French culinary master brings Ducasse legacy to Manila

French culinary master brings Ducasse legacy to Manila | Daily Tribune

At the heart of the much-anticipated Goût de France festival that happened last 24 to 25 May in Makati City, all roads led to fine wine, crêpes under the sun and accordion music in the air -- but one name stood out in the culinary lineup: Chef Marc Chalopin, executive chef of École Ducasse Manila at Enderun Colleges.

With more than three decades of experience in Michelin-starred kitchens and elite culinary schools across the globe, Chef Marc is not only a master of his craft, but also a passionate mentor shaping the next generation of world-class chefs in the Philippines.

A culinary odyssey

Chef Marc’s journey began at 16, armed with a culinary diploma and a suitcase bound for Paris. What followed was a meteoric rise through the ranks of France’s gastronomic temples: Maxim’s, La Tour d’Argent, the Ritz Paris and Jules Verne at the Eiffel Tower. He worked closely with legendary chefs including Louis Grondard, Joël Robuchon and Alain Ducasse, absorbing techniques and philosophies that define modern French haute cuisine.

After nearly two decades in France, his career took an academic turn when he joined the Le Cordon Bleu Institute in Tokyo. From there, he taught in Australia and South Korea, discovering a new calling: Education. “Teaching is more than a job — it’s a passion,” he says. “Passing it down is primordial.”

That passion led him to the Philippines, where he now heads École Ducasse Manila, the first international campus of the Ducasse Institute. Since 2012, Chef Marc has faithfully upheld Ducasse’s standards of excellence while championing local ingredients and techniques.

Teaching French excellence

with a Filipino twist

In his role at Enderun, Chef Marc wears many hats: educator, curriculum designer, mentor, innovator. He ensures that every student learns the fundamentals of French cooking — discipline, precision, and respect for ingredients — while creatively adapting to the Filipino palate.

“My role is to adapt recipes to honor local products,” he explains. “We may teach French excellence, but we also apply those techniques to regional dishes — like sisig with foie gras, knuckles for crunch, and vacuum cooking for precision.”

His innovative spirit extends to traditional methods. Recently, after watching a Filipino dish cooked in green bamboo, he began exploring how this natural vessel could be used to bake bread, infusing it with smoky, earthy flavors — a blend of local heritage and French technique.

Day in the life at

École Ducasse Manila

At Enderun Colleges, Chef Marc oversees five kitchens, a pastry lab and a student-run restaurant. His days begin with class planning, recipe testing and preparation coordination. Students rotate between three-hour demos and six-hour workshops under his close supervision. He also mentors fellow chefs, ensuring that every dish served or taught meets the Ducasse gold standard.

When not in the kitchen, he scours culinary journals and social media for the latest trends. “Instagram is a goldmine,” he admits, “because innovation never stops.”

A taste of Goût de France

On Saturday, 24 May, festival-goers will get a rare treat — a live cooking demo by Chef Marc Chalopin himself at the Makati Street Meet. As rosé flows and music fills the air, Chef Marc will showcase the very techniques that have defined his career: refined, rooted in tradition, yet bold and open to the flavors of his new home.

Chef Marc Chalopin is not just teaching students how to cook; he’s building cultural bridges — one plate at a time. In every slice of foie gras-topped sisig, in every mango crème brûlée, in every Enderun kitchen module — he reminds us that food, at its best, is a celebration of where we’ve been and where we’re going.