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White night: Diner En Blanc

So you pay S$40 (on top of a membership fee of S$6.40) for a seat. But you’ll need to bring your own seat. Not to mention your own food, silverware, flatware, a white tablecloth and, yes, even your own darn table. All of which you have to schlep to some secret outdoor location that will be revealed to you only a couple of hours before chow-time. Decked out in your best white finery from head to toe, no less.

So you pay S$40 (on top of a membership fee of S$6.40) for a seat. But you’ll need to bring your own seat. Not to mention your own food, silverware, flatware, a white tablecloth and, yes, even your own darn table. All of which you have to schlep to some secret outdoor location that will be revealed to you only a couple of hours before chow-time. Decked out in your best white finery from head to toe, no less.

Oh, and there’s a three-step process for application and a long waiting list. Because, you know, the experience of paying a stranger for the privilege of staging your own dinner party is not just for everyone, darling. And you can’t cancel ... even if it rains on your white parade.

We are, of course, talking about that flash-mob-meets-pop-up dinner that is Diner En Blanc, the brainchild of Francois Pasquier, who started it all 26 years ago when he invited his friends to Bois de Boulogne and got them to wear white to make it easier to pick one another out of the crowd.

These days, we now have pop-up picnickers all over the world recreating his Parisian concept in various cities. For fun and a fee.

Singapore, of course, became the first Asian country chosen to host this pop-up invite-only picnic. Two years and one chicken-rice-and-tau-huay controversy later, we saw Diner En Blanc Singapore’s third edition pop- up at Sentosa’s Tanjong Beach last Saturday evening with a 3,000-strong crowd unabashedly revelling amid fireworks, sparklers and champagne.

And I was one of them. Thanks to an invite from official champagne sponsor Perrier-Jouet, this previously eye-rolling writer finally got her Diner En Blanc cherry popped. Two years late to the party perhaps, but after reading and hearing about all the criticism and controversy surrounding the event both globally and locally, this invite felt like a perfect opportunity to delve deeper into the whole thing first hand; and perhaps finally figure out the mystery as to why excitement and popularity continue to build for Diner En Blanc year after year.

Plus, my mother taught me never to turn down good champagne. Here’s what I found out:

 

> WHITE FOOD IS REALLY NOT A REQUISITE.

Judging from the brown baguettes, red honey-barbecued pork (okay, char siew), green salads, pink salmon, yellow noodles, purple eggplant and blue cheese that I saw many a happy diner tucking into, it’s a misconception that you really need to bring only white food. You’re more than free to bring food of any creed or colour. Chicken rice and tau huey included. Why, somebody even brought a steamboat along.

 

> YOU DON’T REALLY HAVE TO WEAR WHITE, EITHER.

Not really. Just remember to keep it a whiter shade of pale. For a change, Singaporeans genuinely seemed to have fun with their outfits and mixed it up with both modern and traditional styles, all while keeping on the wide spectrum of “white” . Mother-of-pearl, off-white ensembles were spotted and nary a dirty look was shot.

 

> IT’S NOT AN ALL-NIGHT BOOZE-UP.

Not in the least. Due to Singapore’s strict alcohol licensing regulations, diners could not bring their own bottles of booze and had to pre-order their tipple via the organisers before the event. Which means it’s tough luck if you run out. But Perrier-Jouet is the event’s official champagne; so you know you are getting quality stuff.

 

> IS THE WHOLE THING PRETENTIOUS?

Heck yes! But the overall convivial atmosphere felt relaxed and fun, way more palpable than the pretension surrounding it. Moreover, it’s meant to be an evening about spontaneity, camaraderie among friends and celebrating the joie de vivre. If that sentence made you roll your eyes, then Diner En Blanc is not your cup of tea. Nothing is stopping you from having your own picnic at any time on any day anywhere you liked (dressed up in all white and waving your napkins with your friends to your heart’s content, too). So why judge those who choose to do it with a few thousand other people?

The concept may seem pretentious, but most attendees seemed far from the sort. They mixed and mingled, dallied and danced, and swapped stories, recipes and food. Champagne glasses clinked and new friends were made. Sure, there are a few things about Diner En Blanc that could be tweaked for the better, but it’s nice to have that kampung spirit on an all-time high.

Besides, there’s no denying its romantic appeal.

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