Jan 17, 2013

Food, Macau, Travel 5 Comments

Macau like Hong Kong have plenty of local diners/cafés that serve up typical dishes of pork chop buns, instant noodles with spam and egg to an assorted range of noodles from deep fried pork chops (Asian rendition of schnitzel) to curry beef noodles with tripe and wanton/shrimp roe noodles. There are also local confectionary buns and Cantonese French toast lathered with margarine cubes, all served along side a cup of hot milk tea—the pièce de resistance of a cha chaan teng.

Café Vong Kei
This local diners is worth visiting if only for the art deco beams and those charming old tile floors. They serve the basic staple of instant noodles 公子面 (gong zî miàn) served with egg and/or spam in an MSG laden tasty broth—a typical breakfast for the locals of Hong Kong and Macau. Other items that feature on the menu are the local confectionary from sweet buns to Chinese cupcakes topped with raisins or walnuts to sponge cakes sandwiched with cream—all baked fresh daily.

60 Rua Correia da Silva. Macau, Taipa Village

Pui kei
This tiny cha chaan teng has wooden booth seats and three round tables in the centre and a huge red altar that rests above the kitchen window. The turnaround here is quick and most diners share tables with strangers, most eat quickly and leave. Here is some of Taipai’s best pork chop noodles 吉利猪扒拉面 (jí lì zhu pá la miàn)—opt for the dry version and top it with an egg to break the yolk for a delicious mix. Portions here are generous, the deep fried crispy pork rivals a good European schnitzel (in praise of its colonial history) and is served with bone in tack. You get served immediately here and your orders arrive within 10 minutes, wolf it down and head out just as quickly as other diners for the full local experience.
沛記 Pui Kei Cafe. 25 Rua da Cunha, Taipa, Macau (Kunya gai in Cantonese)

Lou Kei
Formerly a hole in a wall inconspicuous local diner, the renovated Lou Kei is featured on the Michelin guide with a bib for its shrimp roe bamboo rolled noodles and congee. The facelift in recent years includes a fully air-conditioned dining room with fancy matching plates, teapots and cutlery. It’s no longer the definitive cha chaan teng, but continues to draw in both the locals and tourists. People come here for the springy, perfectly al dente egg noodles generously dressed with shrimp roe and fresh shrimp dumplings. Be prepared to pay higher prices ranging from 35MOP up to 100MOP per person as menus come with good photos and English translations.
Travessa de Inacio Sarmento de Carvalho
Behind Grand Lisboa and 澳門葡文學校