AUSSIES GET SET TO PARTY SINGAPORE-STYLE THIS FEBRUARY

Singapore Social to offer an incredible nightlife line-up of sips, samples and sounds:

• Cocktails by NATIVE (#13 in the world) & OPERATION DAGGER (#23 in the world)
• Menu by Sashi Cheliah, MasterChef Australia Winner 2018
• Entertainment by DJ KoFlow and Tabitha Nauser

With a world-class reputation as a 24-hour city, Singapore offers endless possibilities for fun, adventure and socialising at all hours of the day.  This February, the Singapore Tourism Board invites Australians to let their hair down and enjoy a taste of Singaporean hospitality and nightlife, in a series of events across Sydney and Melbourne.

From 20th - 21st February at The Rooftop Sydney, and from 23rd - 24th February at The Albion Rooftop in South Melbourne, Singapore Social will bring together an incredible line-up to ensure a good time is had by all.

With five bars from Singapore ranked in the World's 50 Best Bars List[1], the Lion City is truly cementing its reputation as the 'Cocktail Capital of Asia' and on an even playing field alongside renowned nightlife heavyweights New York and London.  Appearing at the events will be NATIVE (#13 in the world) and OPERATION DAGGER (#23 in the world).

• NATIVE offers an inventive cocktail menu featuring regionally-sourced ingredients, along with a rotation of some unexpected yet genius additions, such as crunchy freeze-dried ants and fermented grasshoppers. For Singapore Social, owner and head mixologist Vijay Mudaliar has designed two celebratory cocktails for the events:
• Forager's Garden (recipe available): Brass Lion Gin, Blue Pea Flowers, Pandan Kombucha, Wild Torch Ginger. Vijay Mudaliar comments “Inspired by Singapore's garden city setting, we use urban foraged wild torch ginger with gin from a local distillery that champions craftmanship, Brass Lion.  We combine this into in a refreshing cocktail with pandan kombucha.”
• Sarong Punch (recipe available): Coconut Arrack, Candlenuts, Toasted Red Beans, Turmeric, Milk Punch. The cocktail is inspired by classic Peranakan[2] flavours and a nostalgic Singapore dessert, Potong ice-cream.
• OPERATION DAGGER, is an atmospheric mad-scientist-like hangout in Singapore's Chinatown, that continues to impress its crowd with inventive menus that change seasonally and cocktails that push the boundaries, such as their Salted Egg cocktail and Pork Soda cocktail. The founder, Luke Whearty who is originally from Melbourne, will be serving up two cocktails:
• Soapberry Sling (recipe available): Soapberry, Longan Nectar, Fermented Oats, Coconut. Luke comments: “Lychee and longans are from the Soapberry family, of which are native to southeast Asia; whilst the name Sling pays homage to the famous Singapore Sling created at The Long Bar, Raffles Hotel.”
  • Pork Soda (recipe available): Distilled 7X, Roast Pork Belly, Apple, Creamed Soda, Animal Glass. Luke said: “This particular drink was inspired by eating dim sum at Swee Choon restaurant with the OPERATION DAGGER team after service. It was specifically inspired by the flavour combination of coca-cola and Chinese 5 spice pork ribs.”

Direct from his MasterChef Australia 2018 win, Sashi Cheliah the 'king of flavour' will be drawing from his Singapore heritage to create a menu that combines a myriad of authentic flavours, ingredients and cooking styles including Indian, Chinese and Malay. Sashi's menu will be served in Sydney as both a degustation matched with the Singapore-inspired cocktails and à la carte; whilst Melbourne will serve an all-day menu of à la carte small plates. Menu highlights will include:

• Chilli crab sliders (recipe available)
• Crispy-skin pork with sweet & sour sauce and chargrilled spring onion (recipe available)
• Chicken rendang wrapped on roti jala with pineapple cucumber achar: the same dish as featured on MasterChef Australia 2018

Entertainment at Singapore Social will be provided by legendary turntablist, DJ and hip-hop pioneer DJ KoFlow, who will bring a mix of creativity, skill and flair as he scratches up vinyl and gets the party started. Pop-sensation and R&B singer Tabitha Nauser will showcase her powerhouse vocals and natural performance style as she presents tracks from her upcoming EP, which will be released later this year.

According to Stephanie Yong, Singapore Tourism Board's Area Director Oceania: “Singaporeans love to socialise with friends and family all hours of the day, so visitors discover a city buzzing with an infectious energy and endless possibilities for fun.  When it comes to nightlife, Singapore and Australia are kindred spirits that share a passion for cool bars and cocktails, authentic cuisine and live music.  We're excited to bring a slice of Singapore's nightlife to Australia this February and we hope that everyone will have a great time at the Singapore Social events.” 

SINGAPORE SOCIAL @ THE ROOFTOP SYDNEY

Where: 200 Sussex Street, Sydney (above the Shelbourne Hotel)

When: Wednesday 20th and Thursday 21st February 2019

Bookings: bookings@therooftop.com.au or T: (02) 9267-3100 

Dinner on the Rooftop: 5-course degustation by Sashi Cheliah, NATIVE and OPERATION DAGGER.

Available for bookings from 6pm. Cost: $99 per person.

Lunch and Dinner in the Garden: selection of small plates by Sashi Cheliah, cocktails by NATIVE and OPERATION DAGGER.

Cocktails: $16 each. Small plates (chicken rendang and crispy skin pork): $20 each.

Performance times on the Rooftop: from 6.30pm DJ KoFlow and Tabitha Nauser.

SINGAPORE SOCIAL @ THE ALBION ROOFTOP

Where: 172 York Street, South Melbourne

When: Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th February 2019

Bookings: www.thealbion.bar or T: (03) 9645 5277

12–9pm (Saturday & Sunday): selection of Sashi Cheliah's à la carte small plates available until sold out. Small plate prices start from $16.50 up to $18.50.

12pm-late (Saturday & Sunday): Cocktails by iconic Singapore bars NATIVE and OPERATION DAGGER. Cocktails: $16 each until sold out.

DJ KoFlow performance times: 9-10.30pm (Saturday) and 3.30-5pm (Sunday)

Tabitha Nauser performance times: 9.30-10.15pm (Sunday only)

Please note there is a $20- cover charge on Saturday evenings after 9pm to access the rooftop

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For interviews with talent, 'how to' food and cocktail recipes, the talent's tips to exploring Singapore, campaign video or stills photography, please contact:

Adhesive PR on behalf of Singapore Tourism

Jessica Commisso or Chloe Herrick

P: (02) 9281 3933                              E: jessica@adhesivepr.com.au, chloe@adhesivepr.com.au

About the Singapore Tourism Board

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is the lead development agency for tourism, one of Singapore's key economic sectors. Together with industry partners and the community, we shape a dynamic Singapore tourism landscape. We bring the Passion Made Possible brand to life by differentiating Singapore as a vibrant destination that inspires people to share and deepen their passions. Passion Made Possible celebrates the spirit and attitude of a city whose tenacity and innovation continually create new experiences and possibilities for its people and visitors. For more information, visit www.stb.gov.sg or www.visitsingapore.com or follow us on Twitter @STB_sg (https://twitter.com/stb_sg).

About NATIVE cocktail bar

NATIVE offers an inventive cocktail menu featuring regionally-sourced ingredients, with some unexpected yet genius additions, such as crunchy freeze-dried ants and fermented grasshoppers. Situated in the historic Chinatown precinct, the bar prides itself on their forward-thinking sustainable practices, minimising its waste to on average 19-50 grams a month. NATIVE was awarded #13 on the list in 2018 and a winner of the highest climber award, following their #47 placement in 2017. For more information, visit www.tribenative.com/

About OPERATION DAGGER cocktail bar

Now in its fifth year, OPERATION DAGGER has become a mainstay on The World's 50 Best Bars list and played a pivotal role in shaping Singapore's dynamic bar scene.  In its first year of trade alone, OPERATION DAGGER made waves around the world with its signature style and unique approach to cocktail making as pioneered by founder Luke Whearty.  The bar's influence can be seen in bars around the globe, along with its long list of industry accolades that include: 6th Best Bar in Asia' (Asia's 50 Best Bars, 2017) and Conde Nast Traveller (Top 30 Greatest Bars In The World, 2015).  For more info visit www.operationdagger.com

About Sashi Cheliah

Sashi grew up with a strong sense of family and duty.  Born in Singapore as the eldest of seven children, Sashi was introduced to food at a young age through his mother's café.  His strongest memories are of his aunties and mother cooking meals for the growing family.  Sashi's commitment to food has grown since moving to Australia in 2011 as he began replicating the Indian, Malay and Chinese cooking of his youth.  It is this strength and stamina that Sashi took into the MasterChef Australia kitchen in 2018 where he became known as a king of flavour.  Sashi made history being the first contestant in ten seasons to win two immunity pins, and he was ultimately crowned the winner after securing the biggest margin and highest score ever seen in a Grand Finale.  Since leaving the MasterChef Australia kitchen, Sashi has been busy running his pop-up restaurant Gaja by Sashi, writing for Delicious magazine, sharing his food with fans through cooking demonstrations and menu creation, and developing his first cookbook.  For more information, visit www.chefsink.com

About DJ KoFlow

Singapore's DJ KoFlow (Wayne Liu) is an artist in every sense of the word.  Having started off in the world of turntablism, KoFlow has evolved beyond that title into one of Asia's most respected performers.  Armed with creativity, skill and flair, KoFlow is known to inject deep knowledge of those that came before him and forward-thinking musicality into his performances.  He continues to challenge and refine his skills to transform every live performance into a true sonic experience for the audience.  He has accomplished large-scale collaborative performances; from the 80-piece Metropolitan Festival Orchestra to the 70-strong Samba bateria percussion group, KoFlow has made an indelible mark as a turntable instrumentalist and a respected advocate of Singapore's hip-hop scene.  For more information, visit www.koflowofficial.com.

About Tabitha Nauser

Tabitha Nauser is a pop/R&B Singaporean singer and performing artist.  She was the second runner-up in the 2009 season of Singapore Idol (season 3).  Tabitha was selected to represent the continent of Asia to sing the Official Theme Song of the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games, 'Everyone'.  She collaborated with four other artists, American Sean Kingston, South African Jody Williams, British Steve Appleton and Australian Jessica Mauboy.  In late 2016, she released her debut single, "Bulletproof" which has amassed over 1 million stream online.  In the following year, Tabitha released the single "Body Language" featuring Malaysian rapper SonaOne.  Currently, she is promoting her latest track “Rules”, released May 2018. Tabitha has performed for Singapore Day in Melbourne, Georgetown Festival in Penang and opened for Khalid's 'American Teen' Tour stop in Singapore, amongst others. To listen to Tabitha's music, visit https://open.spotify.com/artist/7EY3xvBhvVnAGIN4hyGIUk?si=9Rq0HNAiRo6U P0eE2nuAxQ 

 About The Rooftop Sydney

The Rooftop Sydney is a brand-new rooftop bar with Darling Harbour views, retractable roof and open kitchen in the heart of Sydney, located above the Shelbourne Hotel.  It's quickly becoming Sydney's new favourite rooftop bar for alfresco sunset drinks, music and relaxed rooftop dining with harbour views.  For more information, visit www.therooftop.com.au

About the Albion Rooftop

The Albion Rooftop, located in South Melbourne is an elegant and vibrant venue with great views of the city skyline.  Recently named 'Best Rooftop Experience' in the AHA Victoria awards, The Albion Rooftop also plays host to some of Melbourne's best DJs and live acts.  For more information, visit: www.thealbion.bar/

[1] https://www.worlds50bestbars.com/

[2] Peranakans refer to early Chinese migrants who settled in the region, inter-marrying with local Malays. 'Nyonya' Peranakan cuisine blends Chinese ingredients with spices and cooking techniques of the Malay people.