MACAU: A cooking pot of cultures

Macau has, for many decades, been a melting pot of

Oriental and European cultures. To a certain extent,

it can be also a ''cooking pot'' of cultures as well

since cuisine is one of the best examples of this

marriage of East and West.

A recent sojourn to this special administrative region of

the People’s Republic of China and former Portugese

colony gave me a chance to taste of what we in the

Philippines call “Lutong Macau.”

Alorino Noruega ( or Alu ), public relations executive of

the Macau Government Tourist Office, was my group’s

gracious and charming host. All throughout our three-day

stay there he treated us to the best of what Macau has

to offer – from historic landmarks to the best samplings of

Chinese, Portugese and Macanese food.

Our adventure in Macau’s cuisine started with lunch at

the Plaza Restaurant which offers a wide variety of

authentic Chinese food.

We started with a variety of dimsum like shrimp

dumplings, small pork steamed buns (pao), fried shrimp

rolls, and a vegetables-tuffed “buchi”. Although we all

have these in Manila, I couldn’t help myself from

comparing the food. The Macau version was a little more

oily but far more tastier. Perhaps it is in the preparation

and ingredients that make the difference.

After dimsum came a platter of assorted cold cuts such

as pork asado, white chicken and what tasted like lechon

kawali. This was followed by giant prawns with a sweet

and spicy sauce, and a spinach with salted and century

eggs soup.

I especially liked the hot jasmine tea that was served

throughout the meal. It was effective in taking out the

greasy feeling as a result of eating oily food and it aided

in digestion.

Travelers who would want to explore on their own can

ask for an “Eating out in Macau” map from the MGTO

office. The illustrated map contains listings of the more

popular food establishments in the region and in the

outerlying islands of Coloane and Taipa. It also has menu

translations and bus routes. It can also serve as a guide

to various tourist spots, hotels, and other attractions.

Alu then brought us to dinner at the Restaurante Litoral

for a taste of Macanese (a fusion of Chinese and

Portugese) food. This cuisine can be described as

combining exotic African spices, Chinese herbs with

Portugese ingredients.

For starters we had tomato soup and crusty bread, a

fresh garden salad and thinly-sliced Portugese chorizo,

which had a light smoky flavor.

The highlight of our meal was the Galinha Africana or

African Chicken. According to Alu, the dish is named as

such not because the poultry came from Africa but the

spices used in cooking were. The tender, grilled chicken

had just a slightly spicy taste. It was served with fried

rice that was so delicious, it could be eaten on its own. It

reminded me of Arroz Valenciana.

We also had Minchi or minced beef with fried potatoes

and onions topped with a fried egg.

The meal was complemented by a choice of red or white

Portugese wine. For dessert, I had a sinfully-rich Mousse

de Chocolate.

One of the most popular food stops in Macau is

Fernando’s which faces the Hac Sa Beach on Coloane

island. The restaurant is renowned throughout the region

for its delectable Portugese dishes.

We had bread, clams in a spicy sauce, giant prawns in

chili, grilled sea bass, codfish, fresh greens and tomatoes,

and Arroz de Marisco (Portugese seafood rice).

The codfish, or “Bacalhau,” was fried in olive oil and garlic

and was surrounded by wedges of baked potato. We had

a sauce of onions, chopped parsley, a hint of lemon and

olive oil on the side. The taste was heavenly.

Another house specialty is the clams in a sauce which

was so good, you can literally lick the platter clean. (In

our case we used pieces of bread to wipe off the sauce

from the dish.)

Just as we were thinking that the meal was finally at an

end, the servers brought in platters of fried chicken and

ribs sitting on top of large mounds of french fries.

To wash all these down we were served pitchers of ice

cold sangria with slices of fresh oranges.

While on the island, you could also try the best “nata” or

egg tarts. This flaky pastry has a sweet, flan-like filling

that simply melts in your mouth.

Travelers may be worried of putting on a more than a few

pounds even on such a short stay in Macau. However,

since the region is so small and has good roads, I think

their best bet is to take a walking a tour of the city.

They’ll be able to shed off unwanted weight and at the

same time have an enjoyable time exploring.