Everyone knows about Fernando’s and we still love it but Macau has so much more to offer in the food department, with plenty of hidden gems that are still truly hidden – well, at least as of press time.
Try Burmese food
Macau has a sizable population of Burmese-Chinese immigrants, and they’ve brought some Burmese restaurants with them (there’s a rumor Hong Kong has a single Burmese restaurant, but it seems no one can find it). Nga Heong Café serves the most typical representative of Burma’s comfort food, fish noodles. Rice vermicelli sits in a bowl of thick, viscous fish broth flavored with tangy lemon grass. Tumeric gives it a bright yellow color and it’s topped with crispy pieces of deep-fried fish skin and heaps of cilantro. Too fishy for you? Try their noodles in a creamy Burmese chicken curry. They also serve their special homemade black soymilk. 277 Rua do Almirante Sergio, 2896-2616.
Have THE buffet
With its 200-foot long marbled table serving everything from Alaskan crab to Korean barbeque, the Grand Buffet at the Grand Lisboa lures its customers into the extra sin of gluttony by charging USD$26 per head at their two sessions each night (6:00-8:00pm and 8:30-10:30pm). Expect to wait in line. The Grand Buffet, Grand Lisboa, U2/F, Avenida de Lisboa, 803-7733.
Eat at Donald’s favorite restaurant
Our chief executive Donald Tsang that is. Tsang apparently loves the tiny restaurant Cheong Kei and used to visit it whenever he came to the city with his Macanese wife. He’s recently stopped going, but not because of the food – the place is too small for his many bodyguards. But nothing should stop you from trying their hugely popular noodles with shrimp roe. Also try their deep-fried fish balls, which their chef invented and are now widely copied around town. 68 Rua da Felicidade, 2857-4310.
Try a long-gone Chinese dish
Chinese restaurant Tou Tou Koi still makes Chinese dishes the old way. Try the “Golden Coin Chicken,” which is a traditional dish with chicken liver and fatty and lean sliced pork cooked in honey sauce. Every bite is laden in fat, but it’s the perfect mixture of flavors. Rua da Felicidade, 2857-2629.
Have a cup of Dr. Ho’s coffee
Legend has it that Stanley Ho was never a man for his coffee until he tried the joe from Singing Bean in Japan. He was so impressed, that he up and bought the entire company, moving it to Macau. Truly, a capricious man, but we’re not complaining too much as the coffee here is excellent. Specialties are the mocha ice cream and the coffee jelly, bitter as you like and served with double cream and sugar syrup. Perfect for a sweaty day. Shun Tak House, Senado Square, 2838-9118.
Cha chang teng-ing
Nam Peng Cafe is an old-style cha chang teng that is still very popular among locals. If you are looking for something nostalgic and hope to mingle with the locals, this is the place to go. Their sandwiches with egg are famous thanks to their massive size – and the rest of the food is pretty damn good too. 54 Rua de Cinco de Outubro, 2892-1205.
Portuguese food with a bonus
Portuguese restaurant A Lorcha, near A Ma Temple, has been famous for years because of its fine food, such as their sardine salad. But when we went there we might have found the real reason people keep coming back – the owner, Mr. Neves, is pretty hot. 289 Rua do Almirante Sergio, 2831-3193.
Eating noodles with the best view
The greatest thing about eating at the Noodle & Congee Corner in the Grand Lisboa is you get pole dancers to your right and a great view of the gamblers below. Have fun watching people lose their ferry ticket home while you chow down on a big bowl of Shanxi noodles. Noodle Place, 1/F, inside the casino at Grand Lisboa, 803-7755.
A late-night after-drink bite
Having too much fun (and booze) in the bar street area? Have some excellent French crepes with cheese at La Comedie Chez Vous (closes at 2am) at a corner right opposite the Museum of Art. Sneaky couples aplenty like to drink and snuggle on the couches here. Avenida Xian Xing Hai, 2875-2021.
Food Souvenirs
Macau is also all about buying souvenirs. But why buy almond cakes, egg rolls and beef jerky every time you go to Macau? Not only are they widely available in Hong Kong, but the shop owners are always a bit of a pain in Macau. Instead, try some Portuguese snacks at Restaunrante Dumbo in Taipa (Rua do Regedor Loja, Hei Loi Tang Kong Cheong, 2882-7888). The famous Portuguese restaurant now makes its own deliciously unique snacks. A more convenient shop is the Landmark Bakery (Hotel Lobby, The Landmark Macau, 555 Avenida da Amizade, 781-781), with a pastry chef making Portuguese snacks fine-tuned to fit Chinese taste.
If you are still up for Chinese-style snacks, get some excellent fried peanuts at Si Heung Peanuts (27 Infante, 2892-2572), a famous shop tucked away on a quiet street corner.
What about a dried frog? It maybe seem gross but apparently frogs are medicinal. According to the salesman we spoke to, since these frogs can survive in extremely cold temperatures of 30 degrees below zero, it's a cure-all supplement when boiled in soup. USD$13 for about 10 frogs. Estrada de Coelho do Amaral, north of Senado Square.