Macau Lifestyle
  • What's On

    Categories

    • Events Calendar
    • Macau Weekend
    • Monthly Hotlist
    • Giveaways
    • Entertainment

    Recent Stories

    19_Wynn Place_Wing Lei Bar_Roger Davies
    Macau’s Best Hotel Bars
    Bars
    this weekend macau iridium spa st regis promotion
    Weekender: Cultural Happenings, Spa Treatments & More
    Macau Weekend
    Mandarin Oriental spa
    Weekender: Spa Pampering, Fondue Craze & Lots of Exhibitions
    Macau Weekend
  • Dining

    Categories

    • Restaurants
    • Local Eats
    • Cafes
    • Bars
    • Chef Spotlight

    Recent Stories

    19_Wynn Place_Wing Lei Bar_Roger Davies
    Macau’s Best Hotel Bars
    Bars
    pho tik pho peach tea macau lifestyle
    5 Great Noodles & Where to Eat Them in Macau
    Local Eats
    the blissful carrot mexican salad breakfast burrito macau
    Best Vegetarian & Vegan Places in Macau
    Cafes
  • Lifestyle

    Categories

    • Wellness
    • Weddings
    • Family
    • People

    Recent Stories

    Mighty Green Featured Cintia and Guilherme
    Mighty Greens: The Powerful Micro-Greens Making Their Way Across Macau Restaurants
    Lifestyle
    ACES MUSIC CENTRE
    The Best Music Classes for Kids in Macau
    Family
    the blissful carrot mexican salad breakfast burrito macau
    Best Vegetarian & Vegan Places in Macau
    Cafes
  • Culture

    Categories

    • Arts
    • Heritage & History
    • Architecture
    • Artist Spotlight
    • Local Knowledge

    Recent Stories

    st dominic church macau
    Top 10 Things to Do in Macau
    Culture
    Patane Night Watch House Exterior Macau Lifestyle
    Patane Night Watch House: Protecting the Community With Gongs & Lanterns
    Culture
    taipa village stairs ksenia kuzmina Macau good news 2020
    Macau Recap: Good Things That Happened in 2020
    Culture
  • Style

    Categories

    • Fashion
    • Jewelry & Watches
    • Beauty
    • Home

    Recent Stories

    CHLOE Mini Daria bag in Muted Brown
    Christmas Gift Ideas for the Women in Your Life
    Lifestyle
    Amalfi Coast coffee table books
    Inspiring Coffee Table Books for Your Home
    Home
    Zics Macau Brand Source Facebook page
    Macau Fashion Brands: Celebrate Local Design
    Fashion
  • Travel

    Categories

    • Macau
    • China
    • Asia
    • Oceania
    • Europe

    Recent Stories

    Macau Lifestyle tokyo-5-star-east-lobby-01
    Wake Up Here: Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo
    Asia
    Wynn Palace Cotai swimming pool area
    Wake Up Here: Wynn Palace
    Hotels
    st dominic church macau
    Top 10 Things to Do in Macau
    Culture
  • Hong Kong

    Categories

    • What's On
    • Dining
    • Things to Do
    • Hotels

    Recent Stories

    St. Regis Hong Kong, Premier Harbour Room 08
    Best Staycation Packages in Hong Kong
    Hong Kong
    Kerry Hotel Hong Kong
    Wake Up Here: Kerry Hotel, Hong Kong
    Hong Kong
    Chen tianzhuo
    Chen Tianzhuo: Meshing Visual & Performance Art
    Artist Spotlight
  • Events
  • City Guide
  • 繁中
Chef Spotlight
18 December, 2020
by Ksenia Kuzmina

Around the World in 14 Years: Sofitel Macau’s Executive Chef Daniel Brooker

Chef Daniel brooker sofitel macau at ponte 16 portrait meat

In 20 years of his career, Daniel Brooker worked around the globe, cooked for presidents and celebrities, and in 2012, became the first New Zealander to win the Gold Medal at the Culinary Olympics. As the executive chef of Sofitel Macau At Ponte 16, he managed to strengthen its position on the Macau gastronomy map and attract more guests during this challenging 2020. We sat down with Chef Daniel to talk about his achievements and what military and culinary careers have in common.

Tell us about your career path. What brought you to Macau?

It all started in Aukland, New Zealand. When I was 17, I did a three-year internship in a SkyCity Casino with 26 food and beverage outlets. Then, I worked for two renowned NZ chefs, Peter Gordon and Peter Thornley. 

At 23, I left New Zealand and moved to Oman, where I worked for a year with a team of 126 nationalities. It was my first overseas experience; a culture shock. The first time leaving is the hardest, but then I’ve never been back to work in New Zealand. 

Afterward, I relocated to Almaty, Kazakhstan, where I had probably the best time of my life. It was challenging in terms of language, so I learned some Russian and Turkish to communicate with the team. I got to cook for the Russian president Putin, former Kazakh president Nazarbayev, ministers; basically for the elite. It was a valuable and, at times, extravagant experience with insane security measures involved.

After the economic crisis in 2009, I moved back to the Middle East, Abu-Dhabi, my first post as an executive chef. Then I worked in Beijing and Xiamen, then afterward Sofitel Guangzhou. I left Sofitel to start my own business and came back to work for the brand in Macau.  

Have you always dreamed of becoming a chef? 

Not really. However, I always loved cooking as a kid. I just looked at the photos of cookies with colorful icing in my mom’s cookbooks and cooked according to the recipes. I could always make something at an early age. 

I dropped out of school when I was 16. While I was good with crafts and arts, maths or science was not my thing. Then I did a few jobs in the supermarket and cleaning. When I turned 17, I started that apprenticeship in the kitchen. 

At the start of your career, was there someone who drove you or taught you something that influenced you?

I weighed 130 kilos at 17 years old. That was one of the reasons why I dropped out of school, you know. The biggest drive was my fellow intern, Andrew, who was fit and handsome and later became my best friend. I always tried to compete with him; he was my motivation to be better. 

What or who inspires you now? Are there any names in the gastronomy world that move you? 

Not so much anymore. The icon I still hold at the pinnacle of every chef is Marco Pierre White, a master of European cuisine for me. I have his cookbook, White Heat. You can put any dish from that book on a menu today, and it would be modern. It’s timeless. 

sofitel macau at ponte 16

What is your style of cooking and your forte?

I believe in honest food and value for money, so guests won’t need to go to McDonald’s after having a fancy but not satisfying dinner. There is nothing wrong with just serving salmon with salad or a good steak with French fries. 

Coming from New Zealand, I love cooking steaks–it’s my specialty. That’s what we do there–steaks, steaks, steaks every day. There are no vegetarians at my house! 

Who would you be if you didn’t become a chef?

My dream was to be a sniper or a marine. If I didn’t become a chef, I would have gone to the USA and try to become a marine. Being a chef and a soldier has a lot in common–discipline, being a leader, trusting in your team. 

Do you also apply this military discipline in your kitchen?

I do when it comes to structure and ranks, yes.  

Your bio says, “chef with a bold mind.” Would you say it’s your defining feature? Which other sides of your character helped you to become an executive chef? 

Not sure who wrote this (laughs). Well, to me, being bold is rejecting the status quo. When you get to a certain level and gain plenty of experience, you have to be confident in your abilities. It’s a bit like with grandparents–they have been on this planet for 80 years. Who are you to question their expertise? They went through WWII! So I know what I can do and have the proof to back it up. 

Yes, I’m only 37, but I started young and had a diverse and rich experience, working around the world with people worldwide. Knowing your worth is very important. 

You are from New Zealand, working for a French brand, in charge, among other things, of Western and Chinese restaurants, a la carte, room service, and more. How do you manage to juggle so many different pillars successfully?  

We have an international team at Sofitel, including chefs that can do anything. The key to any operation is the right team. First of all, you have to hire the right people, train them well, give them the tools, trust them, and provide them a chance to perform. Sometimes you need to watch people making mistakes and not intervene so that they can learn and progress.

How would you define Sofitel Macau’s role in the local restaurant scene? Why would people choose to dine here over other restaurants in Macau? 

We are not pretentious; we offer good value for money and serve honest food. You don’t need to be someone to come here. Sofitel caters to all demographics on a social scale in Macau. 

At Sofitel Macau, we are not that pressured by frames and guidelines, so we have the creative freedom of doing what we think works. Here, the chef has a lot of input because, for Sofitel, gastronomy is crucial, F&B has a strong emphasis here. 

Prive Sofitel Cheese Fondue with Seafood Vertical

What do you think changed at Sofitel Macau since you started working here?

I was hired at the same time as our Food & Beverage director, Falko Flamme. Together, we make a good team–he is creative, and I’m good at operations. We were recruited to be creative, think outside the box, introduce a fun element, and attract new guests. In 2020, we raised more Western events, such as set lunch and dinner, wine tasting, and transformed the concept of Privé into something that works better. Now it hosts occasional social seafood dining, wine dining, and Dinner in the Dark.

We also brought more products iconic in French gastronomy–cold cuts, bread, wine. Sofitel Macau is back on the gastronomy map as a place that offers Western products and acquired a more diverse clientele.

What exciting plans you have for Sofitel dining next year?

2020 was pretty chaotic. In 2021, we have adjusted budgets, but we know the circumstances and already have exciting events planned. In 2020, we brought the Dinner in the Dark to Macau and adapted its structure and mechanics to the local guests. Next year we plan to keep on with this project.

Until we can open Privé daily, the plan is to have a special dinner every week. There will be blind wine, seafood, fondue dinners. By the way, our seafood tower is the best deal you can get in town! 

Starting in March, we are planning a dinner event with dry-aged smoked meat. Sofitel Macau will be focusing on family-style, not pretentious events where people can gather and share decent food. 

What are the most satisfying and the most challenging sides of working in Macau?

A lot of people here speak English. After working in various locations with language barriers, I appreciate this luxury. From a chef’s point of view, the price of alcohol is a significant advantage. The challenging side is that Macau is a relatively expensive place. Actually, before Covid-19, I didn’t live in Macau. My home is in Zhuhai, so I used to cross the border to get to work.  

What do you do on your day off? 

Anything that doesn’t involve thinking about work, really, mainly resting. Back home in Zhuhai, I have many animals–fox, eagle, cats, and dogs. So my day off would be taking care of the animals, fixing things around the house. I’m not very social so I’d rather not go out and be among the crowd. Frankly, I get more satisfaction taking care of animals or plants. I don’t need people to be happy. 

But as I stay in Macau, I sometimes work. If I don’t, I’d go for an hour’s cycle around town or stay in, sleep, check Instagram for Macau Lifestyle updates, watch Animal Planet or Discovery for hours. I’m good at learning new things, so I might go on YouTube and check out tutorials to learn a new skill.

Chef Daniel brooker sofitel macau at ponte 16 portrait

What are your favorite places in the city? How about favorite restaurants and bars? 

McDonald’s is very consistent (laughs). Well, I have no shame to say that the last meal of my life would be a Quater Pounder with cheese. I love comfort food! Also, I’m into hot pot and Korean BBQ. Frankly, I haven’t found a place in Macau that I’d go back to every week.

A bar that I do enjoy going to is The Macallan Whisky Bar & Lounge for their drinks, food, and good music. Macau Soul is also great. But I don’t go out that much. I’m a UFC fan, so when it’s a good fight, I’d go to The Roadhouse Macau.

What advice would you give to your younger self at the start of your career? 

Honestly, if I could live my life again and be at the same place, I’d be grateful.

I’d tell myself to leave school earlier. My parents and wife look at me funny when I claim this, but I don’t believe classic education is crucial. Obviously, it is if you want to become a doctor or lawyer. Not everybody needs it. I managed to achieve what I achieved and be successful without it. 

Also read: Wake Up Here: Sofitel Macau At Ponte 16


For the latest news and updates, follow Sofitel Macau on Facebook and Instagram @sofitelmacau

Sofitel Macau At Ponte 16 Rua do Visconde Paço de Arcos, Macau, +853 8861 7801, www.sofitelmacau.com

Tags

  • Daniel Brooker
  • Sofitel Macau
  • Sofitel Macau at Ponte 16

Related Posts

San Pellegrino Inspirational Women of the Era Summit Chef Chef Margarita Fores Chef May Chow Chef Ana Ros
Dining

Showcasing Female Strength & Support at S.Pellegrino’s Inspirational Women of the Era Summit

The Ritz-Carlton Bar & Lounge Gin Collection
Bars

Best Places for Happy Hour in Macau

sip sop soup macau food presentation table
Dining

Great Places to Eat Around Nam Van Lake

Mr Beer Bar Macau Side Beers on the Wall and Grafitti
Bars

Beat the Heat: Coolest Places to Drink Beer in Macau

Trending Posts

Bars, Dining, Entertainment

Macau’s Best Hotel Bars

Entertainment, Local Knowledge

Where to Go Bowling in Macau

Dining

Best Rooftops in Macau to Relax At

Tunnel close to Rua de Nossa Senhora do Amparo in Macau Haunted places
Culture, Sightseeing

Haunted Places Around Macau

  • Editor's Picks

    St. Regis Afternoon Tea Restaurants

    Best Afternoon Teas to Try in Macau This Winter

    From tranquil indulgence to sophisticated surroundings, here’re the most stylish afternoon tea sets to enjoy this winter season in Macau!

    Cuppa Coffee Macau Dining

    Good Morning Macau: Best Cafes for Breakfast

    As breakfast is the most important meal of the day, here’re our favorite cafes in Macau to head to for a hearty breakfast!

    taipa village stairs ksenia kuzmina Macau good news 2020 Culture

    Macau Recap: Good Things That Happened in 2020

    This 2020 has not been all grim and dark.Here’s some of the happy and optimistic news and events that happened in Macau this year!

    Christmas dinner Hotels

    Best Festive Season Staycation Deals in Macau

    Macau offers the best accommodations in Asia and a staycation is a great way to celebrate the holidays especially during this festive season.

    Chef Daniel brooker sofitel macau at ponte 16 portrait meat Chef Spotlight

    Around the World in 14 Years: Sofitel Macau’s Executive Chef Daniel Brooker

    We talked with executive chef Daniel Brooker of Sofitel Macau at Ponte 16 about his achievements and Sofitel’s role on the gastronomy map.

    hiro ramen venetian macau lifestyle Dining

    Get Warm: Best Ramen Spots in Taipa

    We have composed a list of the best ramen spots in Taipa to warm your heart and soul, the Japanese way, with a hot bowl of ramen!

    Sichuan Moon Chinese Restaurant Macau Dining

    The Most Outstanding Chinese Restaurants in Macau

    We’ve dedicated this page to the best restaurants serving Chinese food that entices even the most discerning palates from all over the world.

    Cotai Picture Wide Macau Lifestyle Macau

    10 Free Things to Do in Macau

    Glamorous and buzzing Macau has a lot to offer even for those on a shoe-string budget. Find out the coolest and free things to do in Macau.

    Coloane hiking trail Culture

    Guide to Coloane’s Hiking Trails

    Coloane is home to most of the hiking trails in town. We walked them all and came up with the most comprehensive Coloane hiking trails guide.

    AJ Hackett Macau Skywalk giveaway Macau Lifestyle Local Knowledge

    Everything You Need to Do in Macau at Least Once

    Take a dive into this article and find out what to do to spend your precious time in Macau and maximize it to enjoy the city at its fullest!

    African Chicken from Riquexo Macau Lifestyle Dining

    Macanese Craze: Where to Get African Chicken in Macau

    African chicken is a truly Macanese dish, even though it doesn’t sound so. We’ve toured Macau looking for the best and here they are!

    group workouts macau Wellness

    Where to Have Group Workouts in Macau

    If you are not a big fan of lifting weights alone in a gym, check out our list of group workouts in Macau to attend with company!

    ramen pro macau lifestyle Dining

    Delicious Ramen Spots in Macau

    A hot bowl of Japanese ramen would surely satisfy any noodle craving. Slurp away at these ramen places in Macau!

    healthy habbits superfood cafe food delivery takeaway Cafes

    Best Places for Food Delivery in Macau

    During this time, staying in and limiting the hours outside can help keep you safe and healthy. Here are the best places for food delivery in Macau. 

    Collage of Calcada do Amparo Area Wall Paintings Macau Lifestyle Arts

    Colorful Macau: Best Street Art Hotspots

    Looking for something different to discover in the city? Explore the lesser travelled paths of Macau to find stunning local street art.

    The Moss Natural Life - handmade soaps sustainable shopping macau Wellness

    Sustainable Shopping in Macau

    If you are looking for places to shop for packaging-free, eco-friendly and sustainable items in Macau, here is a good list to embark on your journey.

    quarter square coffee on table exterior Dining

    The Ultimate Guide to Macau’s Best Coffee Shops

    Coffee makes the world go round and even if you don’t fancy it, it definitely brings people together so here are the best coffee shops in Macau!

    Lei Fong Mr Liu in Shop Macau Lifestyle Culture

    Lei Fong Mercearia: The Time-Travelling Convenience Store

    began as a convenience store before gradually transitioning into a collectors’ paradise, where people can find and revisit nostalgic memories from decades past.

    Zics Macau Brand Source Facebook page Fashion

    Macau Fashion Brands: Celebrate Local Design

    Discover some Macau fashion brands that are making waves due to the fabulous designers behind each of their fresh and genius creations.

    The Cheesecake Factory Macao pancakes Cafes

    Great Places for Pancakes in Macau

    Looking for pancake places around Macau? Hunting for butter-browned, soft and fluffy pancakes? We think you’ll be satisfied with our list!

    The Ritz-Carlton Bar & Lounge Gin Collection Bars

    Best Places for Happy Hour in Macau

    After a long day at work, you need a relaxing place to unwind. We have the best places in Macau for happy hour deals on drinks and snacks!

    Waffles with Coffee at Rooftop Macau Exterior Macau Lifestyle Cafes

    Best Waffle Spots in Macau

    Best shared with your friends or perhaps on a first date, here are the best waffle places in Macau for your next catch up session.

    Nav Band Performing in Nature Macau Artist Spotlight

    Náv’s Healing Sessions & Parties: Handpan Sounds & Synching With Nature

    Náv is a Macau-based collective performing with handpans. With some originals released already, nature is where they make the best music.

    Maria do Leste Bloody Mary from St Regis Macao Updated Photo 2020 Bars

    Shaken or Stirred: Macau’s Best Cocktails

    The world of mixology often proves to be as diverse and surprising as the one of gastronomy. Exercising talent and immense creativity, Macau’s bartenders keep creating signature cocktails that impress us with both flavors and presentation. If you are tired and bored with mojitos and negronis and need tips on what else to try, check out our guide to Macau’s best cocktails. 

    Belinda Chim Writing Calligraphy on the Table Macau Lifestyle Arts

    Belinda Chim: Teaching the Art of Calligraphy in Macau

    Belinda Chim studied in Australia before returning to her hometown Macau, where she’s been spreading the word on the beauty of calligraphy!

  • About
  • The Team
  • Advertise
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Contact Us

COPYRIGHT © 2021 • MACAU LIFESTYLE

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Receive Macau Events Agenda, the Hottest Giveaway Offers and the Latest Article Updates!

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok