If you have been bored enough to follow my writings, then you might have marked that I show rare signs of any improvement at all. Unrelated a comment as that may seem, I just thought I'd put it right there in the beginning. Pity has its fan following too.

But if writing lacks the fervour to move you, just on certain rare occasions, where such an excuse is the best permissible defence, we can blame the lack of events to write about and save the writer looking for a new job. This article today is definitely not one of those.

This would be so because I have just returned from Singapore and the events of the recently concluded World Gourmet Summit are inspiration enough to move us to go and book an E-ticket to next year's revelries.

A gourmet summit as an idea is very novel, and also very exciting. It is based on the concept of promoting a region/city/country for its gastronomic haunts. Local restaurants participate by organising special menus for the duration of the summit which can last from a few days to almost a fortnight. Special classes are also organised to educate people on various cuisines, how to cook them and how to pair wines with them. The chefs, winemakers and sommeliers who hold forth at such events are not only from the region but often flown in specially from other countries where their culinary or vinous or general gastronomic prowess is well established. In that sense, a gourmet summit is a serious Food and Beverage (F&B) event that benefits the trade but is mostly aimed at the consumer. The idea is to expose more people to what, for long, has been considered the privilege of the elite. Tickets are nominally priced to all lunches, dinners and wine tastings and well advertised and supported by local media. With such synergies, it is no wonder that not only locals but even people from neighbouring countries make a trip and treat out of such summits.

This year Singapore, amidst all the fuss of a financial slowdown, managed to pull off a lavish series of events. They had some top-notch winemakers from Chianti, California, Champagne and Bordeaux. The list of celebrity chefs ran into multiple pages as they were hosted in various outlets across the city. Atul Kochhar, the Indian chef to put Indian food on the Michelin map too was there (although I regretfully missed running into him by a few days). He was cooking at Rang Mahal, the fantastic Indian restaurant at the Pan Pacific hotel. Later, I spend time with Milind Sovani of Song of India fame who made the meal even more fun by sharing all that had gone into the creation of his specialities. He has one of the most commendable wine lists in Singapore and for an Indian restaurant that is truly laudable.

Apart from this, I also tried some Peranakan specialities, which is the local cuisine of Singapore. From Hainanese Chicken rice, to Kaya toast, spicy seafood Laksa, to Malay-influenced Satay, Singapore has quite a range of interesting street food. They love spicy food so Indians never feel too homesick. Me, given my lack of appreciation for such, risked falling sick thanks to the chillies!

The final event was the gala dinner and little else could have been more of a treat. Imagine a venue which has all the top restaurants of the city setting up a fully-fledged cooking stand with the main chef behind the counter doing what he does best - live! And then, put in unlimited fresh beer in different styles alongside high-end wines, gin, more beer, and what not. It was the tactile equivalent of a Willy Wonka's chocolate factory! The feast was a visual treat before all and I think I ate less with my mouth and more with my eyes.

I think we need such an even in India too. A few tweaks could help make such possible. The government needs to be a lot more lenient and understanding. The wine service and movement laws need to be relaxed as well so that new venues can be converted into a scenic wine soiree setting. Restaurants too need to learn to understand the art of solidarity and working together, and not seeing each other as constant competition. The bonhomie of a fraternity brought together is beneficial to all parties involved. Lastly, the one thing we as consumers need to do is to start accepting the fact that wine events are not freebies; we should expect to pay for them. That is when true learning starts; free advice is worth what you pay for it.

So much for inspiration. I have already booked my place for the event next year even though the exact date and plan of events remains to be finalised.