Buffets are great, but where’s the challenge? Call us kiasu, but there has to be something better than simply inhaling insane amounts of food, because gorging ourselves silly at buffets no longer fills us with the same sense of accomplishment as it once did.
So, it’s time to up the game: timed food challenges, anyone? If we were to draw analogies, a buffet would be nothing but a leisurely jog as compared to the high-intensity sprint that is a timed food challenge. Satay, ramen, even waffles – anything that can be eaten, will be eaten and eaten AND eaten, all in record time, too.
Ready for a taste? Here are several timed food challenges that have put our mettle to the test. If you make it through this list without feeling the least bit queasy, you might want to try for the food challenge at the end of this list!
Organised by CP Foods, the world’s first shrimp wanton eating competition happened right here in Singapore back in 2010.
Result: You could say that American Joey Chestnut was giving in to his… wanton desires when he scarfed down a whopping 380 shrimp dumplings in 8 minutes, setting a new world record.
Status: Finished.
As much as I love ramen, this is not a risk I would take. Last year and the year before, ramen fans were challenged by Yoshimaru Ramen Bar to finish a bowl containing three times the usual serving of their Traditional Hakata Ramen within 12 minutes. If you could do it, the meal would be on them. Otherwise, you had to cough up $35 for that giant bowl of noodles.
Status: Unknown.
Could become an annual thing, but so far, there’s no news of the Yoshimaru Ramen Challenge 2015 yet. Check their Facebook page for updates.
The Monster Pizza Challenge was all about the numbers: finish an 18 inch pizza with 12 different toppings in 25 minutes, and you ate for free. Not that big of an eater? You could opt to team up with a friend – with a catch: the time would be halved to 12 minutes. Prizes to be won include a limited edition Tony’s Pizza T-shirt and a chance to have your photo on the Wall of Victors.
Status: Ongoing, but must call or e-mail before hand. Click here to find out more.
This was the first ever professional eating contest to be held in Singapore, and saw the sport’s two international heavyweights – Takeru Kobayashi and Joey Chestnut – down enormous quantities of chicken satay, all in just 12 minutes.
Result: Takeru came out on top, having managed to wolf down 5 kilograms of chicken satay, whilst Chestnut trailed behind at 4 kilograms (still no mean feat!).
Status: Finished.
In July last year, Roosevelt’s Diner & Bar dared its patrons to finish this monstrosity: three waffles held together with lashings of whipped cream, topped with a single scoop of ice cream and chocolate sauce. All of this had to be downed under 5 minutes. If someone told me they hated waffles and ice-cream, they’re probably unfortunate victims of this disgustingly sinful challenge.
Status: Ended.
Let’s taco ‘bout the time when we had too much to eat…
April saw Taco lovers flocking to Super Loco to see who could stomach the most tacos in 10 minutes for the second year in a row. Participants were allowed two shots of tequila to help wash the food down. Winners earned themselves dining vouchers, beer buckets and bragging rights.
Status: Might happen again around the same time next year.
Check their Facebook page for updates.
Though I’ve had fond memories indulging in after-school feasts with friends at the now-defunct New York New York outlet near my place, I’m ashamed to admit that we never caught wind of the Giant Yankee Burger Challenge.
In the past, when New York New York was still at Citylink Mall, you stood a chance to get the largest burger in town – on the house. Here’s the catch: you actually had to finished every bit of that GINORMOUS 8 inch wide whopper, PLUS the sea of fries it’s sitting on.
Status: Ended when the Citylink Mall outlet closed.
At Chunkfest every year, 30 teams will battle it out to see who could shovel down 20 scoops of ice cream heaped with a multitude of toppings the fastest.
Result: Last year, Team “Thugz” won with an impressive timing of a mere 1 minute 4 seconds, receiving a year’s supply of ice cream. Because you can never get enough of ice cream, duh.
Status: Look out for something similar this year at Chunkfest 2015 slated to occur in the later half of the year.
“Vomited, hospitalised, but never died.” – The reassuring words of Chef Claudio.
Forget Sunset Grill & Pub’s Level 35 buffalo wings. Masochists – there’s a new contender in town bound to set your heart aflame. Along with your entire being, that is.
Mexican restaurant-bar Lower East Side’s Ultimate Hotness Challenge is comes in the form of three unassuming-looking tacos. Containing a potent mix of habanero, poblano, jalapeno chillies and various hot sauces, the filling is actually 9 to 19 times(!!!) hotter than our chilli padi. If you finish toxic trio within 30 minutes – and manage to keep it down, it’s on the house.
Status: Ongoing.
Find out more here.
The famed Korean Spicy Noodles.
By now, you should have seen various YouTube personalities attempt the Spicy Noodle Challenge. Watching them squirm, tear and pant as if they’re being roasted alive from the inside – it’s that intense.
If you sense a food challenge in the making, you are right! The impending JCube Seoul Spicy Noodle Challenge asks its participants to down bowls of the spicy instant noodles as fast as they possibly can.
Status: The contest will be held over two consecutive weekends from 20-21 & 27-28 of June 2015.
Here’s how it will work:
1. Send in your name. Qualifiers will be on the 20, 21 and 27 of June. Participants will have to down 3 bowls of spicy noodles, of varying spicy levels. A total of 50 people with the best timings will be chosen to advance to the next round.
2. Semi-Finals will be held on the 28 of June. You will be randomly assigned to a team of 5. Your team will battle it out with 10 other teams in a noodle-eating relay.
3. Finals will also be held on the 28 of June. The winning team’s members will compete with each other for a spot in the final round. The final round sees contestants racing to gobble down one last bowl of extra spicy noodles plus a bottle of coke.
In case you didn’t read it properly: the winner gets a pair of tickets to SEOUL!
To register simply send in the following details to to JCube.fb@capitaland.com today!
It’s crazy what we do for food, but it’s even crazier to see what we do WITH food.
For those left salivating at the end of this list, why not try your hand at the JCube Spicy Noodle Challenge this June? I mean, it’s what we Singaporeans do best after all: eating a lot of spicy food in a short span of time.
Plus, it’s the June holidays – you’ll have plenty of time to recover.
This post was brought to you by JCube.
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