In celebration of Macao's designation as the 2025 Culture City of East Asia and to foster its development as the Creative City of Gastronomy, the Macao University of Tourism (UTM) and MGM joined hands once again to organise a full-day culinary exchange programme on 6 June, featuring the starry gastronomic line up from Robb Report Hong Kong, to promote local talent development and encourage industry collaboration. The full day culinary exchange programme at UTM was conceived to honor the culinary flavors of East Asia, including a culinary competition in the morning titled “One Ingredient, Infinite Possibilities”, where young chefs explored the potential of East Asian ingredients, alongside a discussion panel in the afternoon exploring topics related to the theme: “East Asia Unplated: Stories Behind the Flavors”.
Set in Macao, and with the support of the Macao Government Tourism Office and the Cultural Affairs Bureau, this event gathered five globally acclaimed chefs from the helm of top restaurants in China, Japan and Korea to share their culinary expertise and stories to over 100 local culinary students, chefs and small enterprise owners from Macau. The event today was officiated by Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, Director of the Macao Government Tourism Office; Leong Wai Man, President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau; Connie Loi, Acting Rector of the Macao University of Tourism, and Geoffrey Simmons, Vice President of Food & Beverage of MGM.
The 9-Michelin-star panel for the culinary competition included five chefs from the 2025 edition of MGM x RR1HK Culinary Masters Macau – from the illustrious Cheung Yat Fung, Executive Chef of Beijing’s three-Michelin-starred Chao Shang Chao restaurant; Kang Mingoo, the Chef-Owner of Mingles, the only three-Michelin-star restaurant this year in Seoul; Hiroki Nakanoue, Chef-Owner of two-Michelin-star Sushiyoshi, which ventured from Osaka to Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Taipei; Yang Dengquan, the one-Michelin starred culinary lead of Five Foot Road restaurant; and Antonieta Manhão, a leading figure of Macanese cuisine in Macao who runs Neta Club Cooking Studio to promote the Macanese culinary essence. Christy Ng and Marieta Wong, Coordinator and lecturer of the Culinary Arts Management Programme from UTM joined the judging panel of the culinary competition.
The competition shortlisted 12 finalists from UTM’s students and its alumni who had demonstrated their culinary chops in solo showcases. Jarvis, Chang Ka Chai, the champion of the competition, who is also the Year 4 student of UTM expressed, "Being a young chef, having the rare opportunity to meet and interact with such my culinary idols is truly a dream come true. I am very grateful for this experience, as it has inspired me to continue striving for excellence in my culinary path."
In the afternoon session, the chefs engaged in thought-provoking sharing sessions moderated by Antonieta Manhão around the theme of “East Asia Unplated: Stories Behind the Flavors”. Cheung Yat Fung, Kang Mingoo and Hiroki Nakanoue engaged in an insightful discussion covering several key topics, exploring the artistic advantages of East Asian flavors in global gastronomy, highlighting how these unique tastes contribute to international culinary innovation. The conversation also delved into cultural harmony, focusing on how East Asian cuisines can be reimagined while maintaining respect for tradition. Additionally, they examined the impact of media platforms on East Asia's food culture, emphasising the role of storytelling in shaping and promoting culinary heritage.
Connie Loi, Acting Rector of the Macao University of Tourism said, “This event establishes an international platform for culinary masters to connect, providing students with a dynamic learning environment through competitions and sharing sessions with industry leaders. It exemplifies the synergy between academia and industry in talent development. We sincerely appreciate MGM’s longstanding support, empowering students to turn theory into innovative skills. Moving forward, UTM will deepen industry partnerships, nurturing culinary elites with cultural depth and expertise, supporting Macao’s role as a Creative City of Gastronomy and Culture City of East Asia.”
Geoffrey Simmons said, “We gather here today not only to celebrate Macao’s dual pride as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy and the 2025 Culture City of East Asia, but also to ignite inspiration in the next generation of culinary leaders. We believe in the power of mentorship and cultural exchange. Through various youth programmes, we hope that these culinary masters can offer students a rare opportunity to witness excellence, creativity, and leadership in action—reinforcing Macao’s role as a true culinary crossroads.”
