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[title]While Macau is known for its unique blend of East-meets-West culture and diverse entertainment venues, this city has also established itself as Asia’s hub for world-class luxury resorts and hotels. Notably, one of the city’s standout properties is SJM’s luxury integrated resort, Grand Lisboa Palace Resort Macau, an opulent venue offering high-quality hospitality and indulgent retail options under one roof.
One of the gems within this resort is Don Alfonso 1890, the first Asian branch of the esteemed Italian restaurant from Sant’Agata sui Due Golfi. Established in 1890, this eatery has been run by the Iaccarino family for four generations and earned its reputation as one of Italy’s longest-running restaurants with exceptional farm-to-table dining and warm hospitality.
Upon entering Don Alfonso 1890’s outpost in Macau, diners will be mesmerised by the restaurant’s elegant decor such as handcrafted terrazzo floor tiling and paintings contrasted with colourful Barocco patterns. The Italian eatery also honours its location in Macau by including Asian elements in bespoke furniture and Rosenthal x Versace tableware, featuring dragons and auspicious colours like red and gold.
At the helm of Macau’s Don Alfonso 1890 is head chef Federico Pucci, who pays homage to the flagship restaurant by serving authentic flavours from the Sorrento Peninsula and the Amalfi Coast. Additionally, chef Pucci and his team work closely with chef Ernesto Iaccarino – current head chef and fourth generation of the Italian flagship restaurant – to develop the menu for the Macau branch.
But shortly after the restaurant’s opening period, chef Iaccarino recognised the challenges of replicating the exact cuisine from Don Alfonso 1890’s Sant’Agata location due to not having access to the same ingredients. “I spoke to the [Macau] team and we decided to start by seeing what high-quality ingredients would be available for us to use from local markets, then we could start producing the dishes,” says chef Iaccarino.
Ultimately, Iaccarino believes the key to Don Alfonso 1890’s success in Macau lies in adapting his and Pucci’s culture, knowledge, and heritage to the best ingredients available, while never losing the philosophy of creating timeless southern Italian cuisine.
Recently, chef Pucci participated in SJM Resorts’ recurring dining event MICHELIN Star Table, where he collaborated with chef Andrea Migliaccio from Anacapri’s two-MICHELIN-starred restaurant, L’Olivo, along with chef Iaccarino. During this six-hand collaboration, the chefs presented signature items from their restaurants such as Brittany blue lobster with seasonal mushroom and potato foam, seared tuna belly with jalapeño sauce, lemon-scented tagliolini with red prawns and burrata cheese as well as il Nostro Tiramisu.
Reflecting on the six-hands collaboration, chef Migliaccio expressed enthusiasm for more opportunities at Don Alfonso 1890’s Macau location. “I think our collaboration [for MICHELIN Star Table] in Macau will be the first of more to come in the future,” he says enthusiastically. “From the beginning, working together [with chef Iaccarino and Pucci] was so easy because within a few seconds, we knew what we [were each] doing”.
Migliaccio also pointed out their mutual drive to provide top-quality dining experiences. “We shared the same importance on our ingredients, our quality, and being consistent”. As for chef Iaccarino, his emphasis through the six-hands event was on providing authentic Italian fare. “We wanted to allow guests to experience [Italy’s] culture and rich culinary traditions through food,” he states. “Even though some of our dishes were specially made for this collaboration, we never forgot to include those elements into our offerings”.
Ultimately, the Macau outpost of Don Alfonso 1890 not only introduces this historic restaurant to Asian diners but also revitalises its legacy by adapting local ingredients to create classic southern Italian dishes. “I think we were lucky to find the right people, and we were lucky to be chosen by the right partners who had a long-term vision for us and believed in our project,” Iaccarino emphasises.
Don Alfonso 1890’s Macau branch now breathes new life into the family-run eatery’s heritage, successfully merging Italian tradition with local influences and presenting exclusive dining events for discerning palates.