Award-winning chef Vicky Cheng has opened Estuary, his first fully French restaurant, at Capella at Galaxy Macau, marking a significant milestone in his 25-year culinary career. The restaurant, which began welcoming guests on May 29, represents a culmination of Cheng’s dual heritage and expertise—born in China and trained in classical French cuisine—and reflects a fusion of these influences both in concept and cuisine.

The name “Estuary” was proposed by Galaxy Entertainment Group and struck a chord with Cheng, symbolizing the meeting point of fresh and salt water at the Pearl River estuary near Macau. More broadly, it signifies the blending of different cultural and culinary ideas, mirroring Cheng’s own journey of integrating his Chinese identity with French cooking techniques.

The interior design, created by L. Candice Interior Architects, reinforces this theme of convergence and movement. The space features organic shapes reminiscent of flowing water, with elements such as branchlike structures and a canopy that evoke natural fluidity. Floor-to-ceiling windows illuminate the dining area, which centers around a Molteni 1923 open kitchen. The design aims to harmonize with the calm luxury of Capella Galaxy Macau, providing an intimate yet airy atmosphere.

Seafood features prominently on the menu, drawing largely from local waters near Macau, though ingredients like trout and salmon are sourced from regions as distant as Kyoto and Norway. While Estuary is not strictly pescatarian, its main courses maintain strong ties to the estuarine theme. For example, a beef dish is complemented by a sauce blending essences of eel and beef bones, finished with marrow and crispy eel skin. The menu also incorporates creative touches, such as using rendered trout belly fat instead of olive oil in a salad dressing, providing omega-3 rich oils in place of traditional fats.

Cheng emphasizes health-conscious dining, striving to create dishes that are indulgent yet light. One example is the restaurant’s signature butter, which is enriched with aged preserved turnip—a traditional ingredient that Cheng describes as having subtle medicinal properties. This lightened butter aims to deliver creaminess without heaviness, supporting the chef’s goal of nourishing guests without leaving them overfull.

A standout offering is Cheng’s reinterpretation of fish maw, a prized ingredient in Chinese cooking that he integrates into a French culinary context. After rehydrating the aged fish maw using traditional Chinese techniques, Cheng marinates it with black garlic—a probiotic-rich component—and then barbecues it to impart a smoky sweetness. The dish is served atop sautéed cordyceps mushrooms paired with seasonal nuts such as ginkgo or fox nuts, accompanied by a creamy sauce made from fish bone and skin collagen and butter. Cheng notes that this preparation transforms a classic, intensely flavored Chinese soup into a dish with broader international appeal.

Estuary represents Cheng’s personal and professional synthesis of cultural identities and culinary disciplines, embodying a refined approach to French cuisine that remains deeply connected to his Chinese roots and local ingredients.