When we heard that March’s company lunch was held at Victoria Concert Hall and Theatre, most of us were a little puzzled. After all, it’s a place known for performing arts, not food. We don’t remember there being any restaurants, excluding those along Boat Quay.

It turns out during the 4-year long renovation that started in 2010, the iconic monument has added FOO’D – a modern European fine dining establishment – to its lobby. This was where we’d be eating.

With four long tables draped in white linen accommodating the whole Truegenics team, we easily took up a third of their space. The intimidating number of cutlery and tall, stately pillars ought to make us put on our best behaviour, but with the great company, all formality was forgotten. We were relaxed, comfortable, and laughed heartily as usual.

Since we placed our orders in advance, we had quite a bit of time on our hands. While smearing butter on freshly baked focaccia, we mingled with our colleagues.

The appetizers were soon served. There were two options to choose from, but the one featured in the photo is a dish made of char-grilled octopus, watermelon, and alfalfa sprouts. The plating was gorgeous and the vibrant red succeeded in stimulating our appetite.

We polished off our appetizers in record time and waited for the remaining dishes of our 4-course meal. The time in between courses was spent munching on the complimentary bread and sipping our choice of still or sparkling water.

Finally, it was time for our mains to make an appearance. When the plate was placed in front of us, we were all disappointed – the portions were too small! However, after spearing our forks into our choice of Wagyu beef steak, grilled sea bass, roasted Spanish suckling pig, or vegetables, we tasted bliss in our first mouthful. Yes, the portion might’ve been small but they sure made it up in terms of taste.

We finished the course with a light mango panna cotta and refreshing rose lychee sorbet.

As our meal concluded, we almost forgot to take another group photo at the entrance of FOO’D. With the late afternoon warm rays shining on us, our smiles hinted at the good meal and excellent time we had.