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Showing posts with label Macau. Show all posts

<figure class="wp-block-image alignnone"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/oggie/5184263656/in/set-72157625407637314/"><img alt="Mak's Pork Dumpling and Wonton" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1279/5184263656_c08af729c1_b.jpg"></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Mak's Pork Dumpling and Wonton</figcaption></figure> We capped our first day in HK watching the sunset and admiring the early dusk view of the Kowloon and Central nightscape at the viewdeck of Victoria Peak. Boy, was it a chilly 19 degrees up there with the wind adding to the cold. We chanced upon Mak's on the way out of the Galleria mall, the warm lighting looked inviting and the thought of having hot soup on a chilly night sounded like a good idea.

<figure class="wp-block-image alignnone"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ironwulf/4814923815/in/set-72157624078717746/"><img alt="Prawn with Cheese Coctail" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4096/4814923815_7cf06015aa_b.jpg"></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Prawn with Cheese Cocktail</figcaption></figure> There are Portuguese Restaurants, and there are Portuguese Restaurants with style. And the latter is where I would put this small homey restaurant called Antonio Restaurante at Taipa Island's Old Quarters, owned by Macau celebrity chef, Antonio Coelho. We tagged along with him that morning while he bought the ingredients he will use for the dishes he will serve that evening.

<figure class="wp-block-image alignnone"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ironwulf/4814874291/?reuploaded=1"><img alt="Macanese Seafood Rice" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4141/4814874291_7ca51d310d_b.jpg"></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Macanese Seafood Rice</figcaption></figure> "This is where we take our special guests" Joao tells us. Of course we felt honored hearing that statement. If one wants to treat guests to try great-tasting Macanese food, Ristorante Litoral would be the best place to go. Chinese influences may have a big part in Macau cuisine being close to the country, but being under Portuguese rule for years, it's inevitable not to fuse the better of two influences into one distinct cuisine – Macanese. It's Portuguese Cuisine using the best of the local ingredients found in Macau.

<figure class="wp-block-image alignnone"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ironwulf/4781693430/"><img alt="Lagariero-Style Bacalhau" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4116/4781693430_0123110c01_o.jpg"></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Lagariero-Style Bacalhau</figcaption></figure> Pirates used to roam around Coloane, the Southern Region of Macau. But for the evening of our visit at Miramar Restaurant, there were no more pirates, only us hungry visitors ready to devour any Portuguese food that would land on our table. A restaurant that started way back 1990's but closed at the turn of the decade, the establishment re-opened two years ago to again serve authentic Portuguese dishes on the quiet hillside of Coloane fronting Hac Sa Bay.

<figure class="wp-block-image alignnone"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ironwulf/4659581935/"><img alt="Smoked Salmon" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1303/4659581935_d3aa52ddaa_b.jpg"></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Horizon's Champagne Glazed Cold Smoked Salmon</figcaption></figure> It was a stark contrast from our <a title="Little Turtle" href="http://www.happyfoodies.com/2010/05/18/macau-little-turtle-with-big-noodles/">last meal in Macau</a>. As soon as we enter the 3rd level of Crown Tower within City of Dreams, we knew we’ll be treated to a luxurious dining experience this time around. We were at Horizons, a restaurant known for its grilled steaks and seafood.

<figure class="wp-block-image alignnone"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ironwulf/4614796455/"><img alt="Octopus Noodles" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4028/4614796455_b356bfdc31_o.jpg"></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Octopus Noodles</figcaption></figure> The noodles came one after the other. It seems overwhelming but after at least a two hour- flight, we were famished and ready to eat just about anything. It’s my first time in Macau and what better way to get started but to sample some good ole local food. “We’re heading to the Little Turtle,” said Joao, our Portuguese with Chinese lineage guide. The name was intriguing enough to make everyone want to check it out.