High Life Issue #4

HIGH LIFE #4 January 2017 55 A t one of Macau’s culinary crown jewels, majestic marble of splendid colors adorns the walls at the entrance. It is anything but ordinary. The name of MGM Macau’s cantonese restaurant – Imperial Court – calls tomind the venue inwhich rulers of Chinawould govern their “middle kingdom.” Upon entering the main dining room, an ornamental column featuring a masterful carving of a dragon lies at the heart of the prestigious establishment, an auspicious symbol of power and good fortune in Chinese culture. Dragons also take their place as beautiful glass carvings on each table. Translucent chargers cast shades of gold, blue and green on the tablecloths as light passes through them. Behind the glamorous surroundings, the man in charge of creating gastronomic wonders is Executive Chef Louie Vong, responsible for leading the team of talented kitchen staff and setting the high standard in the preparation of authentic dishes that celebrate the heritage and traditions of time-honored Chinese cooking methods. Having joinedMGM in 2007, ChefVong boasts 28 years of experienceworking in themost distinguished Chinese restaurants in Hong Kong and overseas. He regularly travels throughout China to search for exquisite ingredients, one ofwhich, he tells us, is a precious ham. “In Cantonese cuisine, the broth is the essence of all dishes and in order to produce an elegantly savory broth full of flavors, we use the Xuanwei hamfromtheYunnan province. As I know, this is the ham they use for state dinners at Zhongnanhai,” says the highly respected chef.