Ms Chris Loh (Co-owner and Creative Director of Purple Sage), Mr Png Cheong Boon, CEO of Enterprise Singapore), Mr Alan Tan (Co-owner and Managing Director of Purple Sage)

SINGAPORE: 18 September 2018 – Purple Sage today elevated Singapore’s food service by bringing the ‘farm to plate’ concept into catering as it unveiled its new logo at a showcase event.  While consumers today are particular about the freshness of the ingredients used in the cooking, feasting with all the senses is as important as the dishes and setting looking Instagrammable. Clients seek solutions beyond traditional dining experiences.  Bearing these in mind, Purple Sage introduced new concepts such as “The Secret Garden”.  The team of chefs literally handpicked live ingredients such as varieties of cress such as Cress Coriander and Cress Red Veined Sorrel at the cooking stations.  Non-GMO chicken and fresh fish from sustainable sources are combined with food technology to present all-sensory and well-presented holistic gastronomic dishes a la minute (to order).

Mr Alan Tan, Co-Owner and Managing Director of Purple Sage, said: “More and more consumers, particularly millennials, want to know where their food products come from. We have brought the farm to plate concept in a sustainable way into the catering service so as to stay ahead in the industry while supporting local farmers.”

Abalone 20 Head, Scallop Skin, Seafood Glutinous Rice, XO Sauce 

In buffets, it can be observed that there is much wastage especially leftover food that has to be discarded. Purple Sage has come up with a solution by doing away with chafing dish sets. It replaced disposable ware with crockery made of ‘opeh’ (leaves of the Betal Nut Palm).  

Ms Chris Loh, Co-Owner and Creative Director of Purple Sage, commented: “With today’s emphasis on sustainability even in the food industry, besides doing our part for the environment, we also help our clients to achieve their social responsibility KPIs by planning with sustainability and the social use of the event space in mind. The use of plants in our soft decorations is not only to give the setting a sense of natural beauty but also to create niches that will catalyse networking and provide talking points for social conversation. Our Secret Garden is a social space designed to allow guests to mingle, get inspired and share their thoughts on the way the food is prepared.  As guests interact with our chefs, they can learn and talk about the health benefits of our non-GMO chickens and exotic ingredients used in our dishes. Also, we featured two juicer bikes where small talk about exercise and health can start in a fun and interactive way among our guests.” 

Apple, Yuzu, Wasabi

The Purple Sage Culinary team is anchored by Executive Chef, Teo Yeow Siang (also known as Chef Siang) who is a member of the internationally acclaimed Singapore National Culinary Team.   The Singapore Team won Gold medals at the various prestigious international culinary competitions such as the 2016 IKA Olympic, 2014 and 2010 World Cup competitions. 

At the launch, Chef Siang presented some of the award-winning dishes such as Homemade Smoked Eel Tortellini with Crustacean Bisque, and Salmon Cauliflower.  Both creations have won awards at international competitions.  Chef Siang’s creativity can also be seen in his reinterpretation of local dishes such as Seafood Glutinous Rice with XO Sauce wrapped in a delicate Scallop Skin instead of the traditional lotus leaf and topped with a sizeable whole Abalone. The making of the thin Scallop Skin alone is itself demanding of the masterful culinary skill of Chef Siang.

 Lemon Verbena, Rose, Raspberry, Creme Fraiche

Another new catering concept by the Purple Sage is to do away with ubiquitous chafing dishes, and traditional buffet lines with live carving and cooking stations.  Instead, small exquisitely presented plates are presented under heating lamps such as a Spanish Manchego cheese au gratin with Truffle Celeriac Cream. Even Pan-Seared Scallops with Chilli Crab Sauce are freshly prepared in front of guests so that they are consumed at its best, preserving its umami as Chef has intended. 

Chef Siang added: “We want to delight the guests with our new concepts.  Besides curating unique menus for our clients’ events, we have a Chef positioned at each station to enlighten the guests on the types of ingredients used in the making of the dish and how they are prepared.” 

Salmon Cauliflower with Yuzu Foam in Opeh Leaf Container

The launch by the Purple Sage Group showcased many unique features in catering and some of the unusual dishes presented by Chef Siang and his team.