Translating for the palate

A piece of aged fish maw is turned slowly over charcoal until its surface takes on the dark shine of lacquer. Fermented black garlic adds depth, while sand ginger cuts through a buttery French sauce, creating a dialogue between chef Vicky Cheng's favorite dried seafood ingredient and French cooking techniques.

In another kitchen, the same ingredients might have been simmered for hours into a restorative Cantonese soup.

At Estuary by Vicky Cheng, which opened at Galaxy Macau in May, dishes are presented through the lens of contemporary French cuisine: controlled fire, carefully constructed sauces and precise tableside service.

The dish offers a concise portrait of its creator. Hong Kong chef Cheng has spent much of his career moving between culinary languages, searching for ways to make unfamiliar ingredients immediately appealing without erasing their origins.

Cheng's career reflects contemporary Chinese cuisine's growing global recognition.

Through his restaurants and his role as a judge on the cooking show Chef of China, Cheng has explored how Chinese cuisine can reach wider audiences without losing its identity.

At VEA, a one-Michelin-star restaurant in Hong Kong, Cheng established his "Chinese x French" cuisine. WING, ranked No 2 on the 2026 Asia's 50 Best Restaurants list, became his expression of "Boundaryless Chinese Cuisine". Estuary now completes the trio with what he calls "Indulgent and Nourishing French Gastronomy" — French cooking reconsidered through an Asian palate.

Estuary is not simply a return to Cheng's early French cooking. Named for where rivers meet the sea, it reflects his Hong Kong roots, Canadian upbringing and French training.