5 Local MACAU Restaurant Recommendations for Different Budgets • The Poor Traveler
00:41.1
But we have a confession to make.
00:43.0
If you're a long-time follower, you've probably noticed that the Macau travel guides that we published
00:47.8
lacked a section that is often present in other destinations.
00:52.0
And it's the section about food.
00:54.9
And there's a very simple explanation for it.
00:57.1
When we're in Macau,
00:58.2
our itinerary is so packed that we don't pay much attention to where we would be eating.
01:03.8
Often, we just pick a food place that is closest to where we were.
01:07.3
That's why we were so excited to finally have a taste of Macau's food scene on our most recent trip.
01:13.1
But we're not alone this time around.
01:15.4
We're led by our new friend, Ken, who is a Macau local.
01:19.8
He also works for the Macau Government Tourism Office,
01:23.0
so needless to say, he has lots of insightful insider tips.
01:26.9
And in this video, we're going to talk about Macau's food scene.
01:28.1
You can tag along with us.
01:30.6
But wait, wait, wait!
01:31.8
Before we begin, don't forget to subscribe to this channel if you haven't yet
01:35.8
and tap the notification bell next to it
01:38.1
so you're always in the know whenever we have new episodes.
01:41.4
If you're watching this on Facebook, hit the like and follow buttons too
01:45.1
and help us reach 1 million followers.
01:53.2
Before we dig into Ken's recommendations,
01:55.4
on a separate trip,
01:57.0
we were able to visit the Macau City,
01:58.1
a place that I've always wanted to set foot in,
02:01.4
Taipa Food Street.
02:03.0
Located at the heart of Taipa Village,
02:05.2
it is easily accessible from Kotay Strip.
02:07.8
From the Venetian, it should take around 20 minutes on foot.
02:11.3
But don't worry, much of the walking trail is covered
02:14.4
and it has travelers too.
02:17.0
But what's so special about this place?
02:19.6
Taipa Food Street is flanked with food stalls,
02:22.4
cafes, and restaurants,
02:24.0
some with Michelin distinctions,
02:25.6
serving a wide range of Macau foods.
02:28.1
It's also a place where you can find many of your favorite foods,
02:30.1
including those that are rooted in Chinese,
02:32.1
those heavily influenced by the Portuguese,
02:34.1
and those that mix these two traditions.
02:36.1
In other words, it can give you a small taste of Macau's two worlds.
02:40.1
Much of the street food here is prepared on the spot,
02:44.1
ensuring freshness and quality.
02:46.1
And many of them are relatively inexpensive.
02:48.1
I'm saying relatively because for us, Filipinos or Southeast Asians,
02:53.1
they're still pretty steep.
02:55.1
And you'll even find many of the items here to be found here.
02:57.1
And you'll even find many of the items here to be found here.
02:58.1
And you'll even find many of the items here to be found here.
02:59.1
I'll insist, you don't have to worry because
03:00.1
every item here can be slightly pricier than in other corners of Macau.
03:01.1
But I'm recommending this area because you'll find the city's most iconic bites
03:03.1
sad here in Makau.
03:04.1
But I'm recommending this area because you'll find the city's most iconic bites
03:06.1
together in one place here at Taipa Food Street.
03:08.1
together in one place here at Taipa Food Street.
03:10.1
Which is great if you're on a food trip
03:12.1
and you're pressed for time.
03:14.1
If you're coming from the side of the Venetian,
03:16.1
there are two famous homegrown cafes
03:18.1
that you can easily find here.
03:20.1
But the first that will greet you is Café Vongkhe
03:22.1
and its giant bottle of milk tea
03:24.1
dripping on the side of this colorful corner building.
03:26.1
of this colorful corner building.
03:28.4
As you might have guessed,
03:29.9
it's popular for its, well,
03:33.5
But if this isn't your cup of tea,
03:37.2
its iced coffee is also a bestseller.
03:40.4
They also serve snacks
03:41.6
including the ubiquitous pork chop bun
03:43.6
and Cafe Von Kies is a giant pork chop
03:46.5
almost crawling out of the bread.
03:48.8
It's juicy and peppery
03:50.3
complemented by the crispy pastry.
03:56.1
But to be honest,
04:01.8
it's not the most affordable
04:03.2
pork chop bun out there.
04:06.2
but much cheaper versions
04:07.9
elsewhere in Macau.
04:09.3
But we just really wanted to try it.
04:11.9
But if a big chunk of meat
04:13.5
is too heavy for you,
04:15.0
you can order just the bread
04:16.6
called pineapple bun.
04:19.3
it has no pineapples in it.
04:21.1
Just sweet, creamy custard inside.
04:23.8
It takes its name from its pineapple-like
04:25.7
crusty appearance.
04:28.0
Don't be discouraged by the long line
04:29.8
to the takeout counter
04:30.7
because it moves quickly.
04:32.6
The staff whips out bun after bun
04:34.8
and bottle after bottle
04:38.5
The other cafe that we want you to check out
04:42.6
which has at least two outlets
04:44.2
here in Taipa Village.
04:45.3
But the more accessible of which
04:48.9
located down the first alley
04:50.5
to the right from Cafe Von K.
04:53.0
Seiki's main branch had Michelin citations
04:55.3
from 2019 to 2021.
04:57.7
And just like our previous stop,
04:59.4
it's best known for its coffee,
05:01.6
and pork chop bun.
05:03.5
Another established pork chop bun place
05:05.6
is Tai Lei Loy K,
05:07.2
which offers slightly cheaper pork buns.
05:10.4
We wanted to try them too,
05:11.9
but unfortunately,
05:12.9
we got so full at our first stop
05:14.7
and we could only devour
05:16.4
one pork chop bun per hour,
05:18.5
so we skipped them for now.
05:20.1
We'll just return for them
05:21.5
on our next trip.
05:23.2
As you walk deeper into the area,
05:25.0
you'll be able to see a lot of things.
05:25.1
You'll be bombarded by two
05:26.2
very distinct food scents
05:27.7
that fill the air.
05:30.0
is from the many stalls
05:31.4
that serve bowls of stew
05:33.0
made with beef opal or innards.
05:36.4
It's so incredibly popular,
05:38.3
you'll find people just standing in the corner
05:40.1
finishing their serving of it.
05:42.4
The other scent is more inviting for us,
05:45.0
the sweet aroma of egg tarts,
05:47.4
which are also everywhere.
05:50.7
the most trusted name here
05:52.1
is Lord Stowe's Bakery,
05:53.4
which was established
05:54.5
in the island of Taipa Village.
05:55.1
which was established in the island of Koloan
05:58.5
it has opened countless stores
05:59.9
all over the world,
06:01.4
including this one
06:02.4
at the Taipa Village.
06:04.3
Now that we're already talking about desserts,
06:06.6
let's end this tour with Mochi Macau,
06:08.7
which started in Hong Kong
06:10.2
but opened a branch here in Taipa in 2015.
06:13.5
The fruit-filled varieties
06:14.7
like strawberry, durian,
06:16.6
and this mango mochi
06:17.7
seem to be the crowd-pleasers.
06:20.4
But we prefer the red bean version
06:25.1
And the make-top.
06:35.1
For our next stop,
06:36.5
let's head over to the peninsula.
06:38.7
If you're traveling with family or a big group,
06:40.7
one shop that our new friend Ken
06:42.3
from Macau Tourism recommended with all his heart
06:44.9
was this unassuming local restaurant
06:46.8
called Le Ka Choy.
06:48.8
And when he said local,
06:51.0
he meant almost everyone dining here
06:53.3
was a Macau resident.
06:54.6
And it's true, we were the only foreigners when we visited.
06:59.1
Lake Kachoy is actually considered a Taipei Dong,
07:02.2
which surprised me because I thought Taipei Dongs are outdoor food stalls
07:05.8
similar to what I saw in Hong Kong's Central District.
07:09.1
But apparently, there's a story behind it.
07:11.8
Taipei Dongs in Macau used to be set outside too,
07:14.7
but the government wanted them to convert to indoor type for sanitation reasons.
07:19.3
But the Taipei Dong label stopped.
07:21.5
Lake Kachoy's claim to fame is its hot pots,
07:24.0
which are basically a type of dish composed of raw proteins,
07:27.7
often thin slices of beef,
07:29.8
but it can also be seafood that you're supposed to dip into the boiling hot broth.
07:35.1
This fatty beef hot pot set meal costs 238 patakas.
07:39.9
You can order more ingredients but with extra charge.
07:42.7
The most expensive item on their menu is this Dragon King Seafood Hot Pot
07:47.2
composed of oysters, abalone, prawns, squids, fish, scallops, mussels,
07:53.5
and other seafoods.
07:54.0
Seafood served with mushrooms.
07:56.5
Mind you, we were a group of 12 at the time,
07:59.0
but we weren't able to finish them all.
08:01.2
Not because they were not good.
08:02.9
In fact, they were excellent.
08:04.8
So fresh and delicious.
08:06.4
But there was just too much food on the table.
08:09.2
It's not all hot pot though.
08:10.9
Of all the things served to us that night,
08:13.2
the two dishes that made the best impression were not the dipping kind.
08:17.4
The first was this.
08:19.2
A whole sea salt snail baked chicken.
08:22.0
Yes, an entire chicken.
08:24.0
Head, tail, and all, stuffed with snails and seafood.
08:28.5
This was oh so immaculate.
08:30.6
I've never had chicken this juicy.
08:32.7
It was almost buttery and so packed with umami.
08:36.5
My other favorite was this bestseller called
08:39.0
Secret Braised Black Tofu with Mullet Roe.
08:42.1
It looked crispy and spicy, but it wasn't.
08:45.7
It was soft and so moist and tasty.
08:48.1
And it's best rinsed with gulps of Macau beer.
08:54.0
Before we dig into the next set of dishes,
08:59.3
let's talk about Macanese cuisine.
09:01.5
The word Macanese can mean two things.
09:04.2
For us outsiders, it can refer to anything that is related to Macau,
09:08.3
like the Macanese patata.
09:10.1
But among Macau locals, it is more nuanced
09:12.8
and often indicates the blending of Southern Chinese and Portuguese heritage.
09:18.0
It can refer to a specific language, people, and cuisine.
09:22.1
You see, Macau was under Portuguese rule in the 19th century.
09:23.9
So it was a place that was known as Macau.
09:24.0
So it was a place that was known as Macau.
09:24.0
Macanese cuisine uses the spices that the Portuguese accumulated from all over the world,
09:44.2
Africa, Southeast Asia, and India,
09:47.2
mixed with Chinese ingredients and prepared or cooked Portuguese style.
09:51.3
It is one of the oldest fusion cuisines in the world,
09:54.0
and it is common to see coconut milk, cinnamon, tamarind, and tumeric in Macanese dishes,
10:01.2
even though in reality, these are not very common in Cantonese kitchens.
10:06.0
And this unique and eclectic take on gastronomy is highlighted here at Restaurant Litoral,
10:11.8
a Macanese restaurant not too far away from Ama Temple.
10:15.7
It's not a budget food spot, but it isn't expensive either.
10:19.6
It's more mid-range.
10:21.7
By the way, I'm not a Portuguese,
10:23.9
or Cantonese speaker,
10:25.6
so I'll probably murder the pronunciations of some of these non-English words in this video,
10:30.2
but I'll try my best to get them right.
10:32.3
Anyway, our friend Ken pre-ordered the dishes for us,
10:35.7
starting with three appetizers.
10:38.3
The first was Pastiche de Bacalhau,
10:40.5
which are cod fish cakes,
10:42.3
sort of like fish croquettes.
10:44.7
It was light, but we could still sense the delicate taste of the cod.
10:49.1
The second appetizer was the Vinagrete de Lules,
10:51.6
which is squid in vinegar.
10:54.2
I loved, loved, loved this.
10:56.4
The mollusk was so fresh,
10:58.0
there wasn't any tinge of any funky smell or anything,
11:01.7
and the raw onions totally worked well with it.
11:05.0
And the last was the Samosa,
11:08.2
and this one is filled with beef curry.
11:11.2
Forgive the blurriness of this video,
11:13.7
but for some reason, I couldn't get my camera to focus,
11:16.7
and I hadn't even had alcohol yet.
11:19.1
For the mains, we had Galinha Africana,
11:21.8
which is half chicken,
11:22.8
marinated in and doused with a concoction of spices,
11:26.5
served with potatoes, olives, and pickles.
11:29.4
It reminded me of Piri Piri Chicken,
11:31.7
which is also African-Portuguese,
11:33.5
but this one's wetter, greasier, and stronger,
11:36.7
and more varied in flavor.
11:38.3
And oh, we also had Portuguese fried rice.
11:41.6
For dessert, we had Serradura, or Macau Pudding,
11:45.3
which is typically made with chilled layers of creamy mousse,
11:48.3
condensed milk, and crushed Marie biscuits.
11:51.1
The biscuit crumbs on top,
11:53.0
earned it its other nickname,
11:56.6
Literal's version is not that sweet,
11:58.8
which was how I usually like my dessert.
12:07.6
Okay, let's head back to Cotay Strip.
12:09.8
Many of the luxury hotels here have a fantastic selection of in-house restaurants,
12:14.5
and Ken led us to W. Macau, within the Studio City complex.
12:19.2
It is here that you'll find Hawker Hawker,
12:22.4
the atmosphere inside Hawker Hawker is very festive.
12:25.8
It's more like a family-friendly bar than a proper buffet.
12:29.2
Everywhere, you see wine glasses and bottles clanking,
12:32.4
and customers laughing and having a good time.
12:35.2
The chefs and staff make sure everything is fresh
12:38.2
by putting just the right amount on display and constantly refilling them,
12:42.2
especially the raw seafood section,
12:44.2
which has its own walk-in room, as though you're at the market.
12:47.8
The cuisine here is international.
12:50.0
There's a lot of local Cantonese favorites,
12:52.2
but you'll also spot Tom Yum in one corner,
12:55.2
sashimi in the next, and Portuguese dishes in another.
12:58.6
And yes, as a true blue carnivore,
13:01.2
I gravitated towards the red meat section,
13:03.8
where I snatched slices of roast beef sirloin and Portuguese suckling pig.
13:08.6
Yes, hypertension, here we go!
13:11.4
They also have a table of delectable desserts,
13:14.4
with Macanese egg tarts as the centerpiece, of course.
13:17.8
We really had fun here at Hawker Hawker,
13:20.6
and if you want to experience
13:22.0
this too, here's a tip.
13:24.0
You can get 18% off if you book with Cloak.
13:28.0
Yes, the cost will be reduced to only
13:31.0
439 patacas for weekend lunch buffet
13:34.0
or 574 for dinner buffet,
13:36.8
inclusive of service fee and reservation service.
13:40.4
That's a massive discount,
13:42.6
so just click the link in the description and pin comment.
13:46.0
But that's not all!
13:47.4
If you use our promo code THEPOORTRAVELER upon checkout,
13:50.8
you can get even more savings.
13:53.2
Additional 5% off.
13:55.8
That's promo code THEPOORTRAVELER, single L.
13:59.8
Again, Hawker Hawker is located at level 2U at W Hotel within Studio City.
14:05.4
Special thanks to Ate Janelle,
14:07.2
a Filipina who works here at Hawker Hawker,
14:10.0
for taking great care of us.
14:11.8
She's one of the many OFWs who are part of the workforce here in Macau,
14:16.0
and we met a lot of them on this trip.
14:20.8
And now, we've come to the most expensive item on this list.
14:24.8
Ken wanted us to try a variety of Macau restaurants.
14:27.8
From street food to local hotpot,
14:30.8
to all-you-can-eat buffet,
14:32.8
to Macanese heritage restaurants.
14:34.8
But before we left,
14:36.8
he also wanted us to see the higher end of Macau's dining scene,
14:39.8
and for that, he took us to the Grand Lishboa Palace Resort,
14:45.8
It is here that we found ourselves in the middle of Macau,
14:49.6
and we found ourselves in the middle of one of the most lavish restaurants
14:53.6
I've set foot in,
14:55.0
the Palace Garden,
14:56.8
helmed by head chef Ken Cheong,
14:59.0
who puts together a more sophisticated Cantonese cooking with Western ingredients.
15:04.6
We don't normally dabble or toast into fine dining territory,
15:08.2
but this would certainly be one to remember.
15:11.0
The interiors were so grandiose and ornate,
15:13.6
with one wall dressed in a 35-meter Suzhou silk mural
15:18.0
with stunning embroidery of chrysanthemums,
15:20.6
and one private room decorated with intricate butterfly patterns.
15:24.6
It's opulence, Macau style!
15:28.0
As for the food, we were served a six-course executive lunch set menu.
15:33.0
After setting the three-sauce plate with citron sauce, hot sauce, and XO sauce,
15:37.6
and a really promising and colorful amuse-bouche,
15:40.2
it was time for the meal proper.
15:42.2
Starting with this vibrant green pork dumpling topped with abalone and black caviar,
15:47.0
and this appetizingly yellow crystal blue prawn dumpling.
15:51.0
Everything just tasted so fresh and put together, if you know what I mean.
15:55.2
The abalone in particular had just the right brininess and chewiness.
16:00.2
For the soup, we had this giant crab meat and konpoi or dried scallop dumpling in supreme broth.
16:06.2
And supreme indeed!
16:08.4
It was one of the best broths that ever greased my palate.
16:11.8
It was clean, bright, and very elegant.
16:14.6
Like, oh my goodness, it was given!
16:17.0
Next was another duo, the crispy bird nest and Australian scallop roll,
16:23.0
which I wasn't that much of a fan of,
16:25.0
and the wagyu beef bun with black pepper sauce,
16:28.0
which reminded me of the homey meat buns that I enjoy in Macau and Hong Kong,
16:32.0
only more refined.
16:34.0
It's very well balanced with the right amount of sauce, bread, and seasoning.
16:39.0
And the beef party wasn't over just yet because the next one was also beef.
16:44.0
Slow stewed with wild honey and supreme soy sauce.
16:47.0
Everything about this was on point.
16:50.0
The beef was not too tender that would lose the texture,
16:53.0
and the sauce was not too sweet that would lose its flavor.
16:56.0
It had the right balance of sweet and salty that permeated deep into the meat,
17:01.0
accentuated by the burst of mild tanginess from the cherry tomato.
17:05.0
Next to be served was duo vermicelli stewed with shredded roast duck and mushrooms.
17:10.0
I did lose the duck in the mix, but it was smoky, which was my favorite flavor profile.
17:15.8
The veggies added crunch to the graceful noodles.
17:18.8
And for dessert, we had sweetened gorgon fruit and fresh lily bulb double boiled with osmanthus.
17:25.8
Not really a fan of hot desserts, but the little fruits were soft and smooth,
17:29.8
and the osmanthus gave it an irresistible aroma.
17:32.8
Still not my fave, but I liked it.
17:34.8
By the way, through all of this, our teacups were constantly refilled.
17:39.8
Tea pairing is a thing here.
17:41.8
I do love tea, but my palate is still pretty untrained,
17:44.6
so I can't say much about it except that I did enjoy everything that poured into my cup.
17:49.6
Overall, I quite enjoyed this lunch.
17:52.6
Everything was clean, resplendent, vibrant, and masterfully done.
17:56.6
But the crab meat konpoy soup and the beef were my absolute favorites.
18:01.6
Just divine, those two.
18:03.6
This set lunch menu usually costs 638 patakas plus 10% service charge.
18:09.6
For tea pairing, an additional 168 patakas per person will be added.
18:14.6
They also have a lunch tasting menu version for double the price.
18:18.6
Dinner menus have 8 courses and as of today,
18:21.6
costs 2,388 to 3,688 patakas per person without drinks and subject to 10% service charge too.
18:30.6
So this is really the splurge option.
18:34.6
It's pretty luxurious and not really for budget travelers. Not at all.
18:39.6
In our next video, we'll show you how we usually plan our Macau trip,
18:43.4
from booking flights to finding hotels to building our itinerary.
18:46.4
If you don't want to miss it or if you want to see more informative videos like this,
18:51.4
subscribe to this channel and ring the bell next to it so you're notified whenever we have new uploads.
18:56.4
If you want to search for hotels, check the rates or book one,
19:00.4
just click on the link in the description or pinned comment.
19:03.4
If you're booking with Klook, use the promo code THEPOORTRAVELER for big, big discounts.
19:08.4
By the way, Philippine Airlines offers direct flights from Manila to Macau.
19:13.4
So if you haven't booked a ticket yet, consider flying with PAL.
19:17.4
One thing I love about PAL is the generous baggage allowance that automatically comes with each booking.
19:23.4
For Macau flights, check-in baggage can weigh 25 kilos maximum for economy passengers.
19:29.4
That's on top of the 7 kilo carry-on baggage allowance.
19:33.4
Another reason we prefer PAL is its 4-star service and delicious in-flight meals and unlimited drinks on board,
19:40.4
which are already included in the booking.
19:43.4
Visit PhilippineAirlines.com to search for flights to Macau.
19:47.4
You can also follow us on Instagram, X, and TikTok. Just search at The Poor Traveler, single L.
19:54.4
We also have a podcast. Follow The Poor Traveler Podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
19:59.4
That's all for now. Remember, plan smart, travel safe, and make every food trip worth it!
20:13.4
Thank you for watching!
