Cover Pan Sihui, executive sous chef at Aji (Photo: MGM Cotai)
Pan Sihui, executive sous chef at Aji (Photo: MGM Cotai)
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Tatler+
At Aji, a Singaporean native draws on his multicultural background to celebrate the region’s culinary soul
“Refined Asian cuisine” might sound like a blanket term that lumps the region’s rich culinary heritage into an easily digestible formula, but that’s far from what executive sous chef and Tatler Best Rising Star Pan Sihui is trying to do at Aji. Here, the food is confident, deeply rooted and arrives at the table carrying the soul of each cuisine it celebrates. The menu moves fluidly. from the bold, vibrant flavours of the Straits to the ingredient-led precision of East Asia, and further still to the vast spectrum of spices, ferments and aromas of Southeast Asia. There’s no compromise, only a thoughtful approach to cooking that reflects the mark of a chef who knows exactly what his cuisine represents.
Perched on the mezzanine floor of MGM Cotai and overlooking the expansive atrium, Aji, a Tatler Best 20 Restaurant and recipient of one Michelin star and one Black Pearl diamond, is at the centre of this movement. The space quietly exudes the lavish glamour of the Cotai Strip, framed by deep crimson tones, muted greys, and an open kitchen that offers front-row seats to a chef who commands his space with quiet confidence.
Smoked salmon, pickled beet | mango turmeric (Photo: MGM Cotai)
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A Singaporean native, Pan’s formative years were immersed in a tapestry of Malay, Chinese, Indian and Peranakan food traditions. After honing his craft at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America, he spent more than a decade working across acclaimed kitchens in Singapore, Beijing, Shanghai and Cambodia. Pan’s distinct edge lies in his multicultural identity and international journey, one that allows him to present Asian flavours with Western culinary techniques.
This is evident throughout his work at Aji, where the menu is a blend of culinary traditions. Rather than layering cuisine upon cuisine for novelty’s sake, Pan presents quality ingredients through thoughtful combinations. Meticulous technique, precision and exacting fire control all come into play inside Aji’s kitchen, resulting in food that feels sophisticated yet grounded.
Above Pan Sihui, executive sous chef at Aji and Tatler Best Rising Star (Photo: MGM Cotai)
Above Aji was awarded its first Michelin Star in 2025 (Photo: MGM Cotai)
Pan Sihui, executive sous chef at Aji and Tatler Best Rising Star (Photo: MGM Cotai)
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Take the smoked salmon with pickled beet and mango turmeric. New Zealand king salmon is salt-cured with beetroot and vodka, a process that nods to Macanese preserving techniques, then smoked à la minute with lychee wood. Fragrant Thai basil oil and mango turmeric sauce tie it all together with a subtle hint of Asian flavours. Then there’s the foie gras with hazelnuts and spiced caramel, which arrives perfectly seared and enhanced with a homemade Chinese five-spice caramel and black pepper hazelnut crumble. Each bite is a seamless transition from French indulgence to Asian restraint.
The signature Aji lobster thermidor with salted egg and sudachi comté might be the most mature expression of Pan’s work: Boston lobster is broiled in a yuzu, comté and salted egg yolk–infused thermidor sauce, served with homemade lobster miso fried rice and garnished with laksa leaves. Every inclusion is intentional; each nods to a facet of Asian cuisine that demands celebration.
Aji’s main dining space, draped in deep reds and muted greys, overlooks The Spectacle—a stunning fusion of art and technology at MGM Cotai (Photo: MGM Cotai)
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What Pan is doing at Aji reflects something pivotal in contemporary dining: Asian dining is shedding the assumption that European technique must take precedence over regional identity. Instead, chefs are embracing local flavours with technical rigour and pride. For Pan, the goal is clear: to establish a kind of Asian cuisine in Macau that is approachable yet elevated, where tradition and innovation coexist.
Through his work at Aji, Pan proves that Asian flavours do not need to be simplified or diluted to fit the brackets of fine dining, and that they are entirely capable of holding their own on a global stage without losing their soul.
