A foodie goes to Macau ( Part 3 ) Fernando's - Best Kept Secret in Macau

Fernando's is not a place one stumbles upon, you need someone to have known about it or recommended it. This restaurant was one of the places my cousin loved in one of her recent trips to Macau with her husband. We decided to have lunch here today. We got directions from the front desk of our hotel. According to the front desk manager, Jackie, we could easily take a taxi cab ( which will cost us around 80-100MOP ) or the local bus ( which costs 4MOP ). He suggested we take the local bus to get there since  Fernando's was located in front of the bus terminal of Coloane -- by Hac Sa Beach. We took bus number 25 which took around 30 minutes to Hac Sa Beach. Once we arrived at Hac Sa Beach, the restaurant was right in front. Its entrance was quite small with no obvious signs so you have to look for an entrance with a lot of ferns growing all over it. I would suggest that you come early--- Fernando's do not take reservations and most of the time it is full... and another tip is they do not take credit cards in this establishment... make sure you bring cash!!

Located on Coloane Island's beautiful Hac-Sa beach, the restaurant is housed within a simple red bricks structure, surrounded by flourishing shrubs and vines.  The decor is simple and nice, with bamboo furniture, red/white checked tablecloths and old-style ceiling fans. Upon entering the restaurant you will see walls filled with money bills, name cards from customers all over the world. Yes, there is no air-con and for us visiting in February, it wasn't a problem at all. There are huge ceiling fans at the main dining hall.


Here was what we ordered:

Entrecosto de Porco na Braza - Charcoal grilled pork ribs

Bacalao au Braz Style - The Portuguese have 1001 ways to cook bacalhau, but this is one of the best of their recipes. This definitely is a MUST TRY. It had shredded Bacalao with sliced onions, potatoes , tomatoes, scrambled eggs cooked in olive oil. It is usually garnished with black olives and sprinkled with fresh parsley. It is a very common dish in cafes and restaurants.

Macau style Fried Rice -- Macau's version of the Chinese fried rice. It had Bacalao slices, black olives and Portuguese chorizos.

Camarao Frito con Alho -- Fried prawns with garlic on a bed of lettuce. These was the best dish of the  day... it was simply the piece de resistance! They will leave you craving for more! Use the crusty bread and mop up the garlic, olive oil and other spices, and you will really understand why Fernando's commands the reputation that it has.

What I liked most about the place:  the cozy atmosphere --  it was relaxing as I enjoyed a jug of sangria and their hot bread rolls which was served while we waited for our dishes. All the dishes we ordered were outstanding. Highly recommended for those who enjoy family style dining.  Restaurant is really popular so best get there before 12pm if you want to go for lunch. Don't miss the opportunity to go there.

Restaurante Fernando
9 Hac Sa Beach Coloane
Praia de Hac Sa Macau

A foodie goes to Macau ( Part 2 ) Rebuchon au Dome

In every trip I make sure there is a highlight that would make my trip so memorable. Let me take you with me to the Grand Lisboa Hotel. I am going to enjoy a degustacion lunch at Rebuchon au Dome -- a Three-Michelin-starred restaurant situated at the dome of the Grand Lisboa Hotel. According to The Miele Guide, they named Grand Lisboa’s Rebuchon au Dome " the best restaurant in Asia ". This restaurant boasts of a magnificent view of Macau. The breathtaking crystal light chandelier cascading from the middle of the ceiling creates a dramatic ambience for a truly exquisite fine-dining experience. Reservations are made thru email or by phone in advance. There is a dress code which is smart casual (no shorts for men, no sneakers or flipflops). When you request for a table, ask them if you can get one by the window.  The decor is classy and tasteful with live piano and singing. 

You have to take the lift to the 39th floor, where the reception located, then the receptionist will usher  you to another lift to the 43rd floor, which is the highest place of the complex where the restaurant is located. The next pictures were taken as you enter the restaurant. 

Their wine selection includes over 3,000 premium wines and champagnes, some of the rarest in the world. 

a impressive hand carved ivory figurine found at the entrance of the restaurant.

We arrived at 12nn sharp, being the first to arrive. We were seated at a spacious table and enough to seat 4. The ceiling is in a dome shape (hence the name of the restaurant). The restaurant is small and in a circular shape - tables are right up next to the windows (each table is a window table) in the outer circumference of the circle.

The lunch menu they have is very reasonably priced for the fare. There were 3 different pricings (458MOP, 558MOP and 688MOP) depending on the number of courses you opted for, and an additional 500MOP if you get the optional wine pairings (which I strongly recommend). I opted for the “privilege degustation” which is 2 glasses of wine paired to the food.. I requested 1 white and 1 red. Both were quite good.

While waiting for our dishes to arrive, a waitress came over with her butter trolley. I like how their carve your butter from two enormous butter mountains nearby, offering your a choice or salted or non-salted. 

A foodie goes to Macau ( Part 1 )

Macau known as the " Las Vegas of Asia " has been a tourist destination of a lot of people who love to gamble. Macau was a former Portuguese Colony and now a Special Administrative Region in China just like Hong Kong. It has both the influences of Chinese and Portuguese Culture. 90% of the people residing here are Chinese and the rest are mixed races called Macanese ( Chinese with a mix of Portuguese ). There are lots of hotels on the island where you will be able to find one that is affordable for your budget. Compared with its sister city Hong Kong, Macau is a small place, but there are lots of places to visit,  good food to taste and things to do in Macau. The best way to get around Macau if you don't want to walk is to grab the free hotel shuttles. Their shuttle buses return to the main bus terminal and you can catch a different hotel bus to reach the opposite side of town.

In my recent trip to Macau, I traveled with my cousin and her best friend who are food lovers like me. We stayed at The Buckingham which is located very near the Old Taipa Village. Everyday we would walk to Old Taipa Village square to catch a hotel shuttle bus to bring us to Galaxy Hotel.

Since we do not gamble, we enjoyed our stay experiencing the excellent food Macau has to offer. I was able to taste Portuguese, Macanese and Cantonese cuisine.

Our first stop was a tiny Portuguese restaurant called CORTO. It's a small restaurant along Rua do Regedor located in the Old Taipa Village. As we entered the restaurant  I felt like I was in someone's kitchen. The ambience was very cozy. After glancing at their menu ( most menus in the restaurants have a picture of the dish for quick reference ) we had:

Baked Clams with wine sauce and lemon.

Grilled Macau Sole with a tangy tamarind sauce -- a must try in this restaurant.

The best dish which I thought was really a clincher was the Baked Bacalao with cheese ( Bacalao or Bacalhau com Natas ). This dish is one of the most popular cod dishes that you'll find served at traditional Portuguese restaurants. Bacalhau com Natas is like a lasagna made of cod. It includes layers of cod fish, onions, dices fried potatoes, and lots of creamy deliciousness.

After lunch we walked to KOI KEI Bakery on Rua de Cunha. I was able to try their famous Portuguese egg tarts ( or pastel de nata ).

These Portuguese egg tarts was one of my favorite desserts during this trip.  It is a traditional Portuguese custard pastry that consists of custard in a creme brulee-like consistency caramelized in a flaky puff pastry case. It is best eaten while it still warm, it was so delicious!!

Koi Kei is a great bakery offering a variety of candies, almond cookies, lots of varieties of beef and pork jerky. It is so very popular with the Hong Kongese, Taiwanese and Chinese -- and it can be a mess trying to get inside when it is busy. But that is part of the shopping experience !!! They have " free tasting " -- you can try some of the many cake/pastry samples they have. For beef jerky lovers --there is always a lady stationed at the front near the meats who is eager to let you try as many types as you like. My favourite was the little piglet jerky and the wild boar jerky.

As for the almond cookies, they are very popular with the locals and tourists -- I found them too chalky for my taste preferences. In Manila -- we have a local cookie ( called araro cookies ) that tastes similar to these cookies. I personally enjoyed them with coffee, complimenting their normal chalky texture with a bit of moistness. I love almonds and these little cookies always taste good to me.

Later that day we took the hotel shuttle and went to the Senado Square.  It is Macau’s Famous Landmark, together with it is the “Street Of Happiness” or also known popularly as “San Ma Lo”.

Aside from its old historic buildings, what distinguishes Senado Square is the wave-patterned mosaic tiles of black and white stones brought to life by Portuguese experts. The Senado Square is considered as one of the most popular historical sites in Macau. Situated at the heart of  Macau Peninsula, this UNESCO World Heritage Site was the seat of power for the Portuguese as they ruled over the country for more than a hundred years. Visitors can also find a large array of souvenir shops. The square is surrounded by a group of colorful buildings painted in white, yellow, pink, green, or brown. Most of them are three-storey buildings with arched windows, doors and corridors.

As you walk down the pedestrian-only streets, the smell of meat, savory noodle soup, freshly baked bread and pastries would greet your senses.  It is an exhilirating experience. There were long queues at the fast food outlets -- To get a cup of coffee at Starbucks or Gloria Jean would take 30 minutes after you place your order at the counter. The whole place was filled with people --- you could not even get a seat at the square itself...