For many chefs and restaurants, attaining the level of just one Michelin star can be a long, tough journey of continuous improvement and perfection, and even with much dedication, the prize can still be illusive.
Imagine then, that after only being open for a brief six months, fine dining restaurant Alain Ducasse at Morpheus, City of Dreams had already received a two-Michelin star rating. The award was bestowed in December last year in the MICHELIN Guide Hong Kong Macau 2019, and in June this year, the renowned French chef visited Macau to celebrate the restaurant’s one-year anniversary and successful first year of operations.
That’s not to say that earning two Michelin stars is easy for Chef Ducasse, but clearly after a long time in the business, he knows exactly what he’s doing.
“I’ve been doing this for many years, so the experience makes it easier,” acknowledges Chef Ducasse when we speak with him after enjoying a superb ‘Le Premier’ menu, especially created for the first anniversary celebrations. “But a lot of thought and work goes into this process. It’s a lot of hard work, and a bit of luck, and it’s all about understanding the place you are going to and deciding the type of food and restaurant that you want to have. It’s always a nice surprise when you get a Michelin star. Of course it’s always a surprise when they take one away too!” he laughs.
To gastronomes in Macau, Chef Ducasse brings his signature French cuisine served in an inimitable contemporary style, combined with ultra-luxurious settings and superior service that he has become famous for at his trio of three-Michelin-starred restaurants: Le Louis XV – Alain Ducasse at the Hôtel de Paris in Monaco, Alain Ducasse at the Plaza Athénée in Paris, and Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester in London.
“It is always important to have the right location and the right design to complement the food, French contemporary,’ the 62-year-old master comments on the elegant décor in the restaurant. “Morpheus is also very contemporary and modern, so the design of the restaurant had to compliment that style. We worked with our usual design team to create something very unique and very elegant, and we are very happy with the results.”
The restaurant is indeed visually stunning, with the interior space designed by Patrick Jouin and Sanjit Manku, and exquisite porcelain pieces by J.L Coquet, Maison Bernardaud and Rina Menardi, as well as Pascal Oudet’s intriguing wooden pieces that adorn the tables. Each table also features hand-blown table lamps crafted by Paul Champs, and a selection of Arita porcelain by Master Kamachi.
The restaurant’s very own Cabinet of Curiosities also contains an impressive array of silverware, crystal, copper, vintage kitchenware and tableware from Alain Ducasse’s personal collection, sourced from houses including Baccarat, Lalique, Christofle, Haviland & Co, and Saint-Louis.
When conceptualizing the overall aesthetic of a new restaurant, the chef notes: “It has to be different from anything else, each experience should be unique. I’m not trying to replicate the same concept from one restaurant to the next. It’s about bringing a new story to a country or city, to create something different and find the right balance between cuisine and design. I want people to remember the food, but also the design and experience.”
For our ‘Le Premier’ menu experience, the journey begins with one of Alain Ducasse’s most celebrated signature dishes, Mediterranean gamberoni, delicate gelée and gold caviar, which is only available at his restaurants in Macau and Monaco. And somewhat surprisingly, the caviar is sourced in China.
“This is a signature dish from my Monaco restaurant,” Chef Ducasse explains. “We are bringing Mediterranean cuisine to Macau but using Chinese caviar. We work with a French company who breed the sturgeon fish, using traditional methods, and this is the very best caviar they have sourced. We are also using this Chinese caviar in Monaco.”
Heading up Chef Ducasse’s exceptional team in Macau is Chef de Cuisine Pierre Marty, who joined the group in 2008 at Le Louis XV – Alain Ducasse in Monaco. Chef Ducasse credits Chef Pierre’s leadership as one of the secrets to the success of the restaurant in its first year.
“One of the key ingredients is to have someone who has been part of the group who can bring the team together and lead them in the right direction. Casting the team and finding the right people who can work together is definitely a challenge, but having the right people working here is integral to the experience.”
