Some evenings simply stay with you. The FCCS Gala Dinner on 15 May was one of them.
Over 700 guests from the French and Singaporean business communities gathered at Fairmont Singapore & Swissôtel The Stamford for what quickly became more than a dinner, it was an immersive world of its own, built around the theme of Le Grand Spectacle : The Circus of Dreams. From the first moment guests stepped into the room, reality quietly gave way to something more extraordinary.
The venue was transformed into an immersive world of its own, a carousel at the heart of the room, giant illuminated stars, and a sense that every detail had been designed to make reality feel just a little more magical. Walking in, you didn’t just attend a gala, you stepped inside a dream.
Throughout the evening, live performances punctuated the night and kept the energy electric. Magician Darren Tien wove moments of wonder between courses, leaving guests genuinely speechless, that rare kind of magic that works even on the most sceptical of crowds. The entertainment never felt intrusive; it was perfectly choreographed to the rhythm of the evening, surfacing when you least expected it and disappearing just as elegantly.
A gala lives or dies by its master of ceremony, and this year’s choice was nothing short of inspired. Hossan Leong, beloved Singaporean actor, comedian, and all-round national treasure, held the room with an effortless blend of wit, warmth and timing that only years of stage experience can produce. He didn’t just present the evening, he animated it, making 700 people feel like they were all in on the same inside joke. The kind of MC who makes you forget you’re at a corporate event.
The culinary programme was, quietly, one of the most ambitious the Gala has attempted. Three French chefs, each from a different world, each with their own culinary language, were brought together to create a single, cohesive menu. The result was a meal that moved through moods as much as flavours.
It opened with a Vichyssoise Soup, a classic, reimagined with toasted brioche, Umai Modern Caviar and lemon cream, refined, precise, a statement of intent. Then came Monkfish with Beetroot, the fish paired with Tobiko roe and a smoked Dashi emulsion: elegant, with just enough edge. The Pigeon and Asparagus course arrived with a mint condiment and a peanut charcutière sauce, technically daring and deeply satisfying. And to close, the dessert that may have been the most poetic note of the evening: Paris – Singapore, a Kaya cream with hazelnut praliné, a perfect, edible metaphor for the evening itself.
Behind the menu: Pierre Chomet (co-founder of Ambos, Paris), Matthias Marc (founder of Michelin-starred Substance, Paris), and Loïc Portalier (Executive Chef of Michelin-starred Louise, Hong Kong). Three perspectives. One table.
Organised by the ONERHT Foundation, the Luxurious Draw was, to put it plainly, spectacular. The prizes read like the wishlist of someone with impeccable taste and no budget constraints : a Cartier Panthère Graphique Mini Chain Bag in cherry red, a Salmanazar of Veuve Clicquot (yes, 9 litres), a Club Med escape to the Maldives, a villa stay at Raffles Sentosa, and so much more.
By the end of the evening, the dance floor told the whole story. Guests who had arrived in polished business attire were dancing, laughing, lingering, the unmistakable sign that something had genuinely landed. There’s a particular kind of energy that only happens when a room is perfectly composed: the right people, the right food, the right music, the right light. Le Grand Spectacle had all of it.
Until next year.
