Hong Kong and Macau_ City Guide (Lonely Planet, 14th Edition) - Andrew Stone [258]
The most famous Macanese speciality is galinha á Africana(African chicken), in which the bird is prepared in coconut, garlic and chillies. As well as cod, there are plenty of other fish and seafood: shrimps, prawns, crabs, squid and white fish. Sole, a tongue-shaped flat fish, is a Macanese delicacy. The contribution from the former Portuguese enclave of Goa, on the west coast of India, is spicy prawns.
Other Macanese favourites include casquinha (stuffed crab), porco balichão tamarino (pork cooked with tamarind and shrimp paste), minchi (minced beef or pork cooked with potatoes, onions and spices), and baked rice dishes made with cod, prawns or crab. Macanese desserts include pudim, which is basically crème caramel; pastéis de nata, a scrumptious egg-custard tartlet eaten warm; and serradura, a calorie-rich ‘sawdust’ pudding made with crushed biscuits, cream and condensed milk. If you want to try the latter while touring around, visit the mistakenly spelled Serrdura ( Click here).
Dining in Macau (www.dininginmacau.com) is a quarterly advertorial freebie, but a good source of information about restaurants nonetheless.
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Other Cuisines
Some people swear that the dim sum here is far better than anything you’ll find in Hong Kong. Japanese and other European fare are expertly prepared in most top-end hotels in the casino strips and the Cotai area. Excellent Thai food can be found in the area just east of the Cemetery of St Michael the Archangel, and Burmese cuisine is commonly available in the Three Lamps District, a contribution of the sizeable Burmese community living there.
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MACAU PENINSULA
Whether it’s Chinese, Portuguese or Macanese cuisine you’re after, making reservations is a must in midrange and fine-dining restaurants. Places are often booked solid on the weekends (thanks to the arrival of the controversy-stirring Michelin guide). Most restaurants open from noon to around 3pm, and re-open again at 6pm till 11pm. Good news for foodies is the 5% government tax levied on food and beverages in restaurants has been lifted.
Macau Peninsula’s daai pàai dawng (open-air street stalls) serve up excellent stir-fry dishes; try any of those along Rua do Almirante Sérgio or those on the 3rd floor of St Dominic Market (Mercado de São Domingos; Map; Rua Oeste do Mercado de São Domingos; 7am-6pm).
Macau has about 10 mercados(markets) selling fresh fruit, vegetables, meat and fish from 6am to 8pm daily. The largest is the Almirante Lacerda City Market (Mercado Municipal Almirante Lacerda; Map; 130 Avenida do Almirante Lacerda), in northern Macau, commonly known as the Red Market. The historical St Lawrence City Market (Mercado Municipal de São Lourenço) on Rua de João Lecarosin in the south was demolished in 2006, but a new market complex at the same location was under construction at the time of writing.
Pavilions Supermercado ( Map; 2833 3636; 421 Avenida da Praia Grande; 10am-9pm Mon-Sat, 11am-8pm Sun), a supermarket in the centre of the Macau Peninsula, has a wide selection of imported food and drinks, including a Portuguese section in the basement. The supermarket on the 7th floor of New Yaohan ( Map; 2872 5338; Avenida Comercial de Macau; 10.30am-10pm) beside Nam Van Lake also has great choices of imported Japanese and international food. Hyper Gourmet ( Map; 2881 3452; Ground fl, Magnolia Court, Ocean Gardens, Avenida dos Jardins do Oceano, Taipa; 10am-10pm), another supermarket on Taipa, and Gourmet Fine Foods ( Map; 2884 1436; Ground fl, Block 25, Nava Taipa Garden, 393 Rua de Seng Tou, Taipa; 10am-9pm), a deli-style store, both feature Portuguese, French and Italian foods.
ROBUCHON A GALERA Map French $$$$
2888 3888; 3rd fl, New/West Wing, Lisboa Hotel, 2-4 Avenida de Lisboa; starters MOP$190-290, mains MOP$330-570; noon-2.30pm & 6.30-10.30pm
What else do you expect from an institution created by Joël Robuchon, the most Michelin-starred chef on the planet? As Macau’s only holder of three Michelin stars, this restaurant features haute cuisine and