Notes from Macau

Macau can be crammed into a day trip if you are ambitious and plan ahead. We decided to stay overnight only to change things up, and b/c we didn't really plan out any details. I have posted some pictures online. Please click on this link to view.

We went to Margaret's Cafe e Nata for Portuguese tarts on our first day. Supposedly, she is the former wife of the original Portuguese tart shop, but after divorcing, she opened her own shop on Macau Island. It was quite difficult to find, and I didn't have much of an address since it is in an alley. Fortunately, she had an ad in one of the tourist maps.

Here in Chicago, I grew up on the traditional egg custard tarts. I never knew of the Po' tarts until Richwell opened and started to sell them. I began to favor these over the old standbys as I found the custard to be lighter and creamier in texture. The real thing in Macau was divine - quite rich for an Asian dessert. The crust was buttery and flaky - reminding me of a croissaint. The custard was warm, creamy, and light. They are a little smaller in size than the ones made at Richwell, but due to the rich crust - very filling nonetheless.

Our second day proved to be a productive tour of eating in Macau. We took the bus to Hac Sa Beach, named for its dark colored sand. We dined at Francesco's - a well known Portuguese establishment at the beach. They are famed for their roasted pork, but we did not know this until after the fact. Also, we were warned to eat pork with caution as the news reported of a pork scare. I think this would be more of a threat at small local restaurants in rural areas. Anyway, we ordered Portuguese shrimp and chicken. I am so glad I was there w/ my parents as the menu was only in Chinese and Portuguese! I wish I could provide more detail about the ingredients and preparation used. The shrimp was cooked and served with the shell and head. There wasn't really a sauce, but what was left of all the seasonings and such were dark bits, some of which included minced garlic and chiles. The flavor was quite unlike anything I can recall and really delicious. We ordered a half chicken after the server advised that a whole chicken would be too much for the three of us. She was wise to do so as we are usually small eaters. We really appreciated her honesty. The chicken was roasted and wonderfully fragrant and moist. The skin was very thin and tasty and crispy.

Next, we took the bus to Coloane Village for the first Portuguese Tart Bakery, Lord Stowe's. It was in the village center, so it was a lot easier to find. I couldn't taste any significant difference between his and Margarets, but at least hers were warm.

Finally, we ended our food tour at Dai Ley (sp?) in Taipa Village for a pork cutlet sandwich. We had hoped to go here on our first day, but we didn't venture out until 4pm, and the concerige warned that the probablity of getting a sandwich that late in the day was slim! Everyone knows of this legendary sandwich. Each day, around 3pm, the restaurant opens and only prepares 300-500 sandwiches. Once, they are gone, then that is it. Each patron is limited to an order of 6. The line winds around the block. By the time we reached the restaurant, it was only a little after 3, and the place was packed and there was a line of about 50! The wait was well worth it - the marinade on the pork was so good. It was perfect for the little potato roll. It was only $0.75 USD!

More notes on Hong Kong and Singapore to come soon!

Pucca wrote:Macau can be crammed into a day trip if you are ambitious

Galena maybe. Macau no.

I visited Macau on a day trip once and have to say that my experience was nowhere near as good as yours. There just wasn't enough time to explore and eat.

The one time I went to macau I think I had the best food I have ever eaten in my life. I say "I think" because it was more than 10 years ago and at the time it was definitively the best food ever (no, not the badger, owl, or other creatures I saw for sale downstairs) but my memory fails me. We were there for dinner only, a local brought me to his favorite place. We didn't mean to go to Macau - our return to HK from our factory on the mainland (where I also had the best food ever, thanks to the factory chef who had done a rotation through chairman mao's kitchen) was slowed by a full hydrofoil and we had to make a detour through the gamblin' and whorin' capital of...that part of East Asia.

But your culinary adventures dwarf mine!