Daisy Ho, Managing Director of Macau concessionaire SJM Resorts, S.A, says her company has become a cradle of culinary talent for the region, led by its extensive dining portfolio.
Speaking at the Fortune Leaders Forum, which opened on Tuesday at Grand Lisboa Palace Resort Macau, Ho said SJM was leaning into its traditional gastronomic roots as it looks to define its place in today’s competitive hospitality world.
“When we must deal without complete clarity of the future, clarity of purpose becomes decisive,” she said, describing SJM as Macau’s only integrated resort operator with local roots.
“Our foundations are in gaming and hospitality, but as Macau continued to evolve, we looked inward at the strengths we had built over decades and how we could make them relevant in the new era for Macau.”
Ho explained that long before gastronomy was widely recognized as a defining part of the travel experience, her father and SJM founder, Dr Stanley Ho, invited the legendary chef Joël Robuchon to open Robuchon à Galera (now Robuchon au Dôme) at Hotel Lisboa in 2001.
Since then, SJM’s properties have become renowned for their dining offering with Robuchon au Dôme one of only two Macau restaurants to hold three Michelin star status and The Eight, also at Grand Lisboa, boasting two stars. Three other SJM restaurants have one star as of the latest Michelin Guide.
“When the Michelin Guide arrived in Hong Kong and Macau in 2009, [Robuchon à Galera] became the first Western restaurant across the two cities to receive three stars, placing Macau firmly on the international culinary map, and has retained those three stars for 18 consecutive years,” Ho observed.
“From that beginning, we have built a dining portfolio that, together with our parent company, now hosts 10 Michelin stars across eight establishments, the highest total in Hong Kong and Macau. In the process, SJM has become a cradle of culinary talent.”
Ho also pointed to SJM’s longstanding involvement in events such as the Macau Grand Prix, the International Dragon Boat Races and the Macau Golf Open, which are deeply woven into the histories of both SJM and Macau.
“Over the years, we have helped nurture them, expand their international reach and establish them as signature features of the city’s tourism calendar,” she said.
“The international events we champion bring recognition and opportunity to the city, and our investment in people helps local talent grow and flourish.”
