Munch with Contiki & CulinaryOn

Contiki, the world’s leading travel brand for 18-35 year olds, has been cooking up a storm with international culinary edutainment centre CulinaryOn. Home to the largest cooking studio in Asia and located in the heart of Singapore’s Central Business District, CulinaryOn is joining Contiki to share Contiki’s unique gastronomy trip—Munch—with Singapore’s millennial travellers.

“By combining our passion for travel and CulinaryOn’s passion for food, we want young Singaporeans to place food at the forefront of any travel experience.” 

--- Sam Morrah, Director of Sales and Marketing Asia ---

Food is an intergral part of global culture. Dedicated to the foodies who need nothing but a fork, a knife and a passport when travelling, Munch provides the ultimate culinary itinerary for millenial food travellers to eat their way across Europe. Each trip is led by a unique duo—a Contiki Trip Manager and a foodie social media influencer—who take travellers on their amazing gastronomic journeys.

Using nitrogen to quick-freeze the berries...

Munch provides travellers the fun of a Contiki trip and the chance to explore like a food expert, focussed on sampling delectable local delicacies and wine across nine days with stops in Barcelona, Arles, Aix-en-Provence, Nice, Genoa, Florence, San Gimignano, Bologna, Lake Como and Milan. Days will be filled with exciting cooking classes, hands-on pasta-making sessions, delectable Tuscan dinners, experential food market outings and elegant wine-making introductions with  nights will be spent relaxing in comfortable hotels.

Moving on to the next dish...

Chef explains what to do for each step of the process...

Through Munch, travellers get the opportunity to gain skills in the realm of food and wine appreciation. Not only do they partake in an enriching learning experience, but they also enjoy a comfortable travel experience: hotel accommodation, luxury coaches and a carefully-curated itinerary of included and optional experiences.

Alongside plenty of opportunities for solo exploration, Munch travellers can expect to enjoy:

• 2 days in Barcelona: Kick off the journey in style with a traditional Tapas feast, then spend some time exploring beautiful Barcelona and take a Spanish cooking class
• 1 day in Aix-en-Provence: Arrive into Aix later afternoon and spend some time exploring this stylish town before being treated to a traditional Provençal bouillabaisse dinner
• 2 days in Florence: Enjoy plenty of time to explore Florence, head out for a traditional Tuscan dinner or get straight on the Gelato. Learn to make pasta in the romantic countryside of a Tuscan villa
• 1 day in Bologna: Get a taste for Bologna while wandering the city’s food markets, then enjoy a traditional dinner of Tortellini Al Ragu 
• 1 day in Milan: Spend an afternoon sipping aperol and watching the action on the bustling plazas before a tasty regional risotto dinner
• Dedicated Foodie Munch Stops: Arles, Nice, Genoa, San Gimignano and Lake Como!

“We’ve replaced postcards with Instagram, and cameras with iPhones, but despite this digitialisation - food is one thing that remains stubbornly analogue Munch capitalises on the incredible food experiences Europe has to offer & provides something truly unique for today’s foodie traveller.”

--- Kelly Jackson, General Manager for Contiki ---

As a part of Contiki’s Limited Edition Summer Series, Munch will run with smaller groups of 25-30 passengers. Two departures of Munch will run in summer 2017, with further departures expected in 2018. For more information on Contiki’s trips throughout Europe, USA, Canada, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and Latin America check out www.contiki.com

Life’s an adventure – make it count with absolutely #NOREGRETS.

About Contiki Holidays

Contiki is the world leader in travel experiences for 18-35’s. We’re about discovery, once-in-a-lifetime moments, human connections, and making every second of being young count. We run over 300 trips in 50 plus countries, each and every one designed to get to the beating heart of a destination, understanding the local way of life and unearthing #NOREGRETS experiences. A member of the family-owned The Travel Corporation (TTC), we are renowned and trusted for our outstanding quality, service, value, reliability and financial stability. Want to know more? Visit www.contiki.com

About CulinaryOn

An international culinary edutainment concept, CulinaryOn is an exciting and modern space designed for corporate events, parties, private events & dining and world-class cooking experiences. Launched in Oct 2015 in the heart of Singapore’s CBD, CulinaryOn is the largest culinary edutainment studio in Singapore and Asia, and is able to cater to a variety of fun cooking events from anywhere between 2-200 participants. Visit culinaryon.sg for more information

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Singapore Motorshow 2017 - Exciting Auto Showcase

Organised by the Motor Traders Association of Singapore (MTA), this year’s Singapore Motorshow saw an exciting showcase of over 20 new car launches and the return of all-time favourite Russ Swift along with his breathtaking stunt-driving performance sponsored by Subaru. The event also featured special virtual reality (VR) experiences for attendees, for the first time.

Waiting with bated breath for him to show up...

The assortment of exciting stunts all executed seamlessly and with a touch of humour...

 A rousing cheer by the incredible driver!

“We’re encouraged to see a good crowd considering that many have said that this will be a challenging year for Singapore’s economy. It’s great to see the brands working together to present an iconic automotive event with new activities and launches that the people of Singapore can look forward to each year.”

--- Glenn Tan, President of the Motor Traders Association of Singapore ---

Visitors to the Singapore Motorshow were treated to hundreds of vehicles on display, as well as the chance to meet Mediacorp artistes and celebrity DJs during multiple live radio shows during the event. Those who made their appearance at the event include The Bro Code from 987FM; Jean Danker and Tim Oh from Class 95FM; Kenneth Kong and Wendy Xiao Ying from Love 97.2FM and Cai Wei Bin and Jeff Goh from Y.E.S. 93.3FM.

Mike Kasem and a very trendy purple-haired Vernetta Lopez tries out a trivia quiz on the visitors...

Major automobile dealers were also there to showcase their latest models...

And of course there were several that employed attractive temp staff and models to up their sales...

Not to mention the provision of a much-needed complimentary caffeine dose...

“Mediacorp is proud to be the Official Media Partner of the Singapore Motorshow for the third year in a row. By working closely together with MTA, we’ve been able to deliver a successful event that caters to the audience’s preferences.”

--- Jessie Sng, Mediacorp’s Head of Women, Men and Parenting ---

Red was a popular display colour - in several different shades...

White too...

Then there is always the unique few who stood out...

Perhaps the most outstanding of all is the pure metallic silver finishing of this Harrier...

Official sponsors for the Singapore Motorshow 2017 are AIG (Official Insurer), HL Bank (Official Bank), MediaCorp (Official Media Partner) and Shell Singapore (Official Automotive Lubricants & Fuels Supplier). The event is also supported by the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, Inc (JAMA). For more information on the Singapore Motorshow 2017, visit www.motorshow.com.sg.

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Parklane Wantan Mee - MSG-Laden Disappointment

After a gap of several years, Merlion Wayfarer visited this famous wantan mee stall again. Surprisingly, despite its fame, its two units at Sunshine Plaza were relatively empty at lunch.

Orders were placed with an employee who shouts it across to the other unit in a jarringly loud voice. In the meantime, rest on the simple stackable stools in the no frills dining area.

The plating was simple. This half-palm sized portion was "Regular" and consisted of char siew, fried wantan and some green vegetables. In a separate small bowl, there were some mini steamed wantan swimming inside. Priced at an above-average price of S$4.50, the noodle portion was sparse and char siew so dry that you either need to soak it in the dark sauce longer or eat it accompanied by green chili. Noodles were springy, and that was about the only saving grace.

For hungrier diners, the Large size costs slightly more at S$5.50. Merlion Wayfarer recommends you skip the soup as it leaves a very strong aftertaste and is laden with MSG.

If you have a strong desire for soup, the Shrimp Dumpling Soup can be considered. Priced at S$5.00, it comes with 6 dumplings and green vegetables. Definitely more princely than other similar soups elsewhere.

Even before the meal is done, the employee will be back to collect money. Orders may be taken at separate tables but she will demand that all to pay in one bill, despite requests to have separate table billing. She was back again for payment when she missed out one order. Definitively not a place to come by in big groups unless all have a craving for some basic no frills noodles.

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Caffe Vergnano - Barista Challenge 2016

To the sounds of cheering, whistles and buoyant atmosphere, Caffè Vergnano 1882 kicked-off their inaugural Barista Challenge at South Beach where 16 baristas steamed, foamed, frothed and created latte art to impress the judges and audience. Organised and sponsored by Caffè Vergnano 1882, Italian coffee machine producer Faema, Coffex Pte Ltd and bar tools supplier Barstylez, the event was a fun and resounding success with the top three winners setting the bar for future competitions.

Clinching the top position at this high-performance latte art competition is Mr. Joseph Bringcula from Google Singapore, a clear winner right from the start who impressed the judges with his calm and consistent execution of latte art. Followed closely by second place winner Mr. Stephen Wong from The Coffee Belt who displayed great skill in coffee extraction. Last but not least, the third place went to Mr. Rudel Rivera from D’Good Cafe.

Competitors were tested on basic skills involving preparation of espresso-based drinks from the optimal extraction of espresso to the artful texturing of milk to bring out the flavours of the coffee to the ability to adapt. Taste, aesthetics/latte art and customer service were definitely on display and in full-force at this competition.

“I think it was a breathe of fresh air. I like the community to see that these baristas are not just very good milk pourers and latte artist, if given a chance, they will make very good non-alcohol mixologists. I very much like to drive this further with more competitions and support from sponsors.” 

-- Tony Tan, General Manager of Coffex --

From the success of Barista Challenge 2016, Caffè Vergnano 1882 is confident that this will be an annual event that will help boost the coffee sector and raise the profile of baristas in Singapore.

Caffè Vergnano 1882 Singapore is located at South Beach #B1-17, and is open on Mondays to Fridays from 8am to 9pm, and Saturdays to Sundays from 10am to 6pm. Find out more at www.caffevergnano.com.

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