Singapore International Festival of Arts 2014 gala

Not blindly following the client’s instructions, Pan Pacific Singapore’s culinary team proposes an alternative that makes for a successful event, writes Paige Lee Pei Qi

Pan Pacific Singapore was the official hotel partner for the Singapore International Festival of Arts 2014, which took place from August 14 to September 21. In addition to sponsoring 633 room nights for the visiting guest artists and VIPs, the hotel was tasked with the catering and crafting of menu for the grand opening gala at the Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall.

The client, Arts House Limited, originally requested for a buffet presentation for the opening gala. However, based on Pan Pacific’s previous experiences with off-premise events, buffet setups for a large number of guests often lead to a longer waiting time.

As such, Pan Pacific’s executive chef, Vincent Aw, suggested presenting butler-passed canapés instead, which would be more convenient for guests, allow for a more engaging session, and be better suited for the high-profile event.

Consequently, an international selection of canapés for 500 guests was approved and presented. Aw crafted the menu to present a variety of items including meat, seafood, vegetables and dessert to entice guests to sample them. As the Wagyu Beef Sliders has consistently been one of the most popular items on the menu at Atrium, the hotel’s lobby bar, the culinary team prepared additional servings of this dish as a main. Most savoury dishes were also served on homemade bread and pastries to fill guests’ stomachs.

To ensure consistency in the quality of food, the initial crafting of the canapés was done at the hotel while the final preparations were completed on-site by the chef and his team.

The decorations for the gala were intentionally kept to a minimal, as the main focus of the event was on the setting – the recently unveiled architecture of the conserved Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall. To enhance the old-world charm of the colonial building, the team decided to use steel and glass-top cocktail tables, which served as an aesthetic contrast to the building, while providing a place for guests to enjoy the food and drinks more comfortably.

The culinary offerings and charming presentation of the canapés were well-received by the client and guests alike.

“Pan Pacific Singapore made the opening gala of Singapore International Festival of Arts so memorable with the delightful canapés of a beautiful variety paired with delicious beverages – just right to send us off happily to the performance,” said Lee Chor Lin, CEO of Arts House Limited.

Event

Singapore International Festival of Arts 2014 gala openiing

Client
Arts House Limited

Venue
Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall

Date
August 14

No. of participants
500

Objective
To deliver a presentable and palatable menu for the grand opening gala at the Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall

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