Northstar

28 | www.travelweekly-asia.com The popularity of cooking schools is persuading hotels to encourage chefs to pass on their skills to guests eager to learn the secrets of international kitchens. Show a visitor how to prepare gado gado, or show a visitor the ingredients for beef redang and it becomes more than a culinary masterclass – it's an experience that allows visitors to immerse themselves in the culture. PRODUCT Food & Drink Ride the K-food wave A Korean food experience might involve learning how to make kimchi or joining a new specialty Hallyu (Korean wave) cooking class which teaches Hallyu fans how to cook their favourite dishes as seen in the famous dramas. The Hallyu Cooking Class opens on the second and fourth Thursday of every month at Baekseol Cooking Studio in CJ CheilJedang headquarters in Seoul. Cost to join the experience is a modest 20,000 won (approx. US$18). Enquiries can be sent to the Hallyu Experience Programme email: hallyuseoul@gmail.com What's cooking? friendly destinations for Indian vegetarian travellers. Other preferred destinations for vegetarians are U.S., Switzerland, Malaysia, Israel, Thailand, Australia and New Zealand. The survey also found a whopping 70% of the vegetarian travellers choose their destination based on accessibility to vegetarian food. Whereas, 30% of the travellers would scout for a vegetarian restaurant after they have chosen a destination. The survey also revealed that 85% of the younger generation between ages 20 to 45 are open to cosmopolitan tours where they are served vegetarian food, whereas a majority of the travellers from ages 46 to 65 years would opt for a group tour that assures vegetarian food. Singapore Food Fest set to sizzle AccorHotels has launched a nine- day celebration of good taste across its 40 restaurants and bars in Singapore. The inaugural AccorHotels Singapore Food & Wine Festival from November 4 – 12 will showcase some of the group's leading culinary talent including Michelin-star chef Kirk Westaway of Jaan, Raffles legend Amos Ting and Chef Louis Tay of Swissôtel Merchant Court who beat 29 other countries to take Singapore to gold in the Culinary Olympics 2016. "We have never before hosted a festival on this grand scale, and it speaks to the passion Singaporeans have for food," said Michael Issenberg, chairman and CEO of AccorHotels, Asia Pacific. "I don't believe there is a better destination than Singapore when it comes to a festival of this kind because people can travel easily between our different hotels and enjoy an experience for every taste and budget." Festival highlights include a pool party across several different hotels to launch the event, master classes, and foodie influencer meet-ups. It will culminate in a Super Sunday brunch at Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort & Spa where each of the group's restaurants and bars will come together to showcase their signature dishes and drinks. The AccorHotels Singapore Food & Wine Festival is sponsored by MasterCard and British Airways. Chef at the cooking school at Rimba, Bali Dubai, the U.K. and Singapore are the most preferred vegetarian- friendly destinations for Indians. Korean cuisine is attracting a lot of interest Cooking up a storm in Bali In Bali, visitors can learn the fundamentals of Indonesian cuisine in the new Cooking School at RIMBA Jimbaran BALI by AYANA. A culinary destination specialising in hands-on Balinese cooking experiences, the team at the Cooking School uses locally- grown ingredients, with some spices sourced from RIMBA's garden. The cooking school is housed in a contemporary open-air structure and includes eight gas cooking stations and a central communal table crafted from recycled sailing boat timber. Guests can choose either a simple cooking class, or an immersive experience which includes a market tour and Balinese offering ceremony. Vegetarian food is key to attracting Indian travellers A Cox & Kings survey has found that Dubai, the U.K. and Singapore are the most preferred vegetarian- By Ian Jarrett

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