Wolfgang Zwiener opened his first Wolfgang’s Steakhouse in New York in 2004 and has since expanded globally, including an outlet in Resorts World Genting. It has become popular for its high-quality dry-aged steak, wine and cocktails. Zwiener has built a solid reputation by hand-selecting only USDA Prime Black Angus beef for flavour and texture. The meat is dry-aged, ordered and butchered into Wolfgang’s Steakhouse signature Porterhouse, Prime New York Sirloin, Rib Eye, and Filet Mignon.

To celebrate the success of Wolfgang’s Steakhouse, Resorts World Genting recently invited Chef Cédric Bourassin and Pastry Chef Marc Turcas for a takeover—The Chef Series—throughout 2024 for a fusion of American and French flavours.

Chef Bourassin is a lecturer of Practical Arts and Head Chef in the Berceau Des Sens at the Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne. He has worked for prestigious restaurants and hotels around Europe, Japan and Malaysia, and for this project, he brought Chef Turcas to showcase his expertise in pastry. Chef Turcas is an acclaimed pastry chef from Berceau des Sens and is recognised as one of Europe’s most prolific pastry professionals. His signature pastry, the Exotic Vacherin with Valrhona chocolate mousse, is greatly appreciated around Europe and, now, Malaysia.

During the takeover, Chef Bourassin and Chef Turcas presented a menu that reflected their rich culinary journeys. Chef Bourassin blended European and Japanese flavours, creating the Halibut mosaic of salmon and leek. The buttery and sweet profile was paired with Grenache Blanc white wine to create a smoky aftertaste. Next was his Japanese-inspired Sea Bream Ceviche with candied kumquats. The sweet aroma of this fish blended effortlessly with the sweet, oaky notes of Chardonnay.

Then, the Kimchi-style Angus Sirloin accompanied with Enoki Mushrooms and Almond Potatoes, made its way out. The deep, beefy flavour fused perfectly with the peppery and woody notes of Cabernet Sauvignon.

After the main course, Chef Turcas presented his signature Exotic Vacherin with Valrhona chocolate mousse. The bitter-sweet chocolatey taste cleansed the beefy flavours and was paired with Muscat Sweet Vin De Dessert. The sweet, citrusy dessert wine was a great ending to a satisfying dinner.

After dinner, both chefs sat down for a candid conversation with Robb Report Malaysia about life and issues in the culinary world, and what’s next.

What inspired you to become a chef?

Chef Bourassin: It was a random time when I decided to visit a culinary school just for the experience, and I fell in love with cooking. I went ahead and study it, and worked as a chef afterwards.

Chef Turcas: I was inspired by my mother, who loves baking. I often baked with her when I was young and decided to make this my career.

What is the most important lesson you’ve learned throughout your career?

Chef Bourassin: Humility. Being kind and humble will get you places regardless of how successful you are.

Chef Turcas: Staying focused on what you do to avoid being distracted.

What is the one issue in the culinary world that you’d like to address?

Chef Bourassin: Food intolerances. It is challenging to manage my cooking when a customer requests for dishes that are gluten-free, lactose-free, vegan, and even pescatarian. We always prepare our ingredients early, and a last-minute request is very stressful as we have limited time to cook, resulting in changes in recipes and flavours.

Chef Turcas: It’s the same for pastry, especially special dining sessions. I make it a point to ask customers ahead of time to find out their allergies, but it’s a lot of stress to make sure our creation is still as delicious as our original ones. But as a good chef, we need to make sure we can still deliver without compromising on our food quality and the recipe.

What are the most important techniques all chefs should have?

Chef Bourassin: We are not only training to be cooks; we are training to be managers, so we need to know how to manage the entire kitchen, from working with raw ingredients to the finished products.

Chef Turcas: It’s the same for pastries—we need to learn how to present and service every department in the kitchen. That will give us the skillset we need.

What are your favourite ingredients to use when cooking?

Chef Bourassin: Potatoes. You can do plenty of things with potatoes. It’s so versatile.

Chef Turcas: Passionfruit and mango. Sometimes I hunt for exotic fruits to make my pastries unique.

As an educator, what would your advice be for younger chefs?

Chef Bourassin: The culinary industry is tough but don’t give up. Be passionate, trust the process, and never doubt yourself. You will fail and that’s how you will learn too.

Chef Turcas: Always fill yourself with information and experience. Work as much as you can, and that will get you somewhere one day.

Wolfgang’s Steakhouse