offered, there were also unique local creations for those with more adventurous tastebuds – chilli crab-flavoured kueh tutu, anyone?
In a celebration of cultural diversity, the Food Feastival opened with a bang with an energetic Japanese taiko performance by Singapore’s renowned Hibikiya group and modern LED drum performances that left the crowds enthralled. Jurong Point’s tenants also hosted captivating performances, with Hai Di Lao’s “Dancing Noodle” man flaunting his dexterity and moves as he prepared his noodles, and a Chinese mask-changer who drew gasps from the crowd whenever he changed his mask. The great atmosphere gathered together tenants and visitors from different places to share a unique experience.
“As one of Singapore’s favourite chicken chains, Nando’s looks forward to more engaging collaborations with Jurong Point for better brand awareness and to reach an even wider audience from all communities,” said Benjamin Teoh, Marketing Manager from Nando’s.
Cooking demonstrations such as the kimchi-making session by Emart24 not only served up tasty dishes but also offered a glimpse into the rich traditions of different cultures.
“We are delighted to participate in the Food Feastival, and even more excited to showcase the rich culinary heritage of Korea,” quipped Darrick Koh, Marketing Manager from Emart24.
The crowd also marvelled at the Don Don Donki Japanese chef’s deft tuna-slicing skills and attention to details, appreciating the chance to see him in action up close.
The spotlight also shone bright on the various food challenges, which attracted interest from participants across the island and drew large crowds to cheer them on. The Hai Di Lao noodle-eating challenge saw participants polish off a bowl of noodles as fast as they could in the first round before progressing to the finals where they competed to consume the most bowls of noodles within 10 minutes. This challenge, together with Nando’s “Fastest Deboning and Eating of 20 Chicken Wings” challenge, even resulted in new records in the Singapore Book of Records!
To provide real-time engagement with the community, Jurong Point also tapped the power of social media and live-streamed the various events, generating a lot of chatter and buzz online. But, of course, nothing compared to visiting the Food Feastival in person to check out the sights and smells, and savour the wide array of gastronomic delights from around the world. This celebration of diversity and inclusion was a literal melting pot of tastes and cultures, reflecting Jurong Point’s role in the community as a place to come together and connect.
Andy Kau, General Manager of Jurong Point puts it well. “By creating a space that enables tenants to expand their reach to members of different communities to make meaningful connections, the Food Feastival has successfully paved the way for future events, allowing it to continue to evolve the retail destination as the place to be for the community to live, work and play.”
