World Street Food Congress

[an error occurred while processing this directive] World Street Food Congress 2017 Dialogue (31 May 2017)


World Street Food Congress (WSFC) is a conceited effort to "tell, sell, promote, educate, create, celebrate and harness" the street foods of the world, for present-day enthusiasts, and for the future. It is organised every year by Makansutra, while the 2017 event, which is held in Manila, is presented by the Tourism Promotions Board, Philippines. Another major sponsor of the event is SM Supermalls, which offered its concert ground as the venue. This event pools some of the most important players in the food industry - innovators, chefs and stakeholders - to a dialogue that brings indigenous food into sharp focus. The theme for World Street Food Congress 2017 was Re-Imagine Possibilities, and the dialogue from this congress may well shape the direction of indigenous food for years to come.

Founded by Singapore entrepreneur KF Seetoh of Makansutra, the World Street Food Congress offers a multi-faceted approach to preserving and developing the world's street food. From the perspective of the general public, it comprises three main components: the World Street Food Dialogue, the World Street Food Jamboree and the World Street Food Awards. On top of that, a Food Frenzy Safari was held about a month prior to the congress itself.

Although I have heard of KF Seetoh in passing, I only got to know him in person this year, when I had the privilege of being invited to the 2017 World Street Food Congress. It took me a while to align my preconception of what I thought WSFC is, to what it actually is. And as I grew in understand WSFC, I couldn't help but be awed by the lofty mission that Seetoh has undertaken to shoulder.

World Street Food Congress 2017

The 2017 WSFC that I participated in is the fourth in the series. The first two, in 2013 and 2015, were held in Singapore, while the ones in 2016 and 2017 were in Manila. The special guest at this congress was international food and travel celebrity Anthony Bourdain, who offered a glimpse of the Bourdain Market he is developing in New York City.

To give you a comprehensive overview of the 2017 WSFC, click on each of the thumbnails below.

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