Over the past couple of years, Marina Bay Sands’ (MBS) Epicurean Market has earned a place on the foodie calendar. And why not? It has what most food festivals struggle to secure: A world-renowned cast of headlining chefs. And just when you thought there were only so many big names you could squeeze into the building, this year’s event, which begins tomorrow, boasts a couple more firsts in the celebrity chef department.

For example, you can sample some of Gordon Ramsay’s newly-opened Bread Street Kitchen signatures, including the potted salt beef brisket and fish and chips (you would be hard pressed to find a better version anywhere in Singapore). Adrift’s Chef David Myers will also be in town to showcase his inspired style of Californian cuisine via dishes such as pineapple tamarind glazed pork ribs, and his popular king crab melt with pimento cheese.

Equally exciting is the opportunity to have a taste of Wolfgang Puck’s Spago — well before the restaurant’s first Asian outlet opens here later this year (at Level 57 of the Sands SkyPark Tower 2). The featured dishes include handmade agnolotti and spicy tuna tartare — the menu for Spago in Singapore is said to proffer “an imaginative and seasonal menu of Californian cuisine with global accents”.

The MBS’ Epicurean Market has a clear focus on showcasing the Integrated Resort’s close-knit community of top chefs and suppliers in a dedicated festival where the general public will be able to enjoy great food, drink and fresh produce at an affordable price, said a spokesperson. This is why organisers have decided to curate a selection of fresh produce from the farmers’ markets in California and Canada — including vegetables, fruits and seafood as well as artisanal products — to be sold at close to wholesale prices. “We want to create an authentic and unique experience at our Farmer’s Market,” said the MBS’ executive chef Christopher Christie, who added that many of the produce specially flown in for the event would have been picked at their peak from the markets in Okanagan Valley in British Columbia and Los Angeles. “Many of these produce are also used at our celebrity chef restaurants on a regular basis.”

You can also interact with experts, pick up home-cooking tips and a recipe or two or attend the master classes, of which there are 35 to choose from. (Foodies will want to note that for the first time, chef Hide Yamamoto will be conducting a masterclass.)

Organisers have also come up with the event’s first After Party, taking place tomorrow and Saturday from 9pm to 1am, complete with party tunes by international DJs, handcrafted cocktails and even bottle service. All ticket holders are invited, while late-night bites will be served by MBS’ alumni chefs Daniel Chavez (formerly from Santi) and Stephane Istel (formerly from db Bistro) via pop-up booths just for these four extra hours.

“It will be amazing to cook again at Marina Bay Sands after three years ... It will also be quite nostalgic,” said Istel. (The Alsace, France, native now helms Bar-Roque Grill at Amara Hotel.)

Peruvian chef Chavez, who now heads contemporary Spanish restaurant and bar OLA (Cocina del Mar), will be serving scallop ceviche, gaspacho with burrata and gambas al ajillo (shrimps with garlic). Istel will be bringing “a slice of Alsace” to the festivities with the humble Alsatian tarte flambee (a thin-crust savoury pastry in a variety of toppings): The classic with bacon and onion, a vegetarian version with roasted mushrooms and summer truffle; and a sweet alternative with sliced bananas and Nutella.

“I will also be featuring a dish created especially for the Epicurean Market, which I call The Alsatian Hotdog — an authentic Strasbourg Sausage in a home-made Bretzel bun with hand-made sauerkraut and Alsatian mustard.”

Now, if only going to our usual market was this fun.

Marina Bay Sands’ Epicurean Market runs from tomorrow to Sunday. Tickets at S$28 (for a three-day pass).

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