What they serve guests who paid $400 to attend the Miss Universe Singapore grand finale

Beauty pageants happen every year in Singapore, with the spotlight usually on the gorgeous ladies and the winner of the coveted title on stage.

However, off the stage, you’ll see the judges, sponsor representatives and family members of the contestants clad in glamorous cocktail getups. Seated at big round dinner tables, they are served multiple course meals to keep their tummies full throughout the evening.

Mind you, a place for such an event is not cheap at all. It cost $400 for each person to attend the the Miss Universe Singapore grand finale on Wednesday (11 October), which took place in a ballroom at the Resorts World Sentosa Convention Centre.

Guests who wanted to purchase tickets were able to do so online, where they could choose their dietary options – chicken, fish, halal or vegetarian. So what exactly do they serve for $400? Yahoo Lifestyle Singapore was there to find out.

Full disclosure, we were able to enjoy our meal for free as a member of the press.

1. Free flow of drinks

Guests at the event were treated to free flow of alcoholic beverages, mainly red wine, white wine and beer. A number of non-alcoholic drinks were available, including water, orange juice, and Sprite.

2. Bread

Before guests started on their four-course dinners, they were served a basket of bread and soft butter. There were different types of bread to choose – from wholegrain bread and bread sticks to sourdough and soft, savoury buns with dried tomatoes in them. They made for great starters while guests waited for others to get seated, and for the show to start.

3. Apple Wood Smoked Boundary Duck

For appetisers, we were served a cold dish that was beautifully decorated with herbs, raspberries, artichoke and raisins. The smoked duck meat was tender and served in small sizes. However, the meat portions could have been a bit bigger considering the amount of time guests had to wait for the next course (the courses were served at about 30-min intervals).

4. Cream of Forest Champignon

Over an hour into the event, the waiters served a bowl of mushroom soup to each guest. It tasted fresh and light, and made us even more impatient for the main course.

5. Char-Grilled Barramundi Fillet/Roasted Marinated Chicken Roulade

Finally, after an hour and a half of waiting, the main course arrived. The fish tasted amazing, with the skin crispy and lightly-seasoned while the flesh was soft and fresh. There was only one cherry tomato in that dish, which tasted sweet and juicy. It added just the right amount of flavour to the fluffy mash potatoes, which made it the perfect pairing for the fish. We didn’t try the chicken, but here’s what it looked like.

6. Grand Cru Chocolate Supreme

You can never go wrong with chocolate. The dessert looked like a chocolate mousse cake with a crunchy hazelnut base, topped with raspberries. If Kinder Bueno had a cake with raspberries, that might have been it.

Was it worth $400?

Overall, the dishes were not bad at all. The venue was posh, the table service was readily available, and guests were entertained by a lineup of performances that celebrated local talents. But was it worth $400?

That probably depends on what you would consider affordable. Here are two examples of lavish events, whose cheapest tickets cost less than the Miss Universe Singapore grand finale, for comparison.

The Oscars reportedly cost from US$150 (S$203) to US$750 (S$1,015), according to the New York Post. Meanwhile, tickets to the Miss Universe 2016 international pageant, held in the Philippines on 20 Dec last year, reportedly cost from 8,000 pesos (S$210) to 50,000 pesos (S$1,317).

Related stories:

• LASALLE graduate wins Miss Universe Singapore 2017 beauty pageant

• Miss Universe Singapore 2017 finalists don local designer fashion, swimsuits and evening gowns

• Miss Universe Singapore 2017 finalists showcase beauty in diversity

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