Back to CNN Sponsored Content by Marina Bay Sands
© 2017 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System Europe, limited. All Rights Reserved. Terms of service Privacy guidelines Ad choices About us Contact us Work for us Help

Meet the TasteMakers

Anita Kapoor - Television host. Presenter. Writer.

Being on a first-name basis with celebrity chefs is more than just a perk for Anita Kapoor. Here, she shares why eating at Marina Bay Sands often feels like an intimate hangout with her best friends.

Earlier this year, television host, presenter and writer Anita Kapoor posted a picture of her soon-to-be obsolete Singapore passport on Instagram, with the caption: Is it possible to be emotionally attached to a passport?

For Anita, this passport holds nearly all her memories of traveling with her Mom, of globetrotting for her travel show work (she's explored the world for Discovery Network's TLC, AXN, Lonely Planet and Channel News Asia), and of course, her various culinary adventures.

But she reveals there are culinary adventures to explore where no passport is required: back home in Singapore. One of Anita's go-tos is Marina Bay Sands: home to some of the best restaurants in the world. There's chef Gordon Ramsay's fourth iteration of Bread Street Kitchen, which serves up classic British-European food, there's chef Daniel Boulud's db Bistro & Oyster Bar, with its soulful seafood dishes steeped in French tradition, to a new level of Chinese fine dining at Justin Quek's Chinoiserie.

A Gathering of Friends

An easily apparent reason why Anita chooses to go to Marina Bay Sands is for the culinary magic put in by the chefs for their respective menus. She's been privileged to have met some of the chefs personally.

"Daniel Boulud is the ultimate host," Anita reveals. "You'd want to be invited to all his parties." Then there is Gordon Ramsay, whose seemingly harsh persona on television is a far cry from real life. "Gordon is as fiercely motivated as you would expect for someone in his position," she says. "You definitely want him to be the guy planning your life road map or, I don't know… your personal trainer or something!"

The chef that Anita has special affection for is Waku Ghin's Tetsuya Wakuda. "Tetsuya is super laid back and funny. He's the one you want to hang out with at a local late-night eatery and just talk about food!" Anita says.

“ Sometimes, you don’t need to travel the world to taste different cuisines.
At Marina Bay Sands, the world comes to you. ”

Edible Art

Besides Tetsuya's hospitality, it also helps that Waku Ghin has one of Anita's favorite dishes ever: the Marinated Botan Shrimp with sea urchin and fresh Oscietra caviar.

"You have the sweet, gorgeous flavor of the sea urchin in the middle with the slight saltiness of the caviar up top. Dig a little deeper and you will find the egg nestled at the bottom. It tastes like egg-flavored jelly because Tetsuya cooks the yolk, then freezes it afterwards, to form the base," she explains. "This thing is a work of art." Though well deserving of Anita's praise, Tetsuya himself remains humble about his creation. "Fresh ingredients," Tetsuya says modestly. "That's all it is."

Besides Tetsuya's hospitality, it also helps that Waku Ghin has one of Anita's favorite dishes ever: The Marinated Botan Shrimp with sea urchin and fresh Oscietra caviar.

"You have the sweet, gorgeous flavor of the sea urchin in the middle with the slight saltiness of the caviar up top. Dig a little deeper and you will find the egg nestled at the bottom. It tastes like egg-flavored jelly because Tetsuya cooks the yolk, then freezes it afterwards, to form the base," she explains. "This thing is a work of art." Though well deserving of Anita's praise, Tetsuya himself remains humble about his creation. "Fresh ingredients," Tetsuya says modestly. "That's all it is."

“ I love it when someone comes into my part of the world and is able to identify certain flavors that us locals may have taken for granted. When the tastes are re-plated and re-layered — that's always a beautiful surprise. ”

A Beautiful Surprise

Waku Ghin is not the only place at Marina Bay Sands where you can pop works of art into your mouth. Take Adrift's humble Seared Sea Scallop with brown butter soy and seaweed: chef David Myers flies in live scallops and seaweed all the way from Okinawa, Japan, then gives them a unique California twist.

The multi-awarded Myers shared that after Los Angeles and Japan, Singapore is his "third home now. Cooking in Southeast Asia offers different balances of salty, sour, sweet and bitter. We love to weave that into our food here, but it really comes down to the best ingredients. Period."

This perspective rates highly for Anita. "I love it when someone comes into my part of the world and is able to identify certain flavors that us locals in Singapore may have taken for granted. When the tastes are re-plated and re-layered — that's always a beautiful surprise."

Waku Ghin is not the only place at Marina Bay Sands where you can pop works of art into your mouth. Take Adrift's humble Seared Sea Scallop with brown butter soy and seaweed: chef David Myers flies in live scallops and seaweed all the way from Okinawa, Japan, then gives them a unique California twist.

The multi-awarded Myers shared that after Los Angeles and Japan, Singapore is his "third home now. Cooking in Southeast Asia offers different balances of salty, sour, sweet and bitter. We love to weave that into our food here, but it really comes down to the best ingredients. Period."

This perspective rates highly for Anita. "I love it when someone comes into my part of the world and is able to identify certain flavors that us locals in Singapore may have taken for granted. When the tastes are re-plated and re-layered - that's always a beautiful surprise."

The Passion is the Food

"I'm standing next to the original 'celebrity' chef!" says Anita, meeting Wolfgang Puck for this story. Despite years of fame ("I was on television so long ago, before you were born probably!" he teases), the Austrian chef is all about simplicity. "That's what I like best," he says.

Puck has multiple outlets at Marina Bay Sands: CUT for steak connoisseurs, Spago Bar & Lounge and Spago Dining Room. While each one offers a dining experience at the standard that befits his longtime reputation, true to his edict, Wolfgang keeps it elemental.

"To me, we need food every day," he tells Anita. "Might as well make it fun and delicious… that's what I always think first. The passion is the food. Forget about this 'celebrity' chef'!"

For Anita, Wolfgang whips up a Grilled Mediterranean Prawns salad in 20 minutes. "I love its simple, easy, full flavor," she says. "None of the ingredients eclipse the flavor of the shrimps… It kind of mixes in with Singaporean culture and weather."

The combination of global flavors with Singaporean elements is a culinary adventure Anita loves, and continues to explore. "Sometimes, you don't need to travel the world to taste different cuisines," she muses. "At Marina Bay Sands, the world comes to you."

"To me, we need food every day," he tells Anita. "Might as well make it fun and delicious… that's what I always think first. The passion is the food. Forget about this 'celebrity' chef'!"

Preparing a Grilled Mediterranean Prawns salad that Wolfgang whips up in 20 minutes, Anita loves the dish's "simple, easy, full flavor. None of the ingredients eclipse the flavor of the shrimps… It kind of mixes in with Singaporean culture and weather."

That combination of global flavors with that Singaporean element is a distinct experience at Marina Bay Sands. "Sometimes, you don't need to travel the world to taste different cuisines," Anita muses. "At Marina Bay Sands, the world comes to you."

My Perfect Day at Marina Bay Sands

Day

I feel Adrift provides that 'surprise' factor at MBS. Another celebrity resto? Sure, but the food astonishes you with its light and modern flavors - perfect for lunch with a small group of friends. The space is gorgeous in the daytime and we could sit by the windows (the bench seats are swings hanging from the ceiling); the food is built around plates to share, and the service is that perfect balance of attentive and unobtrusive. Occasionally, I enjoy dining solo, and Adrift is a great place for that too.

Later as the day ends, my favorite spot to chill out and unwind has to be at Spago Bar & Lounge. Love the killer views and the excellent bartenders - but what I appreciate the most? It's beautifully designed to sit solo or groups, be a part of the energy or be content with a cocktail all by yourself.

Adrift: Kagoshima Beef
Adrift: Maine Lobster
Adrift: Hamachi Shabu Shabu
Spago Dining Room: Grilled Marcho Farm's Milk-Fed Veal Chop
Spago Dining Room's interior
Spago Dining Room: Farfelle with Maine Lobster

Night

When it's deeper into the night, the party folks can head to LAVO, but what I look forward to is a great, well-made cocktail. I either go to Wolfgang Puck's CUT for wittily named concoctions, OR I check out the selection of Japanese sake at Waku Ghin. Their bartenders are very underrated. People just assume that sake is for a good time, but I think it is way more than that. It is very subtle, beautiful and elegant. Definitely give it a shot!

CUT: Porterhouse Steak
CUT: Steak Sandwich
CUT: Adios Nonino
Waku Ghin's interior
Waku Ghin: Roasted Scampi
Waku Ghin: Tasmanian Cape Grim Beef Tartare
(Available at The Bar)

MEET THE OTHER TASTEMAKERS

NIKKI MULLER

With countless professional and personal memories made at this iconic location, Nikki Muller shares why Marina Bay Sands holds a special place in her heart.

Meet
Related storyFind Out More

10 Reasons to Discover Marina Bay Sands (all over again)

Find out moreMarina Bay Sands Logo