The inaugural Shangri-La International Festival of Gastronomy will host eight culinary masters from around the globe in five world cities, where they will concurrently conjure up works of gastronomic wonder in eight Shangri-La restaurants for five nights from 27 to 31 October.
Gastronomy is truly an art form, and the acclaimed star chefs – whose restaurants collectively hold 15 Michelin stars – will prepare dinner menus that showcase each of their distinctive food philosophies. The eight chefs headlining The Shangri-La International Festival of Gastronomy 2015 are:
- Enrico Bartolini, hailing from the two Michelin-starred Devero Restaurant, will travel from Italy to be at Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok’s Angelini Restaurant & Bar.
- From Modena, Italy comes Massimo Bottura of three Michelin star Osteria Francescana, which was ranked second in this year’s World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards. He will be at Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore’s BLU.
- Mauro Colagreco of two Michelin star Mirazur, which ranked 11th among the World’s 50 Best Restaurants this year, will travel from the Cote D’Azur to be at Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong’s Restaurant Petrus.
- Ip Chi Cheung of the two Michelin-starred Summer Palace at Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong will serve a special menu during the International Festival of Gastronomy.
- Mok Kit Keung of two Michelin star Shang Palace at Kowloon Shangri-La, Hong Kong will also serve a special menu during the festival.
- Christophe Moret of Michelin star L’Abeille at Shangri-La Hotel, Paris will present his unique menu during the festival.
- Giancarlo Perbellini of two Michelin star Casa Perbellini in Italy will be at Jing An Shangri-La, West Shanghai’s Calypso restaurant.
- Samuel Lee Sum of the Michelin star Shang Palace in Shangri-La Hotel, Paris will serve a special menu for the festival.
More on the Festival’s chefs
Presiding over Angelini’s kitchen at Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok will be Enrico Bartolini, the youngest chef to attain two Michelin stars in Italy and who currently heads the stylish Devero Restaurant located 20 minutes from Milan in Cavenago Brianza. Keen on preserving traditional skills while discovering inventive ways to intrigue the palate, Bartolini will create a standout menu with artfully presented dishes rich in comforting Italian flavours at Angelini Restaurant & Bar – a restaurant with an intimate lounge bar and views of the famous Chao Phraya River.
Among the stellar group of chefs to appear exclusively for Shangri-La’s gastronomy festival is one of the world’s most creative culinary forces, Massimo Bottura of Osteria Francescana, the three Michelin star restaurant that is ranked second among the “World’s 50 Best Restaurants”. Inspired by art, music, family and travels, Bottura’s dishes are typically playful with shapes and textures, indicating his inquisitive nature and ability to cause a sensation. His modern Italian cuisine with a twist will inspire guests at Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore’s BLU.
Commanding breathtaking views of Hong Kong’s world-famous Victoria Harbour, Restaurant Petrus at Island Shangri-La in Hong Kong will be the stage for Mauro Colagreco of the two Michelin-starred Mirazur in France. His apprenticeships with French greats Bernard Loiseau, Alain Ducasse, Alain Passard and Guy Martin have resulted in honours and admiration for his style of cooking and use of contrasting flavours. The hotel’s award-winning Master Sommelier, Yohann Jousselin, will pair Colagreco’s menu with wines from the restaurant’s acclaimed premium cellar of over 12,000 bottles.
For connoisseurs of Cantonese food, Summer Palace at Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong is the preferred establishment. Its interior of mythical phoenix and silk wall panels harmonises with the two Michelin-starred restaurant’s rich sense of Chinese culture and exquisite dishes. The setting is also where Ip Chi Cheung, who started his career at the age of 14, showcases the five key Chinese cooking methods — braising, steaming, stewing, stir-frying and deep-frying — and takes opportunities to breathe new life to time-honoured dishes.
Offering a bold take on Cantonese specialities is Mok Kit Keung at Shang Palace, the two Michelin-starred restaurant at Kowloon Shangri-La, Hong Kong known for its traditional and innovative cuisine. A recipient of notable accolades and a regular guest chef at overseas appearances, Mok regularly updates classics by adding his artistic touch and surprising flavours. Guests will find Mok’s special menu for the festival pairs flawlessly with specialty tea infusions that can be customised by the hotel’s tea sommelier Kenneth Law, one of a few nationally recognised tea masters in Hong Kong.
Named after Napoleon Bonaparte’s imperial insignia, L’Abeille (meaning ‘The Bee’) is the signature restaurant at Shangri-La Hotel, Paris that has a Michelin star. Christophe Moret — previously head chef at Lasserre, Restaurant Alain Ducasse and Spoon, Food & Wine, Paris — focuses on creating unique experiences through a menu rich with locally sourced produce, served in an enchanting atmosphere overlooking a stunning garden. To further enhance the experience at L’Abeille is a 42-page wine selection managed by Chief Sommelier Cédric Maupoint.
Anticipated to take Shanghai’s culinary scene by storm is “artisan cook” Giancarlo Perbellini, a maestro whose dishes artfully combine innovation and tradition at his two Michelin-starred Casa Perbellini restaurant. Recognised as one of Italy’s best confectioners, Giancarlo applies the same precise techniques to his food, which has catapulted him to the top of the Italian culinary leader board. He will take the stage at the Shigeru Ban-designed Calypso restaurant at Jing An Shangri-La, West Shanghai.
Chef Samuel Lee Sum is the newest addition to Shangri-La’s Paris property and directs the kitchen at Shang Palace, the only Chinese restaurant awarded a Michelin star in France. Devotees of the restaurant will be treated to shared plates of Cantonese and Huaiyang food that are Samuel’s expression of subtlety and colour combination, and his way of provoking the norm. Inspired by his mother’s family to cook from a young age, Samuel’s dishes are best accompanied by the restaurant’s rare Chinese teas.
