Crown Macau has Tenmasa, a 70-year-old tempura household name from Japan. While Cafe Deco, one of Hong Kong's most famous names in dining, has opened a bigger outlet at the Venetian resort. At the replica of St Mark's Place of this resort, Hong Kong's Eclipse Management has opened Fogo Samba, a split-level restaurant featuring the Samba bar on the ground floor and cafe with more than 50 seats outside facing the square, and the churrascaria (Brazilian steakhouse) on the upper floor.

But small and medium-sized restaurants are feeling the pinch of higher rents and a manpower shortage. 'Raw materials are more expensive. The price of cheese has doubled,' says Margaret Wong Stow, owner of Cafe e Nata.

Also, the offspring of restaurateurs are reluctant to continue in their families' businesses. 'My son has a journalism degree and is working at a university, while my daughter is married and works as a secretary. They aren't even interested in knowing about the business,' says Henrique Castilho, owner of 16-year-old Comida a Portuguesa Carlos.

But Miguel Oliveira, a lecturer in food and beverage at the Institute for Tourism Studies in Macau, says: 'The overall quality of food has shot up. The existing restaurants may suffer a bit, but will regain their footing, especially ones that have been around for a while.' He says new hotels are playing a part in raising the benchmark.

'All these hotels are also trying to get local chefs and put Macanese food on the menu. They are trying to make Macanese more trendy. Food at Macanese restaurants tastes wonderful, but the dishes do not look modern.'

He doesn't believe there is any direct rivalry between hotel restaurants and local places.

'Not all tourists want fine dining,' he says. 'Fernando's, for instance, which is more Portuguese than Macanese, has good and simple food and it survives. A Lorcha is still successful. Local places always have advantages, not just price-wise but also because of the atmosphere.'

Hotels have played a role in the development of Macau's food culture. Nata (Portuguese egg tarts) may have been served at homes of Portuguese and Macanese families, but they weren't available commercially until the former Hyatt Regency Macau introduced them at its Flamingo restaurant.

The late Andrew Stow opened Lord Stow's Bakery to sell his own version, which was an instant hit. The Coloane bakery is operated by his sister today.

The culture of Macanese food is carried on by quality restaurants such as Litoral and Praia Grande, and the Educational Restaurant at the Institute for Tourism Studies also plays an active role in preserving indigenous recipes.

Portuguese cuisine thrives in places such as O Manel, O Santos and A Petisqueira, while Fernando's keeps its strong following with big plates of sardines, suckling pig Portuguese style and beef cooked with beer.

A Lorcha 289a Rua do Almirante Serigo, Macau, +853 2831 3195. A Petisqueira 15 Rua S Joao, Taipa , +853 2882 5354. Cafe e Nata Gum Loi Building, Macau, +853 2871 0032. Copa Steakhouse 3/F Sands, Macau, +853 983 8222. Comida a Portuguesa Carlos Rua Cidade de Braga, Edificio Vista Magnifica, Lojas AR&AS, r/c, NAPE, Macau, +853 2875 1838. Don Alfonso1890 3/F Grand Lisboa, Macau, +853 2888 3888. Fernando's 9 Praia de Hac Sa, Coloane, +853 2888 2264. Fogo Samba The Grand Canal Shoppes 2412, The Venetian Resort-Hotel, Baia De Nossa Senhora de Esperanca, Estrada da Cotai, +853 2882 8499. Le Bistrot G/F Nova Taipa Garden Block 27, Taipa, Macau, +853 2884 3739. Lord Stow's Coloane Town Square, Coloane, +853 2888 2534. O Manel Rua Fernao Mendes Pinto, Taipa, +853 2882 5571. O Santos Rua dos Clerigos 28, Taipa, +853 2882 5594. Robuchon a Galera 3/F Hotel Lisboa, +853 2837 7666.

Il Teatro

Wynn Macau, Rua Cidade de Sintra, NAPE, Macau, +853 986 3663

The name of this restaurant means 'the theatre' in Italian, and this is certainly apt. Aside from the open kitchen where diners can view the cooking action, there is also a big row of full-length windows offering a view of the Performance Lake where water jets and fireballs spurt out to the rhythm of music played from speakers. This may sound like some tacky gimmick, but somehow this restaurant has succeeded in blending the show with reasonably tasteful decor consisting of spacious round booths. The music is never too loud, so if you're not into the show, the conversation can keep flowing. Much of your attention will inevitably be on food anyway. We have been told the resort's owner Steve Wynn decreed no effort or cost should be spared in perfecting the dishes here, which the restaurant's chef Aldo Volpi has happily followed. If there's ever a soup that you can call sinful, it would be the fresh green pea, fava bean and pork cheek, with Maltagliati pasta (HK$75). The flavour of the lard and the creaminess of the beans is a duet made in heaven. And who can resist a perfectly al dente tagliolini pasta with fresh lobster and light brandy sauce (left)? It's a simple dish that becomes a sensation with the touch of a master chef. Other notable dishes here include the seared Barbarie duck breast with aged balsamic vinegar and pearl onions (HK$250) and the pan-fried sea bass fillet with porcini mushrooms, capers and light lemon sauce (HK$220) . If you've never had a slice of porcini that makes you feel like you're wrapped in silk, this is the place to get it. Every drop of sauce is a high note, and every bite of the fish or meat dances with it. In Asia many restaurants, even western ones, treat desserts as an afterthought. Luckily not here, where we've tasted some of the most delightful panna cotta, almond parfait with truffle honey and Caraibe chocolate cake with vanilla bean sauce. You can try small portions of all of the above, as well as the tiramisu and deconstructed lime and basil tart, for HK$80. RH

IFT Educational Restaurant

Institute for Tourism Studies, Colina de Mong-Ha, Macau, +853 2851 5222

A training ground for new hospitality talent in Macau, this restaurant is a great place to go for good food at cha chaan teng prices, as the chef calls it. The degustation menu of seared scallops with Portuguese black pudding and orange confiture; lobster cappuccino with snipped basil; grilled halibut with a Douro red wine, Portuguese bacon, mushroom and parsley sauce; beef fillet with a gratin of wild mushrooms and cream potatoes; and mango pudding and fresh fruit salad steeped in Moscatel wine to wrap up costs HK$450 per couple - with tea or coffee included. It's excellent value even for Macau. The food is prepared by seasoned chefs, and students get to help them out and learn from it. Students serve tables under supervision, and they are always eager. Dining here, you get to be treated like a king, eat well for very little and contribute to the grooming of our future hospitality workers - what could be better than that? If you are going a la carte, the braised pig's head salad with a lemon and coriander dressing (HK$40 - pictured) is a refreshing way to start a meal here. No, you're not eating the whole head, but cold cuts of crunchy skin and tender meat. If you prefer a hot starter, the seared scallops with Portuguese black pudding and orange confiture (HK$40) fuses the sweetness of the shellfish with the hearty sharpness of the sausage. The lobster cappuccino tastes like a whole crustacean condensed into a little cup. For main courses, IFT seafood rice (HK$70) is a soupy dish that's as nourishing as mum's, and roast cod with a bacalhau and potato crust with braised fennel (HK$90) shows the chef's skills in adding dimensions to a fish that's famed for its ultra tenderness but subtle flavour. The African chicken here is saucy and sharp, and sans peanuts, which is how we prefer it. The only shortcoming about visiting this restaurant is transport. The IFT is a short cab ride away, but with Macau's serious taxi shortage even if you get there, getting back might be a problem. The staff will call a taxi for you, but there's no guarantee that you'll get one immediately. As a last resort, you might have to trek down the hill for five or 10 minutes and catch a bus. RH

Tenmasa

Level 11, Crown Macau, Avenida de Kwong Tung, Taipa, +853 2886 8868

When the Japanese set out to perfect something, they tend to make it an art form. Tempura is an example. Today, tempura has become one of Japan's most famous foods and its batter is often adopted by western chefs because of its super lightness. The best of the golden fries are served in tempura-ya, specialised restaurants in this style of cooking. One such restaurant is the 70-year-old Tenmasa in Tokyo, which opened recently in the Crown Macau. It is only appropriate for a former Portuguese colony to have a serious tempura restaurant because, some believe, it was the Portuguese who brought the idea of deep-fried food to Japan in the 16th century. The theory is palpable, as before that time the general population of Japan was poor and few would even dream of using that much oil to cook. Chef de cuisine Takenori Noguchi (pictured) manages the restaurant and cooks for customers in one of Tenmasa's tempura rooms. We have been told that he manages the restaurant by ear. He says he can simply listen to the sounds that come out of the kitchen and he knows if things are on track. His hearing also helps him cook. He can hear if an ingredient is not in top condition by the sounds of it being fried, and the sound of a droplet of batter in the grill tells him if the oil has achieved optimal temperature. Sceptics might call this boasting, but if they have eaten the tempura here they might change their minds. You are given three bowls of condiments - sea salt, lemon juice and tempura sauce (made of mirin, soya, vinegar, sugar and a secret ingredient). Many of the delicate items, including the kuruma prawns (HK$200 each), are best eaten with a quick dip in the citrus and then with a little bit of the salt. As your teeth crunch through the feather-light batter the sweetness of the prawn bursts out. The same would work with the sea urchin (also HK$200 each), which is wrapped in dried seaweed before it is battered. The baby ayu trout (HK$160) and abalone (HK$200) work better with the tempura sauce. The chef will advise you on which sauce to use. Certain items are seasonal, and at the time of going to press two of the gems were white asparagus (HK$100) and daikoku shimeji mushroom (HK$150). There are set meals (pictured) starting from HK$380 to HK$2,200, depending on the level of decadence you want and the size of your wallet. Sets may include sashimi, sushi and noodle or rice dishes. RH

Aurora

Level 10, Crown Macau, Avenida de Kwong Tung, Taipa, Macau, +853 2886 8868

A restaurant suited to the young and discerning crowd, this contemporary French eatery features a seafood bar, a walk-in wine cellar, a separate bar area and an outdoor terrace - everything you'd need for a good night out. But what impresses most is the restaurant's 20-something chef de cuisine tournant Samuel Wilkes, who possesses the skills of a seasoned chef and the energy that suits his age. We were most impressed by his Iberico pork belly with savoy cabbage, grenaille potato and lime jus (HK$190). The outside of the meat was slightly crisp, colourfully flavoured and the sauce cut through the natural fat of the belly. The wood-fired escargot (HK$130), we were told, is a favourite dish of one of the hotel's owners, Lawrence Ho, and we can see why. You eat escargots for their texture and we had ones that were plump and healthy, and the wood fire treatment gave them a nice lingering fragrance. With the zesty mesclun salad, they made a great starter or a light lunch. Other notable dishes included duck leg confit (HK$190, with lentil, earth vegetable ragout and duck jus) and citrus-infused monkfish (with globe artichoke and sea urchin foam, HK$230), moules frites (mussels and hand cut pont neuf potato, HK$80 as an appetiser, and HK$160 as a main course) and pissaladiere (French-style pizzas, HK$120). The seafood bar (pictured) offers everything from eight littleneck clams for HK$60 and 100 grams of Norwegian king crab legs for HK$75 to half a New Zealand lobster for HK$290. Oysters on ice start from HK$85 for three. For true decadence, there are sevruga, oscietra and beluga caviars, served by 30g portions for HK$1,488, HK$1,688 and HK$3,488. The restaurant boasts an extensive cocktail list and a thousand-strong wine list. RH

Cafe Deco Macao

The Grand Canal Shoppes 1036, The Venetian Resort-Hotel, Baia De Nossa Senhora De Esperanca, Estrada Da Cotai, Macau, +853 2882 3326

'Mammoth' was the first word that came to our minds when we walked into Cafe Deco, and that was after a good five-minute walk through the labyrinth that is The Venetian Resort-Hotel's lobby and casino. There are more than 1,000 seats on two floors and in many different sections ranging from tapas bar to sushi bar. The distinctive 1930s art deco theme remains. More than a 100 chefs, led by executive chef Alan Yu, buzz around in the open kitchen - one of the biggest in the region. The fare is international, with many items on the menu that are not available at the flagship branch in Hong Kong. Besides tandoori, pizzas, sushi and fresh oysters, there are teppanyaki (served 11.30am to 2.30pm and 6pm to 11pm), Chinese roasts, rotisseries, Chinese wok specialities (such as Chinese zucchini with conpoy), noodles, tapas and Macanese dishes. There are items to suit all budgets, with margarita pizza starting at 108 patacas, assorted sushi from 78 patacas and deluxe teppanyaki supreme set at 398 patacas. Good for sharing are the seafood mountain (698 patacas), soft shell crab hand roll (128 patacas), phad thai (108 patacas) and the golden prawns (148 patacas). Desserts include lavender pavlova, warm dark and white chocolate pudding and Grand Marnier creme brulee, available throughout the day. There are different styles of seating on offer, allowing you to choose either to sit in the middle of the action and soak in all the buzz, or dine quietly in one of the many semi-private booths. We were surprised by the African chicken, which was well executed. The sauce had a nice kick to it, while the meat was tender and wrapped in a well-seasoned skin. The pan-fried bacalhau was succulent and nicely charred on the outside, and served with a healthy helping of vegetable julienne, shredded onion and saffron sauce. The sushi was also delectable. But we were a little disappointed by the lobster angel hair, which, despite the tempting appearance, was a bit over-seasoned. The service is rather erratic, a phenomenon all too common in Macau these days. This Cafe Deco outlet is open 24 hours. From the Metropolis Lounge snack menu, served after dinnertime until 1am or 2am, items such as seared Norwegian salmon with Asian pesto and pita bread, and Angus beef and asparagus kakitori with teriyaki sauce are only 68 patacas each. RH