Happy Foodies

<figure class="wp-block-image alignnone"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ironwulf/4814923815/in/set-72157624078717746/"><img alt="Prawn with Cheese Coctail" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4096/4814923815_7cf06015aa_b.jpg"></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Prawn with Cheese Cocktail</figcaption></figure> There are Portuguese Restaurants, and there are Portuguese Restaurants with style. And the latter is where I would put this small homey restaurant called Antonio Restaurante at Taipa Island's Old Quarters, owned by Macau celebrity chef, Antonio Coelho. We tagged along with him that morning while he bought the ingredients he will use for the dishes he will serve that evening.

<figure class="wp-block-image alignnone"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ironwulf/4814874291/?reuploaded=1"><img alt="Macanese Seafood Rice" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4141/4814874291_7ca51d310d_b.jpg"></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Macanese Seafood Rice</figcaption></figure> "This is where we take our special guests" Joao tells us. Of course we felt honored hearing that statement. If one wants to treat guests to try great-tasting Macanese food, Ristorante Litoral would be the best place to go. Chinese influences may have a big part in Macau cuisine being close to the country, but being under Portuguese rule for years, it's inevitable not to fuse the better of two influences into one distinct cuisine – Macanese. It's Portuguese Cuisine using the best of the local ingredients found in Macau.

<figure class="wp-block-image alignnone"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ironwulf/4781693430/"><img alt="Lagariero-Style Bacalhau" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4116/4781693430_0123110c01_o.jpg"></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Lagariero-Style Bacalhau</figcaption></figure> Pirates used to roam around Coloane, the Southern Region of Macau. But for the evening of our visit at Miramar Restaurant, there were no more pirates, only us hungry visitors ready to devour any Portuguese food that would land on our table. A restaurant that started way back 1990's but closed at the turn of the decade, the establishment re-opened two years ago to again serve authentic Portuguese dishes on the quiet hillside of Coloane fronting Hac Sa Bay.

<figure class="wp-block-image alignnone"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ironwulf/4659581935/"><img alt="Smoked Salmon" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1303/4659581935_d3aa52ddaa_b.jpg"></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Horizon's Champagne Glazed Cold Smoked Salmon</figcaption></figure> It was a stark contrast from our <a href="http://www.happyfoodies.com/2010/05/18/macau-little-turtle-with-big-noodles/" title="Little Turtle">last meal in Macau</a>. As soon as we enter the 3rd level of Crown Tower within City of Dreams, we knew we’ll be treated to a luxurious dining experience this time around. We were at Horizons, a restaurant known for its grilled steaks and seafood.

<figure class="wp-block-image alignnone"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ironwulf/4614796455/"><img alt="Octopus Noodles" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4028/4614796455_b356bfdc31_o.jpg"></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Octopus Noodles</figcaption></figure> The noodles came one after the other. It seems overwhelming but after at least a two hour- flight, we were famished and ready to eat just about anything. It’s my first time in Macau and what better way to get started but to sample some good ole local food. “We’re heading to the Little Turtle,” said Joao, our Portuguese with Chinese lineage guide. The name was intriguing enough to make everyone want to check it out.

<figure class="wp-block-image alignnone"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ironwulf/4271055199/"><img alt="Ayam Penyet" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4010/4271055199_566e337772_o.jpg"></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Ayam Penyet (SG$6)</figcaption></figure> Resto Surabaya Lucky Plaza is said to be dominated by the Filipino crowd, but in a hidden corner of this mall one can find a really good Indonesian restaurant called Resto Surabaya. It has simple interiors with earth colors and a comfortable dining area. The Ayam Penyet (Surabya style Fried Chicken) was tasty at every level from skin to meat, especially with a dip in the chili spice.

<figure class="wp-block-image alignnone"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ironwulf/4131237538/"><img alt="Maggie's Buttered Squid (SG$6, 8, 12)" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2774/4131237538_168735904d_o.jpg"></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Maggie's Buttered Squid (SG$8, 12, 16)</figcaption></figure> Hopping from a hole-in-the wall restaurant to al fresco street dining, then to a humble stall in a kopitiam and later, to an unpretentious mall restaurant, food tripping is one activity I cherish when I'm in Singapore. The food offering is so diverse I can eat different cuisines from different parts of the world depending on what my appetite dictates that day. During my week-long stay, I tried the different restaurants my friend recommended which were all good at the particular type of cuisine they serve yet inexpensive.