Eat Out with IHG Hotels & Resorts: From comfort food to local flavours, check out 2023’s dining trends in Southeast Asia

IHG Hotels & Resorts recently launched a two-month-long dining promotion, Eat Out with IHG Hotels & Resorts, featuring exclusive offers at 19 participating IHG restaurants and bars in Singapore.

The promotion is running from 1 May to 30 June 2023, and IHG One Rewards members can enjoy limited-time menus along with additional dining rewards without the need to be hotel guests.

Voco Orchard Singapore is one of the participating IHG hotels.

Through the initiative, IHG Hotels & Resorts will be zeroing in on several emerging trends in Southeast Asia that highlight the importance of sustainability, local ingredients, storytelling, ambiance, and aesthetics to create a memorable food and drink experience for their guests.

Embracing sustainability as a necessity

Incorporating sustainable ingredients into menus is no longer just a trend, but a necessity.

Leading hospitality establishments recognise this and are making a concerted effort to work with suppliers who share their commitment to sustainability. At voco Orchard Singapore, part of IHG’s premium brands portfolio, Executive Chef Shannon Batten and his team work closely with a roster of suppliers to incorporate MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) -certified seafood and carbon-neutral beef into their sustainability-minded menus.

Locavores coming to the fore

There is a growing sense of community and support for local businesses and suppliers, and the desire to band together and help local communities. Diner’s preferences also lean towards locally sourced foods from the restaurant’s locality.

At the soon-to-open InterContinental Chiang Mai Mae Ping, Executive Chef Denwers Rattan’s deep understanding of local ingredients offers exciting possibilities using seasonal vegetables from the hotel’s locale and is a crucial part of designing menus that emphasise natural, sustainable food sourced from local farmers and food producers.

Mixing spirits and stories

Crafting a unique cocktail experience goes beyond just the flavours and presentation; it involves storytelling to create a more immersive experience.

Stanislav Andruskevic, Bar and Beverage Manager at Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok, shared that the cocktails at the hotel’s Ms.Jigger are not just drinks, but an opportunity to transport people. Each cocktail on the menu is created with a backstory, based on the past travels by Ms.Jigger, the connoisseur of curiosities, ensuring every drink has a unique story to tell.

For instance, the hotel’s narrative-led cocktail menu, ‘The Tales of Thailand’ takes guests on a sensory journey through the diverse flavour profiles of the country.

In addition, the Siam Milk Punch, is a modern and local interpretation of a classic milk punch cocktail, featuring Lod Chong Nam Kathi, pandan infused rice flour droplets, served in an aromatic blend of coconut milk and palm sugar, accompanied by a glass of icy Cha Yen or Thai milk tea.

Sip on guilt-free indulgence

The cocktail scene is set to experience a major shift in 2023 as guests are increasingly seeking out low or zero-alcohol options, and the demand for mocktails is on the rise.

At the forefront of this trend is the Ms.Jigger at Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok and the Opus Bar collaboration at voco Orchard Singapore, set to launch in June 2023 with an exciting new range of voco-inspired cocktails.

Spice up your feed

The adage ‘you eat with your eyes first’ continues to ring true – but today, so does the camera. Guests are constantly seeking opportunities to share the exceptional creations served to them via their social media feeds. And now since the flavours can’t be shared digitally, the visual element is quintessential, now more than ever – from the Sunday brunch at LUCE by David Giacomeli, to bursts of colours presented through popular afternoon tea experiences at InterContinental Singapore’s The Lobby Lounge and voco Orchard Singapore’s D9 Cakery. Lounge and voco Orchard Singapore’s D9 Cakery.

For example, the latter created a sweet replica of the hotel’s mascot, Mavis, made from ivory chocolate mousse and cocoa sponge with a Yuzu curd filling for a citrusy zing, and the Opus Pot Plant – the rich chocolate genoise sponge features sea salt caramel, zesty calamansi cremeux and a hazelnut streusel and is topped with chocolate crumble, to fashion an Insta-worthy experience.

To experience the latest trends in dining and hospitality, look no further than IHG One Rewards: IHG Hotels & Resorts’ flagship loyalty programme. Points and reward can be collected on its new mobile app. By accumulating points earned through dining or stays, guests can redeem them for Reward Nights across 18 brands in over 6,000 hotels globally.

You can sign up for free as a member to unlock benefits to immediately enhance your next meal or stay with IHG Hotels & Resorts. Details.

[Review] Opus Bar and Grill at VOCO Orchard Singapore