There are no shortages of technically excellent gastronomic spots in this city but a new dining experience, titled Advanced Dining, is proposing to go beyond just satiating one’s taste buds. Created by new art collective The Picnic, which comprises of conceptual artists Aiwei Foo and Wangxian Tan, Advanced Dining is a seven-course meal that has been designed to subvert traditional notions and expectations of what food can be.

Further details, however, on how they intend to do so are still scanty at press time but having attended other experiences created by The Picnic previously, we can attest that it’ll likely be a heck of a psychologically jarring time. Beside which, it’s probably the sort of event best experienced in-person.

Details: It will be a highly intimate meal; two sessions across lunch and dinner will be staged at hip multi-use food and art space Telok Ayer Arts Club over three consecutive Saturdays on 13, 20 and 27 July, with a maximum of 15 participants allowed per session.

What’s on the menu: The individual ingredients on the menu are, on the surface, reassuringly familiar to the local palate (think satay and maggi mee). They come with pithy names such as “Do Not Judge A Book By Its Cover” (sea bream and chicken) and “22 Seconds” (five-spice braised short rib, cauliflower foam).

 

What else to expect: Advancing Dining, as the name implies, goes beyond just the culinary. Participants will be “enshrouded in cloth” in order to “effectively disengage from any outside distraction”. A conceptual sensorial chamber of sorts? Sounds like a meal to remember.

What it’ll cost: $150.65 per pax.

How do I make a reservation: Head here to do so – we hear places are going fast, so don’t dawdle.