Alain Ducasse's Monaco muster of master chefs

It was a gathering of unparalleled culinary star power - 300 of the Michelin kind, in fact, and three of Australia's best - to mark the 25th anniversary of one of the world's most famous restaurants, the ornate Louis XV in the tiny principality of Monaco, writes Joanna Savill.

Run by the man many people think is the most successful chef of his era, Alain Ducasse, the Louis XV was the first hotel restaurant to win three Michelin stars. But such is the universal respect for Ducasse - who now holds 21 Michelin stars from 27 restaurants - that 240 of his colleagues agreed to interrupt their busy schedules for a weekend of celebrations.

Among them were three Australian chefs chosen, Ducasse said, for their individual contributions to Australian and global gastronomy.

"Alain's team sent me a 'save the date' earlier this year,'' Tetsuya Wakuda said, ''so of course I was going to come. I wouldn't have missed it.''

Wakuda was joined by Serge Dansereau of Bathers' Pavilion, and Guillaume Brahimi of Guillaume at Bennelong (along with Geoff Scott of Auckland's Vinnies) for a weekend of lavish receptions, dinners and an extraordinary 'pop-up' Mediterranean market featuring superb local produce cooked by leading chefs from New York to Lima, Beijing to Beirut.

The Monaco royals, Prince Albert and Princess Charlene, were also there. ''There's no one else who could do this,'' said Denmark's Rene Redzepi of Noma, top of the world's 50 best restaurants list. ''If Alain Ducasse asks, no one says no.''

Joanna Savill was a guest of Alain Ducasse and Monaco Tourism.

Hats off ... left to right, Geoff Scott, Guillaume Brahimi, Alain Ducasse, Tetsuya Wakuda and Serge Dansereau.

Source: The Sydney Morning Herald, 19 November 2012