7,000 participants join the 'MGM Chef Nic Gastronomusic Fest' in Macau
Dec 12, 2023
As UNESCO’s Creative City of Gastronomy (part of the wider Creative Cities Network), Macau is ending 2023 on a gastronomic high note with the second edition of MGM Chef Nic Gastronomusic Fest
The Macau Tourism Board has divulged plans to expand Macau’s portfolio to more than a gambling destination and many of the existing hotels and casinos have taken note with gusto. In this case, MGM returns with Chef Nic to jointly present the MGM Chef Nic Gastronomusic Fest, which offered an extravaganza of dining and entertainment mash-up to locals and tourists on December 9 and 10 at MGM Cotai. It welcomed approximately 7,000 participants in two days.
MGM teamed up with Chef Nic to bring about a stellar line-up of 16 elite chefs from both teams and curated a “one-bite fine dining” multisensory extravaganza combining a sumptuous feast from 11 international signature cuisines.
Topping off the occasion, the event also provided high-octane music gigs by pop artists from Mainland China and Hong Kong. The “fork n’ roll” festival ended the year on a high note, further solidifying the status of Macau as a Creative City of Gastronomy.
In the likeness of a cultural exchange exercise, the two chef teams displayed manifold dining capacities: the seven star chefs created dishes that embodied some of the world’s most popular flavors, such as Korean, Southeast Asian and paid homage to the French culinary foundation. Vegetarian and pescatarian options were available to appeal to a wider audience.
On the other hand, MGM’s chef team took charge of Cantonese, Sichuan, Macanese-Portuguese, Filipino, French and Pan-Asian creations. A cuisine that cannot be missed in Macau, the Macanese-Portuguese creation – Roasted Octopus, Grilled Bell pepper Rice, and Sepia Garlic Puree – was one of the highlight dishes among the crowd.
Behind the scenes, the integrated resort had mobilized about 100 team members to come together to make this a successful and unique gastronomic event. “This is another endeavour of MGM to continue positioning ourselves as a pioneer in cultural tourism, creating original and diverse entertainment offerings to appeal to both locals and international travellers,” says Hubert Wang, president and chief operating officer of MGM China Holdings.
Returning to the scene is actor and culinary entrepreneur, Nicholas Tse, aka ‘Chef Nic’ (a gourmet lifestyle concept persona conjured by Tse in 2015, with a vision of “creating experiences, not just food).
“Four years ago, MGM made my dream of putting my two passions together a reality, with the amazing venue, and professional teams that they have. I am more than thrilled that we have the same vision and acquired taste for different forms of art in life. This time around, we are making the gastronomic component more interesting, so that together, we showcase the possibility of diversified culinary offerings that we can make happen.”
The music festival was headlined by Nicholas Tse’s high-octane rock ‘n’ roll performance, alongside Chinese rock band Tarzan, pop stars Hailey Liu and Young Cao from Mainland China; Hong Kong band Dear Jane, pop singers Edmond Leung and Gin Lee, heartthrobs Panther Chan and MC Cheung, and girl group XiX warmed up the crowd as the opening act. The impressive lineup, each of unique style, put an electro spin on the rousing party in a high-energy atmosphere for an all-rounded experience that appealed to the five senses.