Beneath the glitz and glam, Macao’s part-Chinese, part-European heritage reveals a cuisine that spans continents and generations.
Words: Chitra Santhinathan Photography: Chew Win Win
Tucked in a narrow alley along a busy thoroughfare, lies one of Macao’s best kept secrets: Riquexó, an unpretentious eatery that dishes up the heirloom recipes of its century-old proprietress. So unassuming is this restaurant’s location, I almost miss the faded signboard emblazoned with the restaurant’s namesake, the rickshaw, but the clinking of glasses and the lively lilt of patois (Macanese creole) stops me in my tracks and forces me to peer into the dark alley.
Macao is known for its fantastical hotels and theme parks that attract throngs of tourists. At the Venetian in Cotai, tourists are rowed by gondoliers through meandering man-made canals.
My feet follow the trail of chatter and lead me to the terrace of a fluorescent-lit restaurant where a group of Macanese gentlemen trade the evening news over shared plates of food. The restaurant itself is a galley-like space with tiled walls covered in sepia-toned photographs of old Macao, and in a corner table, reserved for its industrious matriarch, an elegant older woman, crimson-lipped and hair perfectly coiffed, rifles through the day’s chits.
An elderly Macanese woman strolls past a Portuguese-inspired blue and white tiled mural.
Aida de Jesus, who celebrated her 100th birthday just before my visit, is a repository of information on Macanese cuisine and culture, and although the impeccably-groomed centenarian no longer commands the kitchen, every plate that comes out of her kitchen has to meet her exacting standards. With a repertoire of hundreds of dishes, passed down from one generation to the next, de Jesus is a living legacy, the doyenne of Macanese cuisine, and my best bet to uncover the secrets of this little-known cuisine.
EAST, WEST & EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN
I have travelled to this tiny former Portuguese colony, now a special administrative region of China, to learn about the culinary heritage of the Macanese, a community of Eurasians borne from the union of Portuguese merchants, sailors and settlers, and the local Chinese.
Galinha à Africana or African chicken, barbecued chicken smothered in piri-piri sauce, is said to have been invented in Macao in the 1940s.
Macao, formerly a sleepy fishing hamlet across the Pearl River Delta, was colonised by the Portuguese in the 16th century, and was the first European settlement in the Far East. By the time Portuguese colonists arrived in Macao, they had traversed vast distances, through Africa, India and the Malay Archipelago, and amassed not only colonies, but also a wealth of ingredients including chillies from Angola, turmeric from Goa and belachan (shrimp paste) from Malacca, which they brought with them to the new colony. Intermarriage added Chinese culinary traditions to the mélange, and soon, a distinctive cuisine was born. Macanese cuisine may not have the distinction of being the first fusion cuisine but it certainly was among the earliest to combine so many different flavours: Portuguese, African, Indian, Malay and Chinese.
Pork minchi (front), galinha chau chau parida and delectable pastries at Riquexó
At Riquexó, de Jesus lets me sample some of her favourite dishes; there’s minchi (stir-fried soy-sauced minced pork and potatoes), perhaps the most recognisable of Macanese dishes; galinha chau chau parida (chicken in wine, ginger and turmeric), a staple for women in confinement (ginger is warming and said to expel wind); and cabelo de noiva (bride’s hair pastry), a confection made with sugar and egg yolks that resembles fairy floss.
Aida de Jesus and her daughter Sonia Palmer run Riquexó, a charming eatery popular with the Macanese.
De Jesus gives the dishes that come flying out of the kitchen the once over before I’m allowed to taste them, making sure everything is as it should be. Her passion and fastidiousness in preserving the traditions she’s inherited are obvious and it’s no wonder. The Macanese account for less than five per cent of Macao’s population of almost 600,000 people – a fact that underscores the need to preserve traditions that could soon vanish with the old guard.
A BOWL OF SOUP & A FAT TEA
To learn more about the traditional, I visit the apartment of Florita Alves, a housewife and member of Confraria Da Gastronomia Macaense, the Macanese gastronomy association. Reputed to be an exceptional cook in Macanese circles, Alves is in the midst of penning a cookbook, with recipes inspired by her mother and mother-in-law’s handwritten notes.
Florita Alves’ sumptuous table includes tasty snacks such as pork chamuças inspired by Indian samosas, and pãezinhos recheados, fried bread with a minced curried pork filling.
“If I could sum up Macanese cuisine, the word I would use is ‘nostalgic’. To me, Macanese flavours take me back to my childhood,” she says as we sit down to a sumptuous lunch she has painstakingly prepared. Conversation flows freely over glasses of Portuguese vino, and I learn about the Macanese tradition of chá gordo, which literally translates into ‘fat tea’. In Alves’ youth, chá gordo, a sumptuous buffet, was a staple of festive occasions like christenings, weddings and birthdays. The meal typically lasted from mid-afternoon until dinner, and was once a demonstration of a Macanese lady’s prowess in the kitchen. The tradition, however, is fast disappearing with the passage of time. These days, chá gordo and the delicacies that sung praises of the ladies that dished them out, are but a distant memory.
Tacho at the home of Florita Alves
Alves also introduces me to tacho, a hearty stew that takes up to two days to prepare. The one-pot dish is a Christmas favourite and consists of pork knuckle and belly, chicken, duck, cabbage and lap cheong (Chinese sausage). A mouthful reveals layers of flavours and textures: saltiness from the brined meat and sweetness from the Chinese sausage; and chewy, gelatinous knuckle joints, as well as melt-in-the-mouth meat – a true feast for the palate. The stew is very much European in inspiration but Asian in flavour, an example of the very nature of the Macanese.
LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL
Eager to sample more of this unique cuisine, I meet with Isa Manhao, from Macao Tourism. Manhao who is Macanese, knows the streets of Macao like the back of her hand and more importantly, knows where to score the best eats. She takes me to Rua da Felicidade, the street of happiness, so named for the businesses that thrived here a century ago.
At Belos Tempos, an eatery run by Macanese cook Anna Manhao, the star of the table is pato de cabidela, a rich stew made with duck blood, duck, pork belly and potatoes.
In a cosy, red-shuttered restored shop-house, I meet Isa’s cousin Anna Manhao who operates Belos Tempos, an eatery that serves old Macanese favourites for those in the know, alongside snacks, pastas and cheesecakes. Manhao is a bubbly cook whose philosophy is to showcase Macanese food in a relaxed atmosphere, much like home.
Macanese ladies are known for both their culinary prowess and artistic flair. During weddings, Macanese women often decorate dolls with paper cut-clothing and hand them out as party favours, together with egg yolk candy symbolising fertility.
Her three-storey restaurant with a basement kitchen is indeed homey and I’m made to feel welcome right away, a glass of vino verde (a crisp, Portuguese white wine), pressed into my palms. Postcards and polaroids from happy customers decorate the walls, while a chalkboard announces the day’s mains. The iconic Portuguese rooster or galo lords over the restaurant in various incarnations – a little piece of Portugal from Manhao’s travels. Tonight, Manhao is entertaining a delegation of foreign officials and the atmosphere is frantic. Manhao goes back and forth between shouting kitchen orders to the staff and cooing to two well-fed cats meowing from their enclosures in the back of the restaurant. When the foreigners leave, she finally emerges for a chat, and fills me in on her food philosophy.
Flambéed chorizo at Belos Tempos
Manhao’s down-home cooking reflects her own character: strong and solid with a whole lot of soul. She tells me she is blessed to have great teachers; an assortment of aunts and family friends have bestowed upon Manhao the tips and techniques of Macanese cuisine. “Many Macanese cooks are hesitant to share their culinary secrets. And even if you were handed a recipe and followed it to a T, chances are you’d be unable to recreate it. It’s really about cooking from the heart and if you don’t feel it where it counts, you will not be able to make a great dish,” she says. For her success, Manhao credits her unending appetite to refine her knowledge of Macanese cuisine. “Practice, practice, practice… that’s the key to turning out perfect dishes!”
Manhao tells me eating is a pleasure, and she expects diners to linger over their meals and savour every mouthful. “That is why I christened my restaurant Belos Tempos or ‘good times’”.
TO MARKET, TO MARKET
The next morning, Manhao picks me up from my hotel on the casino strip and drives me to Coloane, an island off the Macao peninsula. Just 15 minutes away from my hotel in Cotai (the reclaimed strip of land between the islands of Coloane and Taipa), Coloane seems worlds away from the gleaming towers and shiny excess of casino central.
Roast suckling pig and Portuguese wines are on the menu at Pousada de Coloane, a Portuguese-run hotel and restaurant on Coloane island.
The first sights that greet us when we drive into Coloane are swathes of green and fishing huts that line the riverfront. And the best bit: there’s not a Prada-toting tourist in sight! Manhao heads to a local market where she shops for produce daily, sizing up vegetables and fashioning the night’s menu in her mind. “I think Macanese cooks were doing seasonal cuisine before it became a buzzword. We cook with what’s available and in season. My menu changes depending on what’s good at the market.”
Tinned sardines imported from Portugal are served alongside instant noodles at Taipa’s Hon Kee.
The trip to the market – routine for Manhao, new to me – is also an excuse to fill up on local delicacies. Manhao weaves in and out of country lanes and we wind up at a ramshackle zinc-roofed hut, packed to the rafters with the breakfast crowd. At this unassuming eatery, locals slurp bowls of instant noodles with a side of still-in-its-can Portuguese sardines.
Sandviche com presunto e ovo, or ham and egg sandwich, is a popular breakfast standard at Café Nam Ping, an old school Chinese-style coffee shop patronised by locals.
Also on the menu are luncheon meat and egg sandwiches. To wash down their meals, diners are served whipped coffee, a unique brew that begins with hand-whipping instant coffee and hot water until it froths and cream rises to the top. Evaporated milk, sugar and more water are then added to the aromatic concoction that resembles machine-made coffee and tastes simply heavenly. While more Chinese than Macanese, the combination of flavours at this restaurant is testament to the Portuguese influence on local taste buds.
NEW HORIZONS
The preservation of Macanese cooking hinges on the younger generation of Macanese. With only a handful of Macanese eateries in the city, I was taken aback when I stumbled upon Café Sab 8, a tiny restaurant in a fashionable lane steps away from Macao’s iconic Ruins of St. Paul’s, the still-standing façade of the Jesuit-built cathedral.
Bacalhau à lagareiro, Portuguese grilled codfish served with baked potatoes
Here, 30-year-old Sandra Barros cooks, cleans and mans the till with help from two staffers. Barros is bursting with energy and ideas, and if she has her way, Macanese food will certainly be transformed into a world class cuisine. The charming young woman whose mother runs a traditional Macanese restaurant, derives inspiration from the food of her childhood, and adds to it her own unique spin. A business graduate who left her corporate career to go back to cooking school, Barros wants to revive interest in Macanese cuisine. “Young people think of Macanese cuisine as old world. I want to change that misconception and introduce them to time-honored flavours, but with a fresh approach. I like to play around with flavours and push the envelope.” Barros’ approach is to maintain the tried and true with little tweaks in flavour and presentation. Her formula seems to have hit it off as her café has received rave reviews despite being a relatively new kid on the block.
Arroz de marisco (rice with seafood) at Café Sab 8 is elevated from stodgy rainy-day food to an unputdownable bowl of flavourful goodness.
Unlike traditional Macanese eateries, Café Sab 8 is thoroughly modern, with sleek and contemporary décor and walls covered in artwork by up-and-coming Macanese artists. There is not a hint of the Portuguese here except when one glances at the menu, and spots entries like bacalhao tart and chorizo-infused chicken curry. Barros represents the future of Macanese cuisine; the young cook derives inspiration from her inheritance and is unafraid of pushing boundaries in order to keep her heritage alive.
BET ON IT
Before I visited Macao, I have to admit, I had little knowledge of Macanese cuisine. In fact, if asked to name a Macanese dish a month ago, Portuguese egg tarts would have been the only thing to come to mind. In reality, Macanese cuisine is so much more. It’s the marriage of ingredients, cooking techniques and traditions that span continents: Europe, Africa and Asia.
Macao’s famed Portuguese egg tarts pale in comparison to pastel de nata (front), the pastry said to have inspired the popular snack. Sample the real McCoy at any one of the city’s authentic Portuguese cafés.
Incredibly, Macanese cuisine has remained very much under the radar and relatively undiscovered by the throngs of tourists that hit the city’s gaming tables and glittering shopping arcades. For now, this is still a blessing, as connoisseurs of the cuisine need not battle the hordes for a seat at a Macanese restaurant. Having had the pleasure of savouring the exotic flavours of the Macanese table, I know the sky is the limit for this underrated cuisine. I’m certainly putting my money on it!
At Portuguese eatery Mariazinha, Francesinha com ovo, is a hearty sandwich filled with mortadella ham, steak, several cheeses and linguiça (thin, long Portuguese sausage).
MACANESE MUST-SEES
From Baroque-style churches to colourful shrines perfumed with incense, discover the sights that are a part of the Macanese identity.
THE RUINS OF ST. PAUL’S
are the remains of an early 17th century Jesuit church that was once among the greatest monuments to Christianity in Asia. The church’s oft-photographed façade, the only still-standing structure after a1835 fire razed the rest of the building, is decorated with biblical images and oriental motifs that include Chinese lions and Japanese chrysanthemums. www.macauheritage.net
Macao’s most-photographed heritage site – The Ruins of St. Paul’s.
A-MA TEMPLE
pays homage to the goddess of the sea, known as A-Ma or Tin Hau, the patron deity of fisher folk and seafarers. One of the oldest shrines in the city, the temple is believed to pre-date the arrival of the Portuguese. Today, the complex includes pavilions dedicated to several different deities, an amalgamation of Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism and folk beliefs. en.macaotourism.gov.mo
Macao is home to churches and Chinese temples. Here, in a residential neighbourhood near the city centre, a centuries-old shrine is dedicated to Na Tcha, a deity worshipped by the local community.
MUSEU DE MACAO
is dedicated to the preservation of Macao’s past and its modern heritage, with collections that range from the historic to the contemporary. Exhibits at the museum located within Fortaleza Do Monte, a 16th century hilltop fort, include art and archaeological treasures, as well as displays that detail the city’s history and rich traditions. www.macaumuseum.gov.mo
TAIPA HOUSES-MUSEUM
on Taipa island, is a collection of pea-green colonial homes that were once the residence of Macanese government officials. Built in 1921, the homes are furnished in the style of the period, and afford visitors an insight into the lives of the Macanese. housesmuseum.iacm.gov.mo
MARITIME MUSEUM,
built on the site of the first Portuguese landing, charts the city’s transformation over the centuries. The first floor is dedicated to the Great Discovery that emphasises the maritime history of both China and Portugal, and the elements that brought East and West together. www.museumaritimo.gov.mo
STEPPING INTO MACAO
Explore Macao’s European-influenced historic centre comprising heritage monuments and cobblestone squares with Footsteps into the Historic Centre, a free audio-guided walking tour of the UNESCO-listed site. www.en.macaotourism.gov.mo
GETTING THERE AirAsia flies to Macao from various destinations. For flight info and lowest fares visit www.airasia.com.
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