This story is part of a series of features covering MGM x RR1 Culinary Masters Macau, hosted at MGM COTAI in Macau on 10–13 August 2023.

Last night, a coalition of the finest chefs in the world flew, sailed, and drove down to MGM COTAI for the grand premiere of RR1 Culinary Masters in Macau. Held for the very first time in Asia, invited guests, VIP attendees, RR1 members, and the grand masters of the culinary arts gathered for an informal dinner to kick off the festivities and feasts.

On day one, the masters assembled; Massimo Bottura, Yim Jung-sik, Shane Osborn, Yang Dengquan, Homan Tsui, Palmira Pena, and their respective teams, sans apron, were seen in conversation with the first set of guests who arrived for the occasion. Many got to meet the Culinary Masters ahead of their highly anticipated gala dinners.

It was a night off work for the visiting chefs, as venue and event partner MGM COTAI did the needful to fill the evening with epicurean delights. Sampling the best of what the multicultural kitchens of the grand hotel and resort have to offer, the stellar teams behind the scenes served innumerable samples of finely plated dishes, delighting guests with aged organic Spanish yellow chicken with potato purée and jus and barbecued pork in puff pastry. Asian highlights included the Yunnan ham and crab meat puff, Chinese chives, egg, and shrimp dumplings,and morel and Ibérico pork “siu mai.” When it came to presentation, the sweet and sour cabbage roll with mango and chilli vinaigrette, Hokkaido scallop, aji pepper, and hana hojiso, and stir-fried pork with hawthorn sauce were gorgeously showcased.

For those who preferred a sophisticated selection of fine dining, guests were spoilt for choice between the marinated fresh abalone with grilled pepper sauce, oysters, and caviar selections.

Paired with Laurent-Perrier Brut champagne and a fantastic selection of wines—a 2017 Château Chasse-Spleen Moulis-en-Médoc red and a crisp French Olivier Leflaive Bourgogne Les Sétilles white—the evening was an entrée to the four-day programme filled with cultural, artistic, and gastronomic enjoyments.

As expected, the range and quality of the dishes were phenomenal. Recognised as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, Macau has historically been a unique amalgam of inspiring cuisines from the East and the West, all meeting in the cultural melting pot of this unique city. Many got to sample this cultural phenomenon on a plate in the form of the 28-day dry-aged tomahawk steak with preserved black garlic chimichurri or the crispy roasted duck wrapped in Chinese crêpe.

24 hours in, MGM COTAI has proved to be the perfect setting to showcase the “best of the best” ethos of RR1 Signature Events as guests got to wine and dine with the renowned chefs who are usually curtained deep in the recesses of their famous kitchens.

And the first night was just the beginning. Adding to the palate of the region, MGM x RR1 Culinary Masters Macau highlights the achievements of acclaimed international and local chefs, their impactful work in redefining the future of gastronomy, and enriches Macau’s dining scene by defining the “Flavours of Tomorrow,” a seminal theme the collected chefs have interpreted in their own unique way.

Tune in for the exciting events of day two tomorrow.

Images courtesy of MGM and Robb Report Hong Kong.