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- It’s been a long three years of Covid-19 restrictions in Macau, but China’s ‘mini Vegas’ is back in full force, with a plethora of new dining establishments at luxury hotels
- Grand Lisboa Palace Resort Macau opened Shanghai-style Hua Ting and Mesa by José Avillez, while MGM’s Sushidan at Rossio offers a unique takes on the Tokyo omakase experience
For three years, Covid-19 restrictions meant that Hong Kong and Macau were cut off from one another. That didn’t mean that Macau stood still, though. If anything, travel restrictions forced the city’s hotels to up their level when it came to F&B. After all, with many fewer travellers coming to the city, operators were aware they needed new incentives to get locals eating out – as well as to entice travellers back to the city once restrictions were removed.
Finally, the barriers have come down and normal travel between the two sister SARs has resumed. After a lack of interactions for three years, Macau is at once both familiar and dissimilar to Hongkongers. Any readers wondering if there are any new attractions to see, or simply curious if the city retains its old charm, should be happy to know the answer is yes – especially in terms of new culinary delights.
Despite three years of disruption, Macau’s dining scene has not halted its evolution, with new mid-range and fine-dining restaurants opening even during the pandemic, with more coming now that restrictions have been dropped.
The latest addition to Macau’s fertile dining scene are two Chinese restaurants highlighting contrasting regions’ cuisines.
The first, Putien, named after its namesake city in Fujian Province, debuted in Galaxy Macau earlier this year. The original branch in Singapore has been a regular fixture in the city’s Michelin guide and currently holds one Michelin star. This Macau outpost is led by chef Ng Man-kin, whose experienced team are offering dishes that embody the essence of Fujian cuisine – light in taste, rustic in presentation and rich in culture.
At Studio City, chef Deng Huadong has dedicated almost half a century of his life to the legacy of traditional Sichuan cuisine. Guests can savour his fiery delights at Deng G Sichuan, which has been open for little more than a month. Diners can expect tremendous variety as Deng G boasts of “100 dishes, 100 flavours”.
Upscale Sichuan dining is not something new to Macau – 100 Top Tables awardees Sichuan Moon and Five Foot Road being the among most outstanding examples – but comfortable Fujian dining is contrastively rare in city, even the city is happy to celebrate a significant local Fujian community. Whether for everyday dining or special occasions, authentically executed Fujian cuisine is a welcome addition to Macau’s dining scene and Putien should do well if it can match the high standards of the original in Singapore.
Whatever other changes happened in Macau during the dark days of the pandemic, the city’s love of Japanese food remains unaltered. Feeding that love is MGM Macau, which last year opened Sushidan at Rossio. It’s an odd combination – a popular Tokyo omakase experience Sushidan alongside Rossio, MGM Macau’s premier Portuguese/Macanese restaurant. The two concepts, though wildly different, are neighbouring and separated by little more than a curtain at their entrances.
Despite the stark contrasts between the two concepts, the food is top quality. Chef Hiroyuki Sato is at the helm of the 11-seat counter, which is Sushidan’s first and only venture outside Tokyo so far. Diners have 90 minutes to enjoy handcrafted sushi exquisitely prepared by the chef Sato in the Edomae nigiri style. While adhering to tradition, Sato infuses playful twists of his own that appeal to modern-day whims and palettes.
If the omakase experience feels a little uptight, a more easy-going Japanese dining option exists at Tekka at Wynn Macau. The ramen and yakitori sanctuary opened late last year and offers the kind of affordable option that doesn’t often make headlines alongside Macau’s more expensive and ostentatious concepts.
The kitchen serves a wide variety of ramen broths. As well as the popular tonkatsu pork bone variety there are miso, shrimp and pork broth, and conpoy (dried scallop) options. The outlet also celebrates a variety of yakitori including all the usual suspects like minced chicken with egg yolk, black cod with saikyo miso sauce, and shiitake mushroom.
Anyone visiting Macau with an appetite for Western cuisine at comfortable pricing should head to the new Lakeside Trattoria, the city’s latest spot for comfortable Italian fare overlooking Nam Van Lake. Complementing its vibrant and chic interior are several outdoor terraces that allow diners to be caressed by ocean breezes while enjoying delicacies the resort boasts are made with “the freshest of ingredients from all over the world”.
Grand Lisboa Palace Resort added to its line-up of restaurants during the pandemic too, with the introduction of Hua Ting, serving authentic Shanghai and Huaiyang cuisine. Recreating Shanghai’s 1920-30s Jazz Age golden era thanks to a “Chinese art deco” style of interior design, the restaurant is the latest must-visit destination.
Headed up by chef Yan Yong Gang, stand-outs on the menu include slow-braised pigeon with chef’s special sauce, mud crab steamed with minced pork and hua diao wine, and pork belly and abalone braised with truffle. An intriguing selection of yellow wines on the drinks menu offering something different for thirsty diners.
Last but not least, for anyone who missed the launch of this year’s 100 Top Tables guide, two new awardees, Pin Yue Xuan at Venetian Macao and Mesa at Grand Lisboa Palace Resort, are also worth highlighting again. The paint has barely dried on the former, which officially opened last year, while the latter has recently seen a new chef on board and has been rebranded to Mesa by José Avillez to signify its ambitions to celebrate its culinary team.