My friends and I were talking about cuisines that aren’t represented in Sydney. It was hard to pick one as Sydney is so diverse it seems that we have a restaurant for just about every cuisine.
“How about Kazakhstani?” I ventured as I recalled trying to brainstorm for a Kazakhstani dinner party and being at a loss to find the ingredients.
One cuisine that is a little more accessible taste wise and that isn’t represented in Sydney is Macanese cuisine from Macau near Hong Kong. The intriguing thing about this cuisine is that it was borne from Macau being a Portuguese colony and is influenced by the various foods in the areas that the Portuguese visited on their spice routes creating a unique cuisine. So Macanese cuisine is actually a blend of Portuguese, Cantonese as well as some African and Indian flavours. You can get bacalhau-the Portuguese dried and salted cod alongside coconut laced curries and African chicken. Their egg tarts are a cross between the classic Portuguese tart (pastéis de nata) and Chinese egg tarts. And for just one week ending this coming Friday the Four Seasons hotel has brought over two chefs from the Four Seasons Macau to cook traditional Macanese food for diners at Kables restaurant. And that is where we find ourselves one spring lunchtime.
Cod fish fritters with marinated olives, tartare sauce
Macanese food is traditionally served share style, similar to Chinese food. The cod fish fritters are up first and they’re small dark golden crumbed fritters with a thin, lightly crunchy coating with a salty kick from the salted cod. They remind me of the oven baked croquettes that I made recently rather than my image of a fritter and they’re combined with a thick tartare sauce and sharp, firm green and black olives.
Caldo verde – Portugeuse style potato and kale soup, extra virgin olive oil $16
I must admit that I wasn’t really won over by this soup which was a bit grainy. I did like the smoked pork pieces which didn’t get a mention on the menu (and fellow diner Heather doesn’t eat pork so that was a surprise). It is served with a basket of grilled bread.
Macanese prawns with chilli and garlic
The prawns are served with the shell on and the smaller ones are the easiest to eat as I ate them shell and all. And if you’ve never eaten a prawn head, eating a dish like this is the time to do so as much of the flavoursome chilli, ginger and garlic sauce and flavour is concentrated in the head and the smaller ones pack a lot of flavour whilst being soft too.
African chicken -curry roasted chicken, potato wedges and salad
When they set the African chicken down the aroma of satay wafts over. African chicken is one of the most well known Macanese dishes and this doesn’t disappoint. The chicken is tender and moist inside and served on the bone. The sauce on top of it is a creamy curry coconut peanut sauce that reminds you of a satay but without the spiciness to it. It is served with small potato wedges and salad with halved cherry tomatoes which is what it is typically served with in Macau. This is a clear favourite at the table.
Bacalhau a bras-shreddded cod fish sauteed, scrambled eggs, onion french fries and parsley
Another favourite is the bacalhau which is sauteed shredded salt cod mixed with grated roesti like potatoes with onion and parsley and scrambled eggs. I can imagine eating this for breakfast quite happily and the fish gives it an unusual but appealing flavour.
Minchi-minced pork and beef, cubed potatoes and bay leaf with fried egg (optional)
I wasn’t as taken with this as I thought I would be. It was a bed of steamed white rice and some minced pork and beef that tasted mostly of beef and a little cumin, some cubed potatoes and topped with two sunny side up eggs. I thought it went together well when there was some of the egg yolk in the forkful but it was a bit dry without it.
Egg custard tarts
These were what everyone was waiting for! The egg custard tarts although best served when hot are still good. The pastry has layers and layers of crunchy pastry which you can feel as soon as you pick one up. It’s like those thousand layered Chinese egg tarts but with a Portuguese custard tart filling – less sweet but still beautifully burnished. People were hiding these under menus so that they wouldn’t be pinched 
Serradura: whipped cream layered with biscuit crumbs
At first I thought it was a trifle or a tiramisu but it’s a simple dessert with layers of whipped cream and then layers of crushed biscuit (which taste like milk arrowroot biscuits) topped with fruit at the end. It’s light but it’s not my first choice.
Ginger milk curd
Now Mr NQN would love this-I mean I love ginger but this almost made my eyes pop out of my head it was so gingery which meant that I knew Mr NQN would like it. It’s a sweet but utterly pungent ginger milk custard and you can taste the fresh root ginger used in it. It is actually made without gelatine but the protease in ginger curdles the milk and sets it much like a soft pudding.
Leite creme – Macanese egg custard with cinnamon
Lastly this was a nice version of the creme brulee. This had orange zest and cinnamon, much like a crema catalana. And since when are four desserts bad for you?
So tell me Dear Reader, have you ever tried Macanese cuisine before? And which cuisine do you wish you had available to you where you live?
Macanese Food Week at the Four Seasons
From the 14th-21st October, 2011 only
199 George Street, Sydney, NSW
Tel +61 (2) 9250-3100
Entrees are priced between$16-$18, mains are $28-$32 and desserts $15-$16
If you enjoyed this post, why not share it with your friends?
What is NQN up to now?
NQN on Facebook
RSS
35 Comments | Add your own
When I read your first sentence I instantly thought of Kyrgyz. Great minds think alike, Kyrgyz and Kazakh cuisine is almost similar. Macau cuisine is probably more appealing
That’s so interesting. I must admit, I had no idea that Macau had it’s own cuisine, I always thought that it was basically Chinese. It’s nice to learn something new about food.
I love the food of Macau, but didn’t even know the term “Macanese”–fascinating. Nice, enticing photos as well.
I live in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, where we have some great international food, but I would so love to see some really authentic Thai, ditto for Middle Eastern, Moroccan, Spanish, Greek, Ethiopian, Turkish, and…
They should have included portuguese curry! THat’s a must eat when in macau!
No – never eaten it, never heard of it. I think I would have loved the chicken dish and the custard tarts. I have been buying a lot of quinoa lately and as it’s from the Andes Mountains I’ve been wondering about the cuisine of the South Americans. What are the stand-out or signature dishes???
Would you believe that a month and a half ago we were in Macau on a day trip from HK. We didn’t try any Macanese food. We ate Italian, had a sandwich and McDonalds for breakfast all without leaving our hotel The Venetian. Not even a custard tart. We now have to make an effort to get back there. although I don’t think it will be next year while we are visiting HK again. Great post Lorraine I would love to try those prawns.
I loved reading this post! I’ve never been to Macau despite being to HK many many times. Ben is 1/8th Portuguese (haha, only a tiny bit, but still) due to their settlement. I feel I should definitely get into this!
Heidi xo
We spent a week in Macau…tried every egg tart we saw to find the best (at Lord Stowe’s at Coloane, and the Four Seasons coffee shop if you need to know!), also searched out the serradura but the best shop near the markets was closed (weren’t overly excited by the one we had). We tried some local meals (didn’t go to the upmarket restaurants) and the one we enjoyed the most (codfish cakes, pulled pork roll) was at a little coffee shop near the ruined cathedral. It’s a beautiful little island, with its fusion history gently preserved, but with indecently glittery casinos dominating the urban landscape.
Mmh! Now I am seriously jealous
! I used to go to Macau on every visit to HK when one still used ordinary ferries doing 4 1/2 hour trips and you had not even been thought of 
! No high rises, no big casinos [one gambled like mad on river boats! All kinds of unusual Chinese games] The food was seriously good and quite, quite different to the various HK Chinese. Walks around town were very exotic also: one just had to guess at the open stores and what they offered! Remember a delightful pic of a baby who was sitting atop an open hessian rice bag, merrily urinating into it and feeling SO good 
! Like some of the dishes shown: would have to taste to see how ‘fusion’ they had become. Bacalao – not my thing – had a Portuguese housekeeper for years who unsuccessfully tried to convert . . . Interesting post, Lorraine: thanks 
!
No, but I’ve had Bacalhau, it was a regular on the menu in Portugal where salted fish was also very popular. I’d like a really good cheap international food court near me, like the hawkers centres in Singapore. Delicious food, all cuisines and cheap as well.
What interesting looking food!
I would by pass the ginger milk curd though…reminds me too much of when I had morning sickness, I still can’t go near ginger!!!
Egg custard tarts! My heart be still. I’ve only been to Macau once, but what a fascinating city — from the cigarette-smoke-filled casinos to the European architecture and cobblestone streets.
I’ve had Macanese food in Macau – but it was so very long ago I had forgotten about it. When we were there Macau was still a relatively peaceful place with some gorgeous Portugese architecture, but I believe it is a busy, glitzy place these days.
Great post Lorraine, so interesting, who would have thought Macau cuisine to be such a mix. I’ve never been there but have always wanted to visit Hong Kong.
Portuguese Tarts…me want!
weird… I am baking cakes and was thinking what I should do with all the left over egg whites…
Doh.
Will google to see if I an find a recipe.
Seems like an exciting cuisine with its blend of other cuisines. I can palate the egg tarts and would love to try the bacalhau the way it’s prepared. The mince pork with fried egg and rice looks like textbook Taiwanese though.
Spent a lot of time there some years ago, that was the year I believe I decided not to hesitate in trying the weirdest, most unusual foods being offered. One memorable dish was cornmeal worms in an egg pudding! Macau was a great place to practise that philosophy!
Learned something new today re the term “Macanese”, TRUE!
Even though have previously entertained and enjoyed the foods too!
More “authentic” Nonya Cooking (perfect marriage of Chinese and Malay cusines”), do WISH!
Having recently returned from Malacca (and various other destinations), already MISS my favourite belachan dish!!
Reading this v interesting post a few hours later: @ Amanda – yes, I remember the lowrise peacefulness above all – there was a place called ‘Macau Inn’, methinks, on the waterfront, where you could sit on the verandah at twilight drinking G&Ts and Portuguese Rose and tell the waiter: ‘let the chef cook, we’ll tell you when to stop’
! @ Michelle – yes, Portuguese curries have a sophistication added and there are quite a few of them, some actually devilishly hot! @ Rosemary – oh yes, codfish cakes: the one way I would savour bacalao! Sorry, I just don’t u’stand the fascination: salt heavily, soak the salt away and blue murder cook them! [I DO apologize to all who love 
!].
I never considered Macau as having a unique cuisine, but of course it would! I love learning about new cultures and dishes, so this was a great post. I’d like a try a tradditional Laotian meal, or Pacific Island style dishes. Probably wishful thinking in land-locked Canberra
Wow… ginger curd? AND EGG TARTS! Honey this has got me salivating!
Macanese wow ive never heard of that before.. intersting..going to see if i can try this place out
thanks nqn!
Does it count if I say I wish the cuisine of Raw Vegan was in Canberra?
I don’t think egg tarts would exist in such a restaurant though…
My favorite Macanese dish – Lulas Recheadas, whole squid stuffed with a mixture of ground pork, chourisco sausage, cornmeal, garlic & onions then braised in a tomato sauce laced with more choursico.
How very interesting!
I have been to Macau, but I don’t recall much about the meal I ate there. In Italy we get almost nothing but local food, but that is fine by me as each region has something different to offer and most of it is great.
That egg custard looks fab and would be my pick along with the African chicken.
I can’t say I’ve ever tried Macanese, I’d love to have a Nepalese restaurant closely
I’ve never even heard of Macanese food so nope never tried it.
I wish there was more Malaysian food nearby and a good Greek restaurant.
I am very interested to taste the ginger milk!
I learned a lot in this post! Well written & tasty appetizing food pictures, Lorraine! I love your unique food posts! All of the food looks interesting & tasty too!
Mmmmm fan of the minced pork and egg. I do a breakfast meal similar.
Can’t say I’ve ever tried this cuisine. I think canberra has such variety, I’ve never not been able to find something I wanted.
I grew up in this hotel. Just that first photo of the foyer made me sigh. Lovely post Lorraine, thanks!
Lol @ people hiding the tarts. I would totally do the same
Thanks for the heads up! Had no idea this was on. Made a booking for tomorrow night
Portugese tarts, here we come!!
I am pleased to see that portuguese comfort food is getting fans around the world. Personally, being far away from my beloved Lisbon, that is the food that I miss! However, i must say that the soup, Caldo Verde, doesn’t look exactly as it should be: it should look and taste more creamy and definitely with more shredded kale. About the pork, I must admit, chouriço is a mandatory element in that soup! Also, the Bacalhau a Bras is one of my favourite ways of eating codfish. Again, it tastes better if it gets more creamy and if the crispy potatoes have time to get tender with the help of a bit of milk. It truly is a fast to cook and to eat as well. It just needs love!
Finally, the custard tarts… As much as they taste good, whenever you plan a trip over Europe, pass by Portugal and go straight to Belem… they are just perfect!
Post a Comment