Macau, dubbed the "Vegas of Asia," was the next stop on our itinerary. Like Hong Kong, Macau is a special administrative region in China. Until 1999, they were a former Portuguese colony.
To get to Macau from Hong Kong, it's only about an hour-long ferry ride. It's pretty quick and makes for a good day trip!
We decided to buy one-way tickets since we weren't sure what time we would end up returning to Hong Kong. It was a little less than $30 CAD for each adult. I ended up sleeping most of the way there which helped to alleviate the seasickness.
When we arrived in Macau, there were tons of people handing out flyers and freebies, trying to lure you over to their hotel/casino. The casinos offer free shuttle buses that will take you straight to their door. One blogger's tip I read was to take the bus going to the Grand Lisboa, as most of Macau's main tourist sites are within walking distance from there.
Portuguese egg tarts are a MUST when coming here. You can find them pretty much everywhere in Macau but one of the most well-known bakeries is Margaret's Cafe e Nata. There's a whole backstory to it as Margaret is the ex-wife of Andrew Stow (of Lord Stow's Bakery), who is credited with making the Portuguese egg tart one of Macau's iconic foods.
The bakery is tucked away in an alley, but it's pretty easy to find as there's likely a long lineup of people outside the shop.
My mom lined up for us and ended up buying a box of six. Ours were straight out of the oven and piping hot. Since it's such a popular place, it's not hard to catch a fresh batch as they're being baked throughout the day.
The crust is super buttery and flaky while the egg custard filling is creamy and not too sweet. My dad ate three of these egg tarts. That's how you know they're good.
While my mom was lining up for egg tarts, my dad went to a neighbouring store for some refreshments. Mango and orange juice. I only wish they were colder because it was such a hot day.
From Margaret's, it was a short walk to Senado Square. The Portuguese influence is pretty strong here.
There are lots of little alleways in Macau with hidden gems to be discovered ...
... like Sei Kee Cafe, a little takeout spot well-known for another Macanese specialty. Pork chop bun! It's exactly what it sounds like. A seasoned fried pork chop in a bun. No other condiments or ingredients. It's basically a Macau hamburger if you will.
The pork chop is traditionally served bone-in. It's freshly fried and glistening with grease but the meat is tender and juicy. It's a bit plain because there's no other ingredients besides meat and bread, but I can see the appeal.
As you're walking through Macau, you'll notice a lot of food souvenir shops. Koi Kei Bakery is the most famous chain of stores, selling peanut brittle, almond cookies, egg roll biscuits, and jerky! The shops are almost like Costco. Samples everywhereee!
The most recognizable landmark in Macau -- Ruins of St. Paul's. It was originally the site of St. Paul's church, but after a fire in 1835, only the facade and front stairway remained.
View from the top of the steps. There are soooo many people during the summer.
Seeking refuge from the heat, we made a detour to find Lemoncello Gelato. It was recommended on the Michelin guide for the last few years. They have a good selection of flavours that you can sample before buying.
I got a scoop of mango and rainbow because I'm still a child.
Because we weren't interested in touring the casinos, we left Macau pretty early in the afternoon.
For dinner that evening, we went to Mak's Noodle in Jordan. They're famous for their wonton noodles and have outlets across Hong Kong, including a restaurant in Macau and a couple in Singapore.
The wonton noodles are good and cheap, but the portions are incredibly small. (Think of a rice bowl. It's smaller than that.) My dad was surprised and ended up ordering two more dishes for himself after his first bowl. Apparently the small bowls are to prevent the noodles from getting soggy.
We took a bus back to the hotel but popped into a nearby Japanese grocery store before the night was over. BBQ Pringles are my kryptonite, so I was intrigued by these two flavours -- ramune and butter soy sauce. The butter soy sauce was fine. Nothing offensive, nothing too out there. The ramune on the other hand ... ew. Don't get me wrong, it really had the flavour down pat, including the feeling of carbonation on your tongue. But on a chip, it was weird and wrong and disgusting. 0/10. Would not recommend.
- CT
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