If there’s one thing that we absolutely enjoyed on our last Macau trip, it’s the food! But what are Macau’s top dishes? And where to eat exactly? What restaurants can fit your budget? In this video, our new friend and Macau local Ken from Macau Tourism led us to some of his top restaurant recommendations! - Taipa Food Street (Street Food) - Lei Ka Choi (Family-style) - Restaurante Litoral (Mid-range Macanese cuisine) - Hawker Hawker (Buffet, splurge option) - Palace Garden (Fine dining, splurge option) USEFUL LINKS: GET UP TO 5% OFF ON HAWKER HAWKER when you use our Klook promo code: THEPOORTRAVELER! BOOK HERE: https://bit.ly/hawkermacau BOOK YOUR MACAU HOTELS HERE: https://www.klook.com/en-PH/hotels/city/3-macau-hotels?aid=825 TOP RESTAURANTS & FOOD STOPS IN MACAU (Written Version): https://www.thepoortraveler.net/macau-best-restaurants/ WHERE TO STAY IN MACAU: https://www.thepoortraveler.net/macau-best-area-hotels/ WHAT TO WEAR IN MACAU: https://www.thepoortraveler.net/macau-what-to-wear/

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If there's one thing that we absolutely enjoyed on our last Macau trip, it's the food.

But what are Macau's top dishes?

And where to eat exactly?

What restaurants can fit your budget?

Well, you'll find out in a second, so stay tuned!

Hey there, poor traveler! We are Vins and Yosh.

We've been blogging for the past 14 years now,

and we've been creating practical travel guides especially for first-timers.

We have travel guides to Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and even Australian and European destinations.

But we have a confession to make.

If you're a long-time follower, you've probably noticed that the Macau travel guides that we published

lacked a section that is often present in other destinations.

And it's the section about food.

And there's a very simple explanation for it.

When we're in Macau,

our itinerary is so packed that we don't pay much attention to where we would be eating.

Often, we just pick a food place that is closest to where we were.

That's why we were so excited to finally have a taste of Macau's food scene on our most recent trip.

But we're not alone this time around.

We're led by our new friend, Ken, who is a Macau local.

Hello!

He also works for the Macau Government Tourism Office,

so needless to say, he has lots of insightful insider tips.

And in this video, we're going to talk about Macau's food scene.

You can tag along with us.

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Before we dig into Ken's recommendations,

on a separate trip,

we were able to visit the Macau City,

a place that I've always wanted to set foot in,

Taipa Food Street.

Located at the heart of Taipa Village,

it is easily accessible from Kotay Strip.

From the Venetian, it should take around 20 minutes on foot.

But don't worry, much of the walking trail is covered

and it has travelers too.

But what's so special about this place?

Taipa Food Street is flanked with food stalls,

cafes, and restaurants,

some with Michelin distinctions,

serving a wide range of Macau foods.

It's also a place where you can find many of your favorite foods,

including those that are rooted in Chinese,

those heavily influenced by the Portuguese,

and those that mix these two traditions.

In other words, it can give you a small taste of Macau's two worlds.

Much of the street food here is prepared on the spot,

ensuring freshness and quality.

And many of them are relatively inexpensive.

I'm saying relatively because for us, Filipinos or Southeast Asians,

they're still pretty steep.

And you'll even find many of the items here to be found here.

And you'll even find many of the items here to be found here.

And you'll even find many of the items here to be found here.

I'll insist, you don't have to worry because

every item here can be slightly pricier than in other corners of Macau.

But I'm recommending this area because you'll find the city's most iconic bites

sad here in Makau.

But I'm recommending this area because you'll find the city's most iconic bites

together in one place here at Taipa Food Street.

together in one place here at Taipa Food Street.

Which is great if you're on a food trip

and you're pressed for time.

If you're coming from the side of the Venetian,

there are two famous homegrown cafes

that you can easily find here.

But the first that will greet you is Café Vongkhe

and its giant bottle of milk tea

dripping on the side of this colorful corner building.

of this colorful corner building.

As you might have guessed,

it's popular for its, well,

milk tea.

But if this isn't your cup of tea,

don't worry,

its iced coffee is also a bestseller.

They also serve snacks

including the ubiquitous pork chop bun

and Cafe Von Kies is a giant pork chop

almost crawling out of the bread.

It's juicy and peppery

complemented by the crispy pastry.

But to be honest,

at 48 Patacas,

it's not the most affordable

pork chop bun out there.

I've had better

but much cheaper versions

elsewhere in Macau.

But we just really wanted to try it.

But if a big chunk of meat

is too heavy for you,

you can order just the bread

called pineapple bun.

Don't worry,

it has no pineapples in it.

Just sweet, creamy custard inside.

It takes its name from its pineapple-like

crusty appearance.

Don't be discouraged by the long line

to the takeout counter

because it moves quickly.

The staff whips out bun after bun

and bottle after bottle

almost non-stop.

The other cafe that we want you to check out

is Seiki Cafe,

which has at least two outlets

here in Taipa Village.

But the more accessible of which

is this one,

located down the first alley

to the right from Cafe Von K.

Seiki's main branch had Michelin citations

from 2019 to 2021.

And just like our previous stop,

it's best known for its coffee,

tea,

and pork chop bun.

Another established pork chop bun place

is Tai Lei Loy K,

which offers slightly cheaper pork buns.

We wanted to try them too,

but unfortunately,

we got so full at our first stop

and we could only devour

one pork chop bun per hour,

so we skipped them for now.

We'll just return for them

on our next trip.

As you walk deeper into the area,

you'll be able to see a lot of things.

You'll be bombarded by two

very distinct food scents

that fill the air.

The first one

is from the many stalls

that serve bowls of stew

made with beef opal or innards.

It's so incredibly popular,

you'll find people just standing in the corner

finishing their serving of it.

The other scent is more inviting for us,

the sweet aroma of egg tarts,

which are also everywhere.

But undoubtedly,

the most trusted name here

is Lord Stowe's Bakery,

which was established

in the island of Taipa Village.

which was established in the island of Koloan

in 1989.

Since then,

it has opened countless stores

all over the world,

including this one

at the Taipa Village.

Now that we're already talking about desserts,

let's end this tour with Mochi Macau,

which started in Hong Kong

but opened a branch here in Taipa in 2015.

The fruit-filled varieties

like strawberry, durian,

and this mango mochi

seem to be the crowd-pleasers.

But we prefer the red bean version

by a mile.

And the make-top.

Mmm!

For our next stop,

let's head over to the peninsula.

If you're traveling with family or a big group,

one shop that our new friend Ken

from Macau Tourism recommended with all his heart

was this unassuming local restaurant

called Le Ka Choy.

And when he said local,

he meant almost everyone dining here

was a Macau resident.

And it's true, we were the only foreigners when we visited.

Lake Kachoy is actually considered a Taipei Dong,

which surprised me because I thought Taipei Dongs are outdoor food stalls

similar to what I saw in Hong Kong's Central District.

But apparently, there's a story behind it.

Taipei Dongs in Macau used to be set outside too,

but the government wanted them to convert to indoor type for sanitation reasons.

But the Taipei Dong label stopped.

Lake Kachoy's claim to fame is its hot pots,

which are basically a type of dish composed of raw proteins,

often thin slices of beef,

but it can also be seafood that you're supposed to dip into the boiling hot broth.

This fatty beef hot pot set meal costs 238 patakas.

You can order more ingredients but with extra charge.

The most expensive item on their menu is this Dragon King Seafood Hot Pot

composed of oysters, abalone, prawns, squids, fish, scallops, mussels,

and other seafoods.

Seafood served with mushrooms.

Mind you, we were a group of 12 at the time,

but we weren't able to finish them all.

Not because they were not good.

In fact, they were excellent.

So fresh and delicious.

But there was just too much food on the table.

It's not all hot pot though.

Of all the things served to us that night,

the two dishes that made the best impression were not the dipping kind.

The first was this.

A whole sea salt snail baked chicken.

Yes, an entire chicken.

Head, tail, and all, stuffed with snails and seafood.

This was oh so immaculate.

I've never had chicken this juicy.

It was almost buttery and so packed with umami.

My other favorite was this bestseller called

Secret Braised Black Tofu with Mullet Roe.

It looked crispy and spicy, but it wasn't.

It was soft and so moist and tasty.

And it's best rinsed with gulps of Macau beer.

Before we dig into the next set of dishes,

let's talk about Macanese cuisine.

The word Macanese can mean two things.

For us outsiders, it can refer to anything that is related to Macau,

like the Macanese patata.

But among Macau locals, it is more nuanced

and often indicates the blending of Southern Chinese and Portuguese heritage.

It can refer to a specific language, people, and cuisine.

You see, Macau was under Portuguese rule in the 19th century.

So it was a place that was known as Macau.

So it was a place that was known as Macau.

Macanese cuisine uses the spices that the Portuguese accumulated from all over the world,

Africa, Southeast Asia, and India,

mixed with Chinese ingredients and prepared or cooked Portuguese style.

It is one of the oldest fusion cuisines in the world,

and it is common to see coconut milk, cinnamon, tamarind, and tumeric in Macanese dishes,

even though in reality, these are not very common in Cantonese kitchens.

And this unique and eclectic take on gastronomy is highlighted here at Restaurant Litoral,

a Macanese restaurant not too far away from Ama Temple.

It's not a budget food spot, but it isn't expensive either.

It's more mid-range.

By the way, I'm not a Portuguese,

or Cantonese speaker,

so I'll probably murder the pronunciations of some of these non-English words in this video,

but I'll try my best to get them right.

Anyway, our friend Ken pre-ordered the dishes for us,

starting with three appetizers.

The first was Pastiche de Bacalhau,

which are cod fish cakes,

sort of like fish croquettes.

It was light, but we could still sense the delicate taste of the cod.

The second appetizer was the Vinagrete de Lules,

which is squid in vinegar.

I loved, loved, loved this.

The mollusk was so fresh,

there wasn't any tinge of any funky smell or anything,

and the raw onions totally worked well with it.

And the last was the Samosa,

or samosas,

and this one is filled with beef curry.

Forgive the blurriness of this video,

but for some reason, I couldn't get my camera to focus,

and I hadn't even had alcohol yet.

For the mains, we had Galinha Africana,

which is half chicken,

marinated in and doused with a concoction of spices,

served with potatoes, olives, and pickles.

It reminded me of Piri Piri Chicken,

which is also African-Portuguese,

but this one's wetter, greasier, and stronger,

and more varied in flavor.

And oh, we also had Portuguese fried rice.

For dessert, we had Serradura, or Macau Pudding,

which is typically made with chilled layers of creamy mousse,

condensed milk, and crushed Marie biscuits.

The biscuit crumbs on top,

earned it its other nickname,

Sawdust Pudding.

Literal's version is not that sweet,

which was how I usually like my dessert.

Okay, let's head back to Cotay Strip.

Many of the luxury hotels here have a fantastic selection of in-house restaurants,

and Ken led us to W. Macau, within the Studio City complex.

It is here that you'll find Hawker Hawker,

the atmosphere inside Hawker Hawker is very festive.

It's more like a family-friendly bar than a proper buffet.

Everywhere, you see wine glasses and bottles clanking,

and customers laughing and having a good time.

The chefs and staff make sure everything is fresh

by putting just the right amount on display and constantly refilling them,

especially the raw seafood section,

which has its own walk-in room, as though you're at the market.

The cuisine here is international.

There's a lot of local Cantonese favorites,

but you'll also spot Tom Yum in one corner,

sashimi in the next, and Portuguese dishes in another.

And yes, as a true blue carnivore,

I gravitated towards the red meat section,

where I snatched slices of roast beef sirloin and Portuguese suckling pig.

Yes, hypertension, here we go!

They also have a table of delectable desserts,

with Macanese egg tarts as the centerpiece, of course.

We really had fun here at Hawker Hawker,

and if you want to experience

this too, here's a tip.

You can get 18% off if you book with Cloak.

Yes, the cost will be reduced to only

439 patacas for weekend lunch buffet

or 574 for dinner buffet,

inclusive of service fee and reservation service.

That's a massive discount,

so just click the link in the description and pin comment.

But that's not all!

If you use our promo code THEPOORTRAVELER upon checkout,

you can get even more savings.

Additional 5% off.

That's promo code THEPOORTRAVELER, single L.

Again, Hawker Hawker is located at level 2U at W Hotel within Studio City.

Special thanks to Ate Janelle,

a Filipina who works here at Hawker Hawker,

for taking great care of us.

She's one of the many OFWs who are part of the workforce here in Macau,

and we met a lot of them on this trip.

And now, we've come to the most expensive item on this list.

Ken wanted us to try a variety of Macau restaurants.

From street food to local hotpot,

to all-you-can-eat buffet,

to Macanese heritage restaurants.

But before we left,

he also wanted us to see the higher end of Macau's dining scene,

and for that, he took us to the Grand Lishboa Palace Resort,

also in Kotay.

It is here that we found ourselves in the middle of Macau,

and we found ourselves in the middle of one of the most lavish restaurants

I've set foot in,

the Palace Garden,

helmed by head chef Ken Cheong,

who puts together a more sophisticated Cantonese cooking with Western ingredients.

We don't normally dabble or toast into fine dining territory,

but this would certainly be one to remember.

The interiors were so grandiose and ornate,

with one wall dressed in a 35-meter Suzhou silk mural

with stunning embroidery of chrysanthemums,

and one private room decorated with intricate butterfly patterns.

It's opulence, Macau style!

As for the food, we were served a six-course executive lunch set menu.

After setting the three-sauce plate with citron sauce, hot sauce, and XO sauce,

and a really promising and colorful amuse-bouche,

it was time for the meal proper.

Starting with this vibrant green pork dumpling topped with abalone and black caviar,

and this appetizingly yellow crystal blue prawn dumpling.

Everything just tasted so fresh and put together, if you know what I mean.

The abalone in particular had just the right brininess and chewiness.

For the soup, we had this giant crab meat and konpoi or dried scallop dumpling in supreme broth.

And supreme indeed!

It was one of the best broths that ever greased my palate.

It was clean, bright, and very elegant.

Like, oh my goodness, it was given!

Next was another duo, the crispy bird nest and Australian scallop roll,

which I wasn't that much of a fan of,

and the wagyu beef bun with black pepper sauce,

which reminded me of the homey meat buns that I enjoy in Macau and Hong Kong,

only more refined.

It's very well balanced with the right amount of sauce, bread, and seasoning.

And the beef party wasn't over just yet because the next one was also beef.

Slow stewed with wild honey and supreme soy sauce.

Everything about this was on point.

The beef was not too tender that would lose the texture,

and the sauce was not too sweet that would lose its flavor.

It had the right balance of sweet and salty that permeated deep into the meat,

accentuated by the burst of mild tanginess from the cherry tomato.

Next to be served was duo vermicelli stewed with shredded roast duck and mushrooms.

I did lose the duck in the mix, but it was smoky, which was my favorite flavor profile.

The veggies added crunch to the graceful noodles.

And for dessert, we had sweetened gorgon fruit and fresh lily bulb double boiled with osmanthus.

Not really a fan of hot desserts, but the little fruits were soft and smooth,

and the osmanthus gave it an irresistible aroma.

Still not my fave, but I liked it.

By the way, through all of this, our teacups were constantly refilled.

Tea pairing is a thing here.

I do love tea, but my palate is still pretty untrained,

so I can't say much about it except that I did enjoy everything that poured into my cup.

Overall, I quite enjoyed this lunch.

Everything was clean, resplendent, vibrant, and masterfully done.

But the crab meat konpoy soup and the beef were my absolute favorites.

Just divine, those two.

This set lunch menu usually costs 638 patakas plus 10% service charge.

For tea pairing, an additional 168 patakas per person will be added.

They also have a lunch tasting menu version for double the price.

Dinner menus have 8 courses and as of today,

costs 2,388 to 3,688 patakas per person without drinks and subject to 10% service charge too.

So this is really the splurge option.

It's pretty luxurious and not really for budget travelers. Not at all.

In our next video, we'll show you how we usually plan our Macau trip,

from booking flights to finding hotels to building our itinerary.

If you don't want to miss it or if you want to see more informative videos like this,

subscribe to this channel and ring the bell next to it so you're notified whenever we have new uploads.

If you want to search for hotels, check the rates or book one,

just click on the link in the description or pinned comment.

If you're booking with Klook, use the promo code THEPOORTRAVELER for big, big discounts.

By the way, Philippine Airlines offers direct flights from Manila to Macau.

So if you haven't booked a ticket yet, consider flying with PAL.

One thing I love about PAL is the generous baggage allowance that automatically comes with each booking.

For Macau flights, check-in baggage can weigh 25 kilos maximum for economy passengers.

That's on top of the 7 kilo carry-on baggage allowance.

Another reason we prefer PAL is its 4-star service and delicious in-flight meals and unlimited drinks on board,

which are already included in the booking.

Visit PhilippineAirlines.com to search for flights to Macau.

You can also follow us on Instagram, X, and TikTok. Just search at The Poor Traveler, single L.

We also have a podcast. Follow The Poor Traveler Podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

That's all for now. Remember, plan smart, travel safe, and make every food trip worth it!

Thank you for watching!