MGM hosted “Exploring the Culinary Journeys of Trailblazing Women: From the Silk Roads to Global Gastronomy” at the Macao University of Tourism (UTM) on June 28, which featured four acclaimed female chefs who talked about their expertise and inspiring stories, along with culinary demonstrations, the integrated resort (IR) operator said in a statement earlier this week.
The event was hosted in conjunction with Robb Report Hong Kong and UTM, according to the statement. Over 140 local culinary students, chefs, culinary association members and small enterprise owners attended.
The statement noted that the panel comprised Indian restaurant Gaa’s chef-owner Garima Arora, who is also the world’s first female Indian chef with two Michelin stars; Chudaree “Tam” Debhakam from Baan Tepa in Bangkok, the world’s first female Thai chef to win two Michelin stars; Sara Aqel, who helms Dara Dining, an Italian-Mediterranean restaurant in Jordan and is known for her previous management led all-woman restaurant concept in the past; and Macanese-Portuguese restaurant La Famiglia’s proprietor Florita Morais Alves, who is a well-known ambassador of Macanese cuisine.
The panel had over 80 participants.
Meanwhile two cooking demonstrations, which had 60 participants, featured Chef Debhakam demonstrating her Michelin starred restaurant’s signature dish Dong Dang, while Chef Aqel discussed the use of olive oil in multiple ways.
MGM Food & Beverage Vice President Geoffrey Simmons said “We hope to take this valuable opportunity to help broaden the horizon of Macau’s young chefs, giving them an opportunity to explore flavours, ingredients and techniques that are usually considered as ‘exotic’ in a conventional culinary setting, in a bid to spark inspiration among them.”
UTM Rector Fanny Vong Chuk Kwan said that the event “highlighted the boundless creativity, unwavering passion, and relentless efforts of the gastronomy sector.”
This handout photo taken on Friday and provided by MGM earlier this week shows participants sampling delicacies after a cooking demonstration at UTM.
