As a luxury publication, we have experienced a plethora of lavish events around Singapore. Needless to say, it is imperative for us to cover Singapore’s iconic night race from nothing less than the epitome of lifestyle experiences, Twenty3.
Twenty3 is a massive 3,000 sqm facility. The grand facade was only the beginning. Housed within this luxurious space, there were three feature restaurants (Franceschetta58, Le Charlemagne & Five Lights Pavilion), four specialty bars and a dance club!
Gastronomy
VIPs and HNWIs had a selection of cuisines to choose from Italian, Asian or New Age. Franceschetta 58 – sister restaurant of Massimo Bottura’s three-Michelin-starred Osteria Francescana – served their signature Italian-influenced cuisine Emilia Burger, southern inspired pasta dish Mezze Maniche With Chickory, Anchovies Cream and Spicy Toasted Breadcrumbs, as well as a Venetian salt cod dish Baccalà Mantecato With Eggplant Purèe, Toasted Pistachios, Lemon Skin and Smoked Tea.
We also savoured dishes prepared by Chef Laurent Peugeot of Le Charlemagne. They showcased Hokkaido scallops with takuan (pickled daikon radish), pomelo and sake yuzu, and wagyu beef pot-au-feu with daikon, pickles and ravioli.
The creativity of the plating presentations and tastes were tip-top. We expected nothing less than the finest, and we were delighted with every dish served by the restaurants.
Guests were naturally drawn towards the 10m long dessert bar for an additional serving of decadent desserts helmed by Australian pastry chef Andrew Bowden of Saga Patisserie. It served up unique treats such as their Glow In The Dark vanilla slice, and the “Karl” cake, which is an indulgent chocolate fudge cake adorned with salted caramel, roasted peanuts, chocolate mousse and Snickers chocolate bars.
In fact, the dining experience was better than the ones we had during the Monaco Formula One Grand Prix street race. The ambience was just right; posh settings of a fine dining restaurant where a decent conversation can be held, delectable spread of food to keep the palate satisfied and the slight drone of the engine noise when the cars passed by to maintain those adrenaline levels. It’s surreal to know that you are enjoying in absolute comfort while drivers are having the time of their lives on the Singapore street track whizzing past at more than 200km/h. The best part of the experience was actually knowing that you can choose to walk out and basked fully in the F1 race atmosphere, once you are done savouring those delicacies. We highly recommend having this experience at least once in your lifetime.
Party
The Apex Lounge featured full-length windows facing the track, plush cushion lounge seats and a kinetic light installation that was brought in from Germany. Coupled with an endless flow of champagnes, hard liquors and wines, VIPs were all set for the high life as they grooved to the beats by guest
deejay Gil Glasenberg (DJ Gil Glaze).
Track Action
In the earlier part of the day, we saw Chris Van Der Drift (Kamlung Racing) take the trophy for the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia after an eventful race with many exhilarating overtakes and some disappointing retirements. From the Ferrari Challenge, we saw Renaldi Hutasoit (Ferrari Jakarta) take the checkered flag.
On to the main highlight of the weekend, the actual Formula One race! Twenty3 was perfectly situated! For those who wish to take awesome pictures, this is the perfect spot. With the many viewing spots situated on the upper decks of Twenty3, you get to capture the entire row of cars during the starting lineup, glimpse of pit lane action, and witness exciting overtakes as drivers navigate the last corner during their lap. For those who wanted to enjoy the endless fountain of champagne indoors, there were multiple screens, so there was no excuse to miss the action happening on the track.
For 2018, Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) was once again crowned the champion of the Singapore Night Street Circuit. We saw Hamilton take the lead throughout the race, after earning pole position during the qualifying rounds on Saturday. Although there was one safety car situation at the start of the race, Hamilton experienced a smooth uneventful run of his 61 laps, while multiple overtakes and crashes were happening behind him. Overall, the entire atmosphere from the start till the checkered flag was electrifying.
Martin Garrix To close off the amazing weekend, we had none other than the wildly-popular Martin Garrix from the Netherlands. Garrix did not fail to hype up the crowd. Playing tracks such as So Far Away, Ocean and There for You. Within minutes, the scene turned ecstatic as the infectious music made it difficult for anyone to stay still. It was a scene of pure energy as the crowd sang, cheered, screamed and raised their hands to the music (or to capture pictures for their social media feeds). Garrix’s energy was infectious, as he jumped up and down to cheer the crowd every now and then. Dua Lipa also made a special appearance for their song Scared to Be Lonely. The energy from his performance carried on even after it ended as crowds made their way out of the circuit park in high spirits.
With the debut of Twenty3, the experience of the 2018 Formula One Singapore Grand Prix had been nothing but spectacular. It provided the perfect balance between gastronomy, dazzling parties and breathtaking views of the race action. A wholesome feast for the senses!
For those who missed out on the experience this year, be sure to get your tickets early for 2019.
Check www.singaporegp.sg for updates.
Do also check out the Insta-story highlights on our Instagram page (@RosetteMedia) for snapshots of the wonderful experience.