However, they're facing an uphill battle. Las Vegas casinos may offer some of the best dining in the US, but food tourism is still a new concept in Macau.

The former Portuguese colony is reputed to have the world's oldest fusion cuisine. Macanese dishes combine Portuguese ingredients with spices and cooking methods from China, India, Malaysia, Brazil and Portuguese colonies in Africa, and the plethora of restaurants offering such fare has the casinos searching for new ways to tempt punters' tastebuds.

Grant Bowie, president and general manager of Wynn Resorts in Macau, says simply opening Macanese restaurants wouldn't make casino dining an attraction.'[The food and beverage sector] is hugely important at every other casino destination,' says Bowie. 'But it's never been created here as an opportunity to broaden the appeal of the casinos.'

Wynn Resorts is building a 600-room hotel with a 200-table casino across from the Lisboa. The $4-billion venture is due for completion next year. 'We know that food tourism is very important. But how do we enter the market?' Bowie says. 'That we're struggling with.'

According to a report by Deutsche Bank published in December, 17 per cent of Las Vegas' casino revenue comes from food and beverage. But in Macau, where dining doesn't even rate second to gambling, all non-gaming revenue - including that from hotels, conventions and dining - makes up only about 11 per cent of the city's casino revenue. 'We estimate even the Lisboa casino, which operates 1,000 hotel rooms, generates less than 5 per cent of its revenue from non-gaming operations,' the report says.

It's not only the food that's a major selling point at Macau's most popular restaurants - so, too, is their unique decor or family history. Fernando's on Hac Sa Beach charms visitors with its laid-back, Mediterranean-style ambience, while Italian pizzeria Toscana, near the ferry terminal, is adorned with photographs of local community events from decades ago.

Foreign companies developing new casinos are finding it difficult to rival the appeal of these restaurants. The first US newcomer, the Sands casino, is giving it a shot, but crowds have so far flocked only to its two lowest-priced restaurants, leaving seats empty in its fine-dining area.

Hard-core gamblers like to fill their stomachs at the 24-hour first-floor Moonlight Food Market. 'I like eating here because the suckling pig with rice is always served within two minutes,' says Louis Sze, a gambler from Hong Kong. 'No time is wasted.'

Even though punters are giving its luxury restaurants a wide birth, the Sands says it has succeeded in raising the standard of food preparation in Macau. Executive chef Paray Li says that, when buying high-quality ingredients, his staff never worry about the price. 'We're part of the casino, and the casino simply takes care of the tab,' he says.

The Sands also has been a pioneer in testing raw seafood. Twice a month, samples of raw seafood, cooking utensils and other kitchen equipment are taken to a Hong Kong laboratory for testing.

Although it's a standard procedure in Hong Kong, Li says testing was considered unnecessary in Macau until Sands entered the market. 'We can't afford to have even one customer falling sick after eating our food,' he says. 'Our brand name puts a lot of pressure on us.'

Although it may not have lost any customers to the casino restaurants, Vinha, a Portuguese restaurant five minutes' walk away from the Sands at Dynasty Plaza, has been affected in a different way: it lost half of its staff of 20 to the new casino.

Manager Derek Leung says the Sands offers higher salaries, pays lower prices when buying food in bulk and can afford mass advertising. 'Even though the restaurants at the Sands haven't lured any customers away from us, losing half of my staff has already had quite an impact,' he says.

Macau's most famous restaurants have traditionally relied on word of mouth to promote themselves, but the Sands has turned to mass advertising campaigns in an attempt to reach mainland tourists and boost business at its upscale restaurants.

Of course, the Sands' biggest rival also has an impressive advertising network. Tycoon Stanley Ho Hung-sun's empire includes casinos, slot halls, hotels, jetfoils, a department store, the Macau Tower and a Macau newspaper. These businesses advertise in each others' venues at a low cost, and also offer discount cards and coupons to encourage tourists to spend money within the conglomerate.

This leaves smaller restaurants with no other option but to advertise, as well - which is what Vinha is doing. 'I don't know what else to do, apart from improving the quality of our food and service,' Leung says.

Sands Macau, Avenida da Amizade, (853) 883 388; the Lisboa, 2-4 Rua de Lisboa, (853) 377 666; Restaurant Vinha, Edificio Dynasty Plaza, 393 Alameda Dr Carlos d'Assumpcao, (853) 752 599; Fernando's, 9 Praia de Hac Sa, Coloane, (853) 882 264; Pizzeria Toscana, Edificio Apoio Grande Premio, (853) 726 637.