OPUS 388, the French fine‑dining restaurant at Mandarin Oriental, Shenzhen, introduces a new dégustation menu, My Journey to China – Chapter 5, by Chef Alessio Durante. Rooted in Shenzhen, the menu reflects over two decades of Michelin‑level discipline, paired with a sensitive reading of local produce. Defined by precision and restraint, Chapter 5 marks a deliberate return to culinary essentials—ingredients, timing, and the architecture of sauce—where authenticity takes centre stage.
Chef Alessio Extracts Duck Essence Using a Classic Silver Press
Born on the Ligurian coast of Italy, Alessio grew up with the everyday flavours of the Mediterranean—sunlight, sea air, olive oil and bright acidity — forming his earliest palate. His career spans some of the world’s most respected Michelin-starred dining rooms, from Da Claudio (Italy, one Michelin star) to the celebrated Alain Ducasse houses in Monaco (three Michelin stars) and Macau (two Michelin stars). Beyond technique, he refined a French sensibility of proportion, rhythm, and restraint — how to balance ingredients, timing, and sauce with clarity. Since arriving in Shenzhen nearly two years ago, Alessio has intentionally slowed his pace, travelling across China to explore ingredients in locals and to re-examine how terroir—land and water—shapes taste.
“My Journey to China: Chapter 5” distils this period of exploration. Rather than extending earlier chapters’ flavour-led routes, Chapter Five returns to the core tensions that define executional cuisine: timing, texture, and sauce architecture. Eight new courses open a fresh chapter—an understated dialogue between East and West, guided by clarity and precision.
Baijiao Seabass | North Sea Scampi Gelee | Signature French Canard | Pure Chocolate Water Sorbet
Seasonal sea bass from the Baijiao waters is gently marinated in a classic French sauce made from confit tomatoes, enhancing depth while preserving its natural purity. Fresh basil lends a clean herbal note, while a black sesame crisp adds subtle toasted nuance. Light in progression, the dish finishes poised and precise.
North Sea Scampi Gelee | Pea Cream | Poached Tail | Perseus Caviar
Plump North Sea langoustine is handled with meticulous marination and low-temperature preparation to preserve its sweetness and texture. Lightly blanched green peas are worked into a silky sauce, offering fresh sweetness and smooth balance, revealing the scampi’s natural, unembellished flavour. Finished with Perseus caviar, the elements elevate one another within a minimalist structure.
Signature French Canard | Lettuce Fondant | Albufera Sauce
A tribute to French culinary classics. The duck is cured and matured using traditional methods, with cuisson controlled in a restrained, unwavering manner. Using a silver press, Chef Alessio extracts bones and juices to gradually build the depth and sheen of an Albufera sauce. Butter-glazed lettuce brings a gentle, refreshing balance, allowing the richness of sauce and duck to unfold in orderly progression and close with an elegant finish.
Pure Chocolate Water Sorbet | Coconut and Grue | Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Less is more. Dessert returns to the most essential form Chef Alessio travelled to a friend’s olive estate in Italy to personally select olives for an extra virgin olive oil chosen for its clean, distinctive aromatic profile. A single drizzle extends the sorbet’s freshness and texture, bridging the bittersweet notes of cacao with the crispness of coconut — leaving a finish that is fragrant, precise, and clear.
