LOOK, but don't touch: That was what diners in yesterday's Sunday Times Food Tour were told after waitresses set down bowls of Buddha Jumps Over The Wall in front of them at the Spring Ju Chun Yuan restaurant.

Shortly after, the 10 readers and their guests were treated to a poetry recital explaining the origins of the dish, named for supposedly luring the Buddha to abandon his meditations for a whiff of its fragrance.

Guests were then invited to admire the bowl's intricate design before they lifted its lid to sip the savoury stew.

The elaborate ritual proved well worth the wait for many.

Diners tucking into the food at the Spring Ju Chun Yuan restaurant at Far East Square under the watchful eye of their host, Straits Times food critic Wong Ah Yoke (left). Pictured with him are accounts manager Lina Lim, 24, and her boyfriend Don Tan, 26, also an accounts manager.

"I eat this only once a year and never a $1,288 pot, it's too extravagant!" said HR specialist Ng Chow Yong, 26, as he eagerly tucked into the stew which is often highly priced, with ingredients such as abalone, shark's fin and scallop.

After winning a contest in The Sunday Times' 100 Favourite Dishes Guide last month, Mr Ng took wife Ms Goh Sing Yee, 24, along for the full-day Food Tour, presented by HSBC and hosted by Straits Times food critic Wong Ah Yoke.

After the seven-course lunch, the guests were chauffeured in a double-decker luxury coach to catch a special screening of Ratatouille at Golden Village VivoCity's Gold Class theatre.

T hey later watched the sunset from the large windows of the spa rooms at House on Dempsey Road, where they received an hour-long massage and attended an aromatherapy class.

"What a day of pampering!" remarked administration department head Julie Khoo, 53, while watching the others sing karaoke on the bus journey towards the next destination, Italian restaurant il Lido on Sentosa.

Over the four-course dinner which wrapped up the tour, the diners exchanged anecdotes about their spa experiences and compared their favourite segments of the tour.

"It was a nice personal touch to have Mr Wong introduce the chefs and owners of the restaurants to us," said bank officer Carmel Seow, 46.

Executive Chan Meow Oon, 44, also used the chance to ask Mr Wong, a food critic for 15 years, on the criteria he uses to review restaurants.

Joked Ms Chan, who slipped in a question on how Mr Wong stays slim on the job: "I want to find out his secret recipe!"

debyong@sph.com.sg

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This article was first published in The Sunday Times on Nov 4, 2007