Obituary | The life of Antonio Coelho, founder of Antonio’s in Macau, who died aged 77
A leader in Portuguese and Macanese cuisine, Coelho was a larger-than-life character who was passionate about food and hospitality
Antonio Neves Coelho, the chef and founder of the restaurant Antonio’s in Macau, has died at the age of 77.
His death on October 12 was announced by his wife Mercy in a public social media post.
“Our family is deeply saddened to inform you that my beloved husband, Antonio, passed away last Sunday,” she wrote. “I cannot express the grief that we are feeling at the loss of such a great man in the family and to everyone else.”
Coelho, who opened his iconic restaurant in Macau’s Taipa Village in 2007, is widely credited as one of the leading figures of Portuguese and Macanese gastronomy in the region.
His cosy, three-storey restaurant has long been a well-known destination for food lovers travelling to Macau, who make the pilgrimage to try Coelho’s signatures: garlicky sautéed clams in white wine and olive oil, grilled sardines, and rich and hearty Portuguese duck rice.
This writer remembers fondly a lunch she had there after one particularly raucous night of Oktoberfest festivities – Coelho welcomed our party with wide smiles and delivered our iced colas with little delay. At the end of the meal, the affable chef did what he usually does – float through the restaurant, rubbing elbows with regulars and doling out glasses of port to make merry.