September’s Hottest Food Festivals in Southeast Asia
Craving something more than your usual nasi lemak fix? This September, Southeast Asia is turning up the heat with three incredible food festivals that blend culture, creativity, and crave-worthy bites. Whether you’re a hawker food hunter, fine dining fan, or beachside bruncher, there’s something to savour.
From Singapore’s street food-meets-style showcase to Desaru Coast’s music-fuelled flavour fest and Bangkok’s five-star culinary affair, these festivals are the ultimate excuse for a foodie getaway. Ready to eat your way through the region? Let’s dive in.
Singapore Food Festival 2025: Heritage, Art & Future Food
📅 4–24 September 2025
📍 Singapore
Celebrating its 32nd year, the Singapore Food Festival (SFF) returns with a theme every Asian can relate to: “Have You Eaten Yet?” This isn’t just a question—it’s a love language, and Singapore is ready to answer it in over 50 delicious ways.
What to Expect:
- Mise en Place @ Dempsey Hill — the festival’s buzzing main hub featuring:
- The Long Table: a communal feast-meets-theatre experience.
- Food Is Art: where dessert collides with high fashion.
- Future Food: a journey into molecular gastronomy and sustainability.
- Zumbo Desserts: Aussie celeb chef Adriano Zumbo brings his sweet alchemy to Singapore.
- Chinatown Complex Food Centre:
- Spotlighted as the Heritage Hawker Partner, featuring 226 legendary stalls under the theme “A Taste of Time.”
- Singapore Food Stories: A digital docuseries diving into the soul of Singapore’s culinary identities.
Pro Tip: “Don’t miss The Long Table experience—it’s not just a meal, it’s storytelling on a plate,” shares Daniel Boey, fashion curator and festival collaborator.
Ombak Festival 2025: Desaru Coast’s Music & Food Mash-Up
📅 12–14 September 2025
📍 Desaru Coast, Johor, Malaysia
Sun, sand, soul—and seriously good eats. Ombak Festival 2025 is back at Johor’s iconic Desaru Coast, and it’s bigger, bolder, and tastier than ever. Perfect for Gen Z and Millennial Malaysians who want their music festivals with a side of gourmet.
Festival Highlights:
- Global headliners: Simply Red, Joss Stone, Flight Facilities, and George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic.
- 29 ASEAN artists for a true regional vibe.
- Taste & Toast:
- Andrew Walsh’s Sazón Tapas & Grill: expect smoky, spicy perfection.
- Carbon KL’s Smoke & Fire: think elevated BBQ with local soul.
- Flavours of Johor: homegrown cuisine gets a refined festival twist.
Expert Tip: “It’s rare to see this calibre of chefs in a beachside festival setting. Go hungry and get your hands on the Johor laksa—it’s a flavour bomb,” says Chef Anuar Rahim, local food critic and festival regular.
World Gourmet Festival 2025: Bangkok’s Fine Dining Showcase
📅 22–28 September 2025
📍 Anantara Siam Bangkok Hotel
Bangkok is no stranger to culinary acclaim, but the World Gourmet Festival 2025 turns things up several notches. Marking its 25th anniversary, this week-long affair is a dream come true for lovers of luxury dining and cutting-edge cuisine.
Who’s Cooking?
- Eric Vildgaard (Jordnær, Denmark) — poetic Nordic cuisine, ranked among the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
- Dave Pynt (Burnt Ends, Singapore) — modern wood-fire mastery.
- Vaughan Mabee (Amisfield, New Zealand) — known for wild, foraged flavours and theatrical plating.
More Global Stars:
- Santiago Fernandez (MAZ, Tokyo) — Latin-Japanese fusion done right.
- Paco Méndez (COME, Barcelona) — contemporary Mexican fine dining.
- Janice Wong — Asia’s pastry queen brings edible art to life.
What to Expect:
- Chef’s table dinners with curated wine pairings.
- Edible art installations and dessert experiences.
- Events tiered for different budgets—from casual gourmet to splurge-worthy indulgence.
“Bangkok is positioning itself as Asia’s next culinary capital—and this festival proves it,” notes Evelyn Tan, editor at Gourmet Asia Monthly.
0 Comments