I was invited by the Macau Government Tourism Office-Philippines (MGTO) together with other travel writers and bloggers for a familiarization tour to this interesting place last May and it was a beautiful experience with its cuisine, glitz and old world charm. You will better know a country and its people through their food and Macau is one destination that a gourmand should never miss. Like Filipino cuisine, it’s good fusion food, a beautiful marriage of the orient and the occident plus modern international dishes. And its not only about egg tarts.
A good place to start is always the market. Wet and dry, it offers the traveler a peak into the culinary culture of the Macanese. Fresh vegetables and fruits, meats and a dazzling array of seafood make this territory one of the significant gustatory destinations in this part of the world.
Simple ingredients but with over centuries of Portuguese influences has infused traditional Chinese cooking, with a bent of the southern China styles, to come up with unique dishes that is only found in Macau.
Add to the fact that the territory has a long history of being a vibrant and hub of commerce, especially before the ascendancy of Hong Kong in the later part of the 19th century, and you’ve got a smorgasbord of dishes that titillate the palate.
Chinese dishes in Macau are typically influenced by the south China style with a predominant use of noodles, wheat and dumplings and it was no surprise that our first meal in this territory was at Little Turtle, a monicker for the short cook at a hole-in-the-wall establishment.
The best? Fisherman’s congee was just heavy, sating and delicious. It has lots of seafood, and even peanuts but basically, it’s leftovers that are given a second lease of life, so to speak, on being on the table. Too bad it came later when we already had our fill of the other dishes plus refreshing bottle of Vitasoy.
Estabelecimento de Comidas Wa Hin Mei Sec
Shop 2C, G/F Edf. Lok Sze, Travessa da Saudade, San Kiu, Macau
Tel No. 2895 3106
Open 1830H to 0430H