So I thought I'd do a something little different this time - instead of placing an entire entry on just one restaurant I would highlight some adventures I had in Macau, China. Macau - has rich history of Portuguese influence which translates heavily into their food and culture. Some of my favorite "Cantonese style" dishes come in the form of tomato based pork chop baked on top of rice. You can find this dish anywhere from Hong Kong's Cafe de Coral (
大家樂) to more upscale Portuguese restaurants like Cozinha Pinocchio (pictured below - yes it's
that Pinocchio). Another dish they are famous for is of course their Portuguese style "dan tai" or egg tart. But to native Hong Kong-ers, many of them savor their super smooth 薑汁撞奶 (ginger milk curd). Although most of the Portuguese authentic dishes have been lost through the years (but that's ok - you can
go to Portugal) a bright spot shines through in the form of delicious and unique "Chinese" dishes known as Macanese food. I hope your eyes enjoy these pictures as much as my taste buds enjoyed eating them!
By the way - credit of these photographs belong to my cousin Kristen who was on this wonderful food journey with me. :)
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| Portuguese egg tart 蛋撻 |
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| Chinese style flan? That's the most accurate description I have for it's texture (and plus it sounds so much better than tofu curd haha) 豆腐花 |
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| Ginger milk 薑汁撞奶 |
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| At Cozhina Pinocchio or 木偶 - Portuguese style spare ribs |
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| Portuguese Pork Chop Sandwiches |
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| Portuguese baked chicken curry |
A personal opinion on Cozinha Pinocchio: This delicately decorated restaurant has been serving fine Portuguese food for over 30 years (my parents talk about how luxurious the restaurant
and food was in the 1970s) has lost its spunk. Blame it on being there on a a random weekday - but the restaurant itself was less than half filled which completely threw off since it was all the rage for years. Although the waitstaff is more than generous (speaking mainly Cantonese with a select few who spoke Portuguese) the food just couldn't compensate. It could've also been because I went in with high expectations but I definitely did not think it was worth the price (their pork sandwiches were dry and other Portuguese styled stir fry veggies were just ok). There are many other local joints around the streets of Macau that have more character, better food, and less echo from talking.
Funny fact: there is a competitor right across from Pinnocchio called Restaurante Jumbo (also known as "Little Elephant") that uses the image of Dumbo as their mascot. I guess Macau really likes their Disney.
