IT may have been unintentional, perhaps, but it turns out that Culina - a veteran local player in the premium food business and a favoured destination among gourmet food fans - is not only keeping up with the Joneses (the Grocer, that is) but is also opening its flagship store right next door. Culina's Dempsey Road premises - its third and by far its largest outlet - opens on Monday, giving it a two-week head start on its neighbour.

Culina, which has been gradually upgrading its existing, slightly cramped, stores at Bukit Timah and Orchard Boulevard, has adopted an all-inclusive approach this time around. Regular Culina customers who visit the new 4,500 sq ft space will marvel at the luxurious shopping environment and the acres of space available to shop in - a major departure from the past.

'The whole idea is to extend the general offerings to end consumers,' says Michael Chong, Culina's general manager. 'In the past, we just offered produce as it was but now, with a back-end kitchen prep area, we can do a better presentation for consumers - we can cut meats to order, scale and gut fish and so on. We can offer more wines and more of everything in general.'

In addition to speciality counter staff, the new store will feature serving counters displaying high-end products such as caviar, foie gras and smoked fish, plus a variety of fresh oysters, charcuterie and cheeses. There will also be Culina Enoteca, a section where customers can sample dozens of wines, order a Lavazza coffee or simply inquire about specific products. 'Consumers are much more sophisticated these days, so the Enoteca is a place for them to try items on the spot,' says Mr Chong.

The store, which sports a clean, contemporary look, is open between 9 am and 8 pm on most days (9 am to 6 pm on Sundays). It also has a cafe with a listing of wines available by the glass and a limited a la carte menu of simple dishes, such as soups, salads and sandwiches, plus a small selection of daily specials and desserts.

The cafe acts as a cooked food showcase for Culina products, says store manager Lee Chee Wee. 'We engaged a chef to cook our products to show how the raw ingredients can be transformed to a finished product,' he says.

A sample meal at the cafe might comprise a salad of Tetsuya's smoked Petuna ocean trout, braised Kinkawooka mussels and pan-seared wagyu beef, followed by a simple tiramisu for dessert. 'One of the good things about working here is that there is all that nice produce at your fingertips - the theme is fresh daily produce,' says Enoteca chef David Yong.