Singapore’s most talked-about culinary event returns for its 18th Edition. Fine dining experience takes centre stage with revered Michelin-starred chefs. The Hindustan Times, Vir Sanghvi: “The World Gourmet Summit is an annual event that brings together some of the world’s best chefs… I can’t think of a single chef anywhere in the world who regards it as beneath him.”
The World Gourmet Summit (WGS), Singapore’s most talked-about culinary event in 20131, will return this year with a focus on ‘The Classics’. With a host of classically trained Michelin-starred chefs, the 10-day dining extravaganza promises to bring diners back to the table for more unforgettable fine dining experiences in 2014. Organised by À La Carte Productions (a division of Peter Knipp Holdings Pte Ltd), the 18th World Gourmet Summit will be held from 26 March to 5 April 2014 with presenting partner Citibank Singapore Limited and Singapore Tourism Board.
As one of the world’s premier food and wine events, WGS broke new ground in 2013, attracting more than 20,000 guests, making it one of the most successful in recent years. Over 30 per cent of guests were international visitors, enticed by WGS’ exclusive dinners, hands-on culinary workshops and educational sessions with world-renowned chefs and gourmet artisans.
This year, WGS will again raise the bar in the international dining scene, centered on the Classics theme that exudes elegance and timelessness. ‘The Classics’ promises to satisfy the most discerning of palates and to create the most gastronomic dining experience for all food connoisseurs and wine aficionados. Well-loved events and returning favourites will be featured together with new experiences that are sure to excite and invigorate guests, reinforcing WGS’ reputation as one of the world’s pre-eminent celebrations of gastronomy.
Amongst a constellation of chefs attending the 2014 World Gourmet Summit will be some of the world’s best masters bringing with them their own definition of classic fine dining, a culinary art that prizes exquisite service and presentation as highly as its cuisine.

Chefs attending the World Gourmet Summit 2014 include:
* Chef Thomas Bühner (3 Michelin Stars), hosted at the Mandarin Oriental – Hailing from Germany,
* Chef Bühner is the owner and head chef of La Vie in Osnabruck. Describing his style as ‘modern French cuisine with other influences’, Chef Bühner is known for concentrating on the taste and naturalness of his food, preferring to take his foot off the gas when it comes to his cooking.
* Chef Sergi Arola (2 Michelin Stars), hosted at W Singapore Sentosa Cove – Chef Arola is the renowned Spanish chef at the W Paris – Opéra’s signature restaurant. Regarded as one of the most creative minds in Spanish haute cuisine,
Chef Arola was influenced by iconic French chefs such as the Troisgros, Alain Chapel and Jacques Maximin before training under Ferran Adrià and Pierre Gagnaire. Chef Arola has opened restaurants across Europe, South America and India, and earned his two Michelin stars at La Broche, Madrid.
* Chef Philippe Mille (2 Michelin Stars), hosted at Raffles Hotel – As head chef of Les Crayères in France, the French chef describes his cuisine as pleasure, generosity, gourmandise, childhood memories, a respect for your ingredients and seasonal produce, in short, a cuisine that is pared down and aims at the heart of the matter.
* Chef Alexandre Gauthier (1 Michelin Star), hosted at Stellar at 1-Altitude – Chef Gauthier sits at the helm of his family restaurant, La Grenouillère in France and is among the trailblazers of France’s next culinary generation, making a name for himself by relishing the purity of ingredients — cooking to emphasize the freshness and wildness of the product.
* Chef Arron Huang, hosted at Majestic – Considered to be one of Taiwan’s best chefs, Arron Huang focuses not only on traditional Taiwanese cuisine but also in sharing his knowledge with the next generation of chefs around the world. Adopting his skills from his father, Chef Huang works hard to strengthen the cultural essence of Taiwan through classic vs modern Chinese cuisine.
* Chef Ian Curley, hosted at The Prime Society – Hailing from Coventry, England and honing his classical cuisine in London, Chef Curley made his mark at Melbourne restaurant The Point. Today, as Executive Chef of the European Group of restaurants, he is one of Australia’s foremost chefs, known not only for his exquisite cuisine but also for his wealth of knowledge, expertise and wicked sense of humour. He is also a mentor on the Australian reality television series ‘Conviction Kitchen’.
* Chef Lorenzo Cogo (1 Michelin Star), hosted at Tippling Club – The Italian Chef describes himself as chef “in word and deed”, Lorenzo Cogo was raised in a family trattoria as a son and grandson of cooks. Over the years, Chef Cogo has plied his trade with some of the world’s best chefs and restaurants; Vue de Monde, Tetsuya’s, Quay and The Fat Duck, to name a few. He describes his cuisine as “instinctive”, characterised by instinct and creativity.
* Chef Sang-Hoon Degeimbre (2 Michelin Stars), hosted at The White Rabbit – Born in Korea and adopted into a large Belgian family at the age of five, Chef Degeimbre discovered his love of cooking by the age of fourteen and began his training by cooking for his family. Beginning his professional culinary journey as a wine director before opening his first restaurant ‘L’Air Du Temps’, Chef Degeimbre combines high-concept cuisine, local ingredients and innovative technology, with wine playing a heavy role in his cuisine.
* Chef Mathieu Viannay (2 Michelin Stars), hosted at The Fullerton Hotel – As the head of the Lyonaise institution ‘Mère Brazier,” which he bought in 2008, the French chef is known as an extraordinary leader and visionary entrepreneur. His first restaurant ‘Les Oliviers’ opened in 1998 with the menu consisting of simple cuisine which later attracted a following. Building on this success, he opened ‘Mathieu Viannay’ in Lyon in 2001 where he expresses his talent through creative cuisine in a modern setting. His earned his first Michelin-star in 2005 and the second in 2009.
Premier Grand Cru Classé
For its theme of The Classics, the 18th World Gourmet Summit will feature one of the Premier Grand Cru Classé list – the Chateau Mouton Rothschild, where its red wine of the same name is regarded as one of the world’s greatest clarets that further compliments and invokes classic fine dining’s penchant for elegance, plus showcasing some of the finest cuisine with settings and service to match.
In a further reflection of this year’s theme, some of Singapore’s most well-known and respected venues will host World Gourmet Summit events, including Mandarin Oriental Singapore, Four Seasons Singapore, The Fullerton Hotel, The St. Regis Singapore, Grand Hyatt Singapore and the city’s most famous symbol of elegance and luxury, the Raffles Hotel.
In addition, 22 Partner Restaurants and more than 12 Hosting Establishments are working towards an extraordinary event in 2014, with their special WGS menus and culinary events (see Annex A).
Peter A. Knipp, CEO of PKH Pte Ltd, which manages the World Gourmet Summit event, said, “The World Gourmet Summit is undoubtedly one of the most established and successful celebrations of the culinary arts. It has been hailed as one of the six best gourmet events in the world by The Sydney Morning Herald in October 20132, voted Best Food Event of 2013 by Singapore’s I-S Magazine and was the most talked-about culinary event for 2013 in Singapore on Facebook. As we enter our 18th year we want to reflect that position with a selection of well-respected classical chefs known for their meticulous and unyielding devotion to their craft.”
“This year, our guests can look forward to impeccable service, an unrivalled programme of food and wine events, and unforgettable culinary experiences that have become a hallmark of the World Gourmet Summit these past 18 years.”