Few places in the world capture the dynamic intersection of heritage and high luxury quite like Macau, a city where time-honored traditions seamlessly blend into a glittering, world-class destination. Unforgettable culinary experiences await at Wynn Palace, a sanctuary of elegance that consistently elevates hospitality and gastronomy into true art forms.
Within this exceptional setting, Lakeview Palace offers panoramic views of Performance Lake and the Cotai skyline, providing an immersive journey into Jiangnanโs elegance and sophistication. Here, Executive Chef Zhu showcases his culinary philosophy, utilizing seasonal ingredients and presenting outstanding regional tastes. His menus express the deep connection between art, culture, and flavor. We sat down with Chef Zhu to explore his culinary journey and the inspiration behind some of his signature dishes.
Do you have a dish that holds a special place in your heart? What makes it so meaningful?
The Lionโs Head Meatball is a dish that remains incredibly close to my heart. I was fortunate to have trained under Master Hou Xinqing, who is widely known in China as the โHuaiyang Knife Masterโ, and this was the very first dish he ever taught me. Coming from a Cantonese background, I initially knew very little about Jiangnan cuisine. It wasnโt until Master Hou explained the rich history and stories behind its diverse dishes that my entire perception transformed. I decided to fully immersed myself in the meticulous skills and extreme precision required for Jiangnan cuisine, while studying the regionโs culinary heritage and traditions.
This foundational journey inspired one of my current signature dishes at Lakeview Palace: the Double-boiled Triple-layer Duck Soup with Lingnan Three Treasures. This dish highlights the โsilent masteryโ of knife work โ which we call โinvisibleโ knife work โ in which a duck, chicken, and pigeon must be fully deboned while leaving the skin intact. To add a personal touch inspired by my own Cantonese culinary background, I incorporated the classic Lingnan Three Treasures in Cantonese cuisine โ fermented olive, dried tangerine peel, and rice straw. This creation means a lot to me as it beautifully represents my culinary philosophy in bringing the two distinct culinary traditions together in a way that feels natural and cohesive.
Reflecting on your travels, is there a specific dining experience that stands out as particularly unforgettable?
Whenever I travel, I always make time to visit local markets to explore unique regional ingredients. My trip to Semporna, Malaysia last year with my wife was quite memorable. We visited a local seafood market where you can source fresh catches and rare finds to be cooked on the spot. The lively bargaining with the vendors was a fun experience in itself. After selecting our seafood, I asked the restaurant owner if I could use the kitchen and cook for my wife myself.
Upon knowing that I was a chef from Macau, he generously offered me the space and even had his kitchen team prepare the ingredients for me. The highlight of the evening was connecting with the local chef inside, who was cooking the seafood in a simple, authentic Cantonese style that perfectly captured the natural umami. We ended up sharing a few drinks together after the meal, exchanging stories about our culinary journeys. It was a wonderfully grounded experience, and it has genuinely become one of my most cherished memories.
Can you recall a spontaneous food discovery during your travels that turned into an unexpectedly delightful culinary experience?
During my food-hunting journeys through Jiangnan cities like Yangzhou, Huaiโan, and Zhenjiang, I realized that I am always delighted by the traditional, century-old local shops and hidden-gem eateries recommended by local foodies and regulars. Beyond the exceptional regional specialties, what made these experiences truly unforgettable was the genuine warmth of the community. They evoke a sense of nostalgia, returning to the comforting flavors and memories of childhood.
If you could embark on a culinary journey to any destination in the world right now, what would be at the top of your must-try list?
My top choice would be France, and Iโm also planning trips to Spain and Japan. My goal is to learn and draw inspiration from Western presentation styles and culinary techniques and see how I can use them to elevate Chinese cuisine further.
At the very top of my must-try list is the Bresse Chicken with Black Truffles, a signaturefrom the legendary three-MICHELIN-starred Paul Bocuse. Coming from a Cantonese background, we take immense pride in our chicken varieties and techniques. I am very eager to experience this highly sought-after French classic firsthand to discover the reason behind its fame โ be it the chicken variety or the cooking methods – and to see how they elevated a chicken dish to such an iconic global honor in the dining world.
Tell us what inspires your culinary creations?
My core principle has always been the balance between innovation and tradition. I believe the foundation of any great dish requires respect and understanding of its origin and heritage, in my case, the Jiangnan region. When crafting dishes, my priority is to preserve the essence of Jiangnan cuisine while reimagining the classic flavors with my Cantonese culinary background and techniques, which is where my โHuaiyang-Cantonese Confluenceโ culinary philosophy comes from.
A great example of the balance between innovation and tradition is the Braised Kanto Sea Cucumber Filled with Goose and Shrimp, Wrapped with Deep-fried Taro Purรฉe from our new menu.
It is an extension of โBraised Weng-wu Duckโ, a heritage dish from the Jinling region of Nanjing. I reimagined the concept by using goose and premium sea cucumbers, integrating the essence of Jinling culinary tradition with classic Cantonese elements. This dish is a representation of how we strike a balance between honoring traditions and being creative to create dishes that feel both authentic and contemporary.
The Art of Innovation at Lakeview Palace
Chef Zhu has launched a new menu with unique dim sum creations and some regional specialities:
- Braised Abalone and Pork Belly Puffs: Executive Chef Zhu reimagines Shanghaiโs iconic braised pork belly by encasing slow-braised pork and diced abalone in a golden, abalone-shaped pastry. Crafted with meticulous precision, the puff is delicately crisp on the outside and succulent on the inside, delivering a harmonious balance of savory richness and subtle sweetness. A refined expression of both Jiangnan culinary heritage and classic Shanghainese flavors.
- Crystal Skin Dumplings with Min Dong Yellow Croaker: o preserve peak freshness, Chef Zhu crafts these dumplings with a delicate, double-layered wrapper, featuring a crystal-clear outer skin and an innovative inner wrapper made from yellow croaker skin. The delicate casing encloses a finely diced medley of yellow croaker, leopard coral grouper, and bamboo shoots, which offers distinct layers of texture and flavor. The final creation vibrantly expresses the freshness and fragrance of premium ingredients drawn from both land and sea.
- Steamed Fresh Bamboo Shoot Soup Siu Mai: Honoring the heritage of classic siu mai from Shengzeโthe ancient water town of Jiangnanโthis delicacy features a delicious pork filling enriched with savory aspic and fresh seasonal bamboo shoots to enhance both juiciness and depth of flavor. The culinary team shapes a beautiful, intricately pleated top that mimics a lotus leaf in bloom, paying tribute to the authentic character of this regional delicacy.
- Jiangnan Style Sautรฉed Crab Roe: Reinterpreting the Huaiyang classic โFish and Rice Land,โ this dish centers on premium, freshly selected crab, which culinary artisans meticulously handpick to harvest its rich roe and delicate meat. Chef Zhu gently folds finely diced โfish riceโ into the medley, sautรฉing it over low heat with a kiss of 20-year-aged Huadiao wine and a touch of vinegar to elevate its natural sweetness. Careful, slow cooking coaxes out a luscious golden roe and tender, sweet meat, achieving a masterful balance of savory depth and clean elegance. Served alongside toasted bread and crisp sesame scallion pancakes, the dish delivers an exquisite contrast of soft and crisp textures while beautifully honoring the Jiangnan philosophy of letting natural flavors speak for themselves.
Poached Chicken with Scallion Oil:ย Chef Zhu selects the prized โSunflower Chickenโ for its exceptionally fine, tender texture, pairing it with the gentle, mellow aroma of traditional Old Shanghai scallions and the rich, fragrant depth of Cantonese red shallots. The kitchen team pours a cascade of hot oil over the aromatics to release layered waves of fragrance, perfectly amplifying the chickenโs naturally clean, delicate profile. The final dish delivers a lustrous, silky skin and remarkably tender, smooth meat. Set against the vibrant backdrop of Macau, this masterpiece invites guests to savor the understated elegance of Jiangnan refinement harmoniously intertwined with the brilliant best of Lingnan gastronomy.
For more than 16 years, Executive Chef Zhu has honed his mastery of Huaiyang and Cantonese cuisine, shaping a culinary philosophy that champions seasonal ingredients and authentic regional tastes. He launched his career at a renowned Chinese restaurant in Guangzhou before refining his skills in Shanghainese and Taizhou cuisine at the MICHELIN-starred Xin Rong Ji in Shanghai. He then made history as the youngest Chinese Executive Chef within the Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts Group in China. During this time, he trained under the esteemed Huaiyang Cuisine Master, Chef Hou Xinqing, a transformative experience that eventually led him to helm the kitchen at Lakeview Palace.
Lakeview Palaceย is located on G/F, Westย Esplanade, Wynn Palaceย inย Cotai, overlookingย Performance Lakeย and just steps away from Wynn’sย SkyCabย station andย Wing Lei Bar.
Wynn Palace Address: Avenida da Nave Desportiva, Cotai, Macau
