'Lutong' Macau: Fusion on the palate

For Filipinos, the term “lutong Macau” is not exactly delectable. It means something negative, something predetermined, something rigged. A taste of authentic Macanese cuisine, however, will surely make you feel anything but shortchanged in terms of flavors and textures.

 

Much like the region’s culture, Macau’s cuisine is a fusion of Eastern and Western influences. It derives bold flavors from the area’s Portuguese colonial past, evident in the use of chili peppers and olive oil in several dishes. Despite this, flavors are still balanced and never overwhelming, owing to the cuisine’s Chinese influences.

 

Since Macau was once a trading port, its cuisine also makes use of various ingredients and spices from its Asian neighbors. Curry powder, turmeric and coconut milk are just some of the ingredients that give Macanese food a flavorful variety. Several cooking techniques are also employed in preparing dishes, but baking, grilling and roasting are most common. Also, seafood such as codfish, crab and shrimp are guaranteed fresh, as can be expected from a place with a maritime history.  

-- Photos by Andreo Calonzo, GMA News  

If you want a taste of Portugal in Macau, visit Gosto at the east promenade of the plush Galaxy Macau Hotel. Its interior is enough to take you to medieval Lisbon, with whitewashed walls decorated with vintage photographs and painted ceramics. The restaurant’s caldo verde is the perfect starter to a hearty meal. This rich potato-based soup with crunchy strips of kale is both healthy and comforting. The bits of chorizo punctuate the soup with occasional saltiness. Try drizzling the soup with olive oil to bring all the flavors together and to make it extra smooth on the palate.

 

To further whet your appetite, try Gosto’s Portuguese black ham with melon and olives. This dish is best eaten by putting all three elements in one bite. The saltiness of of Portuguese ham is tempered by the sweetness of the melon and the acidity of the olives. The balance and the contrast of flavors really make this appetizer a winner.

 

A festive meal at Gosto will not be complete without a serving of the Portuguese suckling pig with rice, sausage, and potato. This is the Portuguese equivalent of our lechon de leche, only with more elements and even more sinful. The abundant plating of the dish is enough to put you in a jovial mood, with the chopped pork topped with strips of French fries, and on a bed of rice, cherry tomatoes, olives and orange wedges. The dish can be a little overwhelming though, and a portion of the pork skin tends to be a little rubbery. Still, the meat is perfectly cooked, and the dish is absolutely filling.

 

Cap off your Portuguese feast with the famous serradura. The texture of this dessert, derived from layers of cookie crumbs, mimics that of the substance where it got its name: sawdust. This gives a perfect contrast to the silky feel of chilled cream and milk that makes the dish really addicting. Gosto came up with a great idea of topping the dessert with strawberry slices to add a fruity burst to the dish.

 

Win some, dim sum

 

If you want to get in touch with Macau’s Chinese roots, head to the third floor of the imposing Macau Tower, where you can find Lua Azul. This restaurant has a simple yet elegant ambiance, with dark wood panels and a glass-fronted kitchen that lets you see the chefs in action. It serves contemporary Huaiyang and Cantonese dishes, but is best known for its wide variety of dim sum.

 

Among the familiar dim sum offerings is the ha gau or steamed shrimp dumpling. The shrimp inside the translucent flour coating is fresh and succulent. The soft cooked egg dough inside the dim sum adds some pleasant creaminess to each bite.

 

The standout in Lua Azul’s dim sum menu, however, is the deep fried mashed taro coated by shrimp served in creamy sauce. Served in small cupcake liners, this dish has a surprisingly unique and multidimensional flavor. A bite into this little wonder will initially give you a crisp texture from its golden brown coating. As you savor the dim sum even further, you will be treated to the oozing blend of earthy taro and smooth creamy sauce. Of course, the dim sum’s crowning glory—a piece of perfectly cooked shrimp—gives it a mild buttery taste with a hint of sweetness.

 

To make your Chinese meal more filling, be sure to order a platter of fried rice with seafood and crab roe. The dish is a complete meal in itself, with generous servings of rice, shrimp, crab, squid, and some greens. If you’re not in the mood for rice, try Lua Azul’s braised noodles with shredded chicken and mushrooms. It is basically thicker versions of our local misua served with soothing chicken soup.

 

Turning Macanese

 

Although there are lots of restaurants in Macau that offer various European and Asian dishes, nothing beats a taste of authentic Macanese food once you visit this region. One of the most established restaurants in the area which serves Macanese cuisine is the Cozinha Pinnochio on Taipa Island. This restaurant has a subdued ambiance, complete with a view of residential areas seen through huge paneled windows.

 

This place has grown prominence for three decades now for its choices of seafood dishes. It serves one of the best, if not the best, fried codfish cakes in Macau. It is crunchy outside, but mushy inside, thanks to its potato core. The starch blends well with the codfish bits, which are not too salty compared to similar dishes served in other restaurants in Macau.

 

Cozinha Pinnochio’s all-time best seller is its fried crab with curry sauce. The crab is fresh and easily indulgent, heaped with onions and chili peppers, making it moderately spicy. The curry sauce mixed with olive oil is rich and perfectly seasoned, although it makes the dish quite messy to eat.

 

Another dish that showcases the curious blend of flavors and cultures in Macanese cuisine is Cozinha’s Portuguese chicken. It may be called as such, but it certainly exhibits Asian influence, since the chicken is covered with curry sauce mixed with coconut milk, potatoes, olives, and saffron. The sauce is just light and not overpowering, making the perfectly tender chicken meat still stand out in the dish.

 

If you are a poultry fan, you definitely shouldn’t miss one of Macau’s signature dishes, the African chicken served at Café Litoral, also on Taipa Island. This restaurant has an intimate feel, perfect for a dinner for two. The African chicken is smothered with a fiery orange sauce with potato slices and olives. The heat comes from the chicken’s cooking technique: it is spiced with piri-piri peppers and then charcoal-grilled. This dish alone will make you want to stay in Macau even longer.

 

Of course, tourists never leave Macau without grabbing a pack of the famous Lord Stow’s Portuguese egg tarts. These sweet treats may have been already franchised here in the Philippines, but nothing beats a taste of the original recipe. The crust is flakier, and the filling tastes richer and creamier with more eggs. It is best to buy these egg tarts from the first ever Lord Stow’s bakery on Coloane Island. Here, you can get a feel of this popular dessert’s humble beginnings.

 

Macau is certainly a paradise for the eclectic palate. It is the place to go if you want East and West to meet right on your palate. Indeed, lutong Macau is not just about cheats; it is about joyful eats and gastronomical treats. –KG, GMA News Disclosure: The author's trip was sponsored by the Macau Government Tourist Office.