Key Facts:
- Award-winning creative agency Sage House has announced Sage Gastronomy: Master Series - Edition 01, an immersive three-night dining experience at Garden Restaurant, NGV International, Melbourne, running from 22-24 August 2026.
- The event brings together Hong Kong Chefs Association President Chef Eddy Leung, Chef of China 2025 Champion Chef Rain Qu, and multi-award-winning Australian chef Leslie Chan, alongside Japanese artist Hikaru Matsubara, celebrating the intersection of gastronomy, art, and cultural exchange.
- The menu places premium Australian produce at its centre, featuring ingredients such as M8+ Australian Wagyu, native finger lime, Australian scallops, and an abalone laksa with lobster bisque, culminating in a sculptural dessert inspired by the NGV Garden landscape.
- Each evening will accommodate up to 120 guests across 15 long tables of eight, conceived as a shared, immersive encounter in which the menu, artistic environment, and storytelling are experienced as a single continuous narrative.
- Opening Night tickets on 22 August are priced at AUD $398 per person (including a limited-edition art gift), with tickets for 23 and 24 August at AUD $380 per person; optional wine pairings are available, and all prices include GST.
6 August 2026: Award-winning creative agency Sage House has announced Sage Gastronomy: Master Series – Edition 01, an immersive three-night dining experience at Garden Restaurant, NGV International, from 22–24 August 2026. Bringing together Hong Kong Chefs Association President Chef Eddy Leung, Chef of China 2025 Champion Chef Rain Qu, multi-award-winning Australian chef Leslie Chan, and Japanese artist Hikaru Matsubara, the inaugural Master Series celebrates the intersection of gastronomy, art and cultural exchange through a collaborative experience.
The chef lineup is led by Eddy Leung, President of the Hong Kong Chefs Association and a veteran of five-star hospitality. Rain Qu rose to wider prominence as the 2025 champion of Chef of China, a hit Chinese culinary reality series showcasing creativity, technical precision and contemporary expressions of Chinese cuisine. They are joined by Leslie Chan, a former member of the Australian National Culinary Team and winner of more than 21 national and international gold medals. Chan has twice been named Most Outstanding Chef of the Year at the Australian Culinary Challenge.
Premium Australian produce takes centre stage across the menu, including Australian scallops, M8+ Australian Wagyu, native finger lime and an abalone laksa underpinned by a velvety lobster bisque. Through three distinct culinary perspectives, the menu brings Chinese culinary traditions, broader Asian influences, Australian provenance and contemporary technique into dialogue. The experience concludes with Botanical Secrets, a sculptural dessert inspired by the landscape of the NGV Garden.
Mavis Mak, Co-Founder and Director of Integrated Marketing of Sage House, said:
"Master Series – Edition 01 marks the beginning of a long-term vision for Sage Gastronomy: a platform connecting Australia with leading culinary and creative talent from around the world. Melbourne provides the ideal meeting place, with exceptional Australian produce at the centre of new cultural conversations through food."
Jackie Lui, Co-Founder and Executive Creative Director of Sage House, said:
"Every edition of Sage Gastronomy is designed as more than a dinner. We curate each experience as a dialogue between gastronomy, art and storytelling, where every collaborator contributes a distinct creative voice. For Edition 01, the culinary vision of Chef Eddy Leung, Chef Rain Qu and Chef Leslie Chan is brought into conversation with Hikaru Matsubara's contemporary visual language, creating an immersive experience that extends well beyond the plate."
Across each evening, 15 tables of eight will form an intimate long-table configuration for up to 120 guests. The format has been conceived as a shared encounter: a setting in which the menu, artistic environment and exchange around the table are experienced as one continuous story.
TICKETS
Opening Night tickets for 22 August are AUD $398 per person and include a limited-edition art gift. An optional wine pairing is AUD $132 per person. Tickets for 23 and 24 August are AUD $380 per person, with an optional wine pairing available for AUD $110 per person. All prices include GST.
