Macau on a Plate: The Metropolis’s Finest Chinese language Eating places

Although a mere speck on the map, our neighbour across the Pearl River estuary offers some of the best Chinese cuisine in the country. Here are 11 of our favourite restaurants in the city.

Jade Dragon

Possibly the most famous Chinese restaurant in Macau, Jade Dragon needs little introduction. With three Michelin stars and Black Pearl Diamonds, and the same number of consecutive years on Asia’s 50 Best list, its executive chef, Kelvin Au Yeung, has become an industry stalwart, exhibiting an encyclopaedic knowledge of Cantonese cuisine as well as a mastery of traditional Chinese cooking techniques. From organic meats sourced from around the world to fresh seafood flown direct from France and Japan, and herbs picked from organic farms in England, Au Yeung spares no expense in creating premium dining experiences for discerning gastronomes. Its tasting menu currently features dishes such as the signature deep-fried Gillardeau oyster, tossed baby cucumber and jelly fish with aged balsamic vinegar, and crispy suckling pig with caviar as appetisers; double-boiled cordyceps soup with sea conch; stir-fried spotted garoupa fillet with La Seine mullet roe; pan-fried fish maw filled with prawn paste in abalone sauce; roasted chicken roll filled with black truffle, shrimp and pork paste with braised Nepal rock rice; and chilled mango sago with coconut milk.

Lai Heen

There’s no shortage of fine-dining restaurants in Asia’s gambling capital, but if you’re really looking to impress, you can’t fail at Cantonese restaurant Lai Heen, perched atop a skyscraping hotel. Situated on the 51st floor of The Ritz-Carlton, Macau, Lai Heen is officially the city’s highest Chinese restaurant, with stunning 360-degree views, as well as being one of the best – in a nod to its superior culinary craftsmanship and high standards of service, it bagged a Michelin star in 2021. In addition to the glitzy and glamorous main dining area, the luxurious restaurant also features a cigar lounge and five elegant private dining rooms perfect for intimate celebrations. Under Chinese executive chef Jackie Ho Hong-sing, signature dishes include pan-seared superior bird’s nest with crab meat, deep-fried Chilean sea-bass fillet with crispy garlic, and stewed prawns with port wine sauce in casserole.

Yí

On the 21st floor of Morpheus in the City of Dreams, Yí is a contemporary Chinese fine-dining restaurant helmed by Hong Kong-born chef Angelo Tsan. More than 20 years of culinary experience has given Tsan a deep knowledge and mastery of regional ingredients and the vast spectrum of Chinese flavours, so it’s no surprise his restaurant has attained a Black Pearl one-Diamond rating – and as he also emphasises fresh seasonal ingredients, the menu at Yí
is updated 12 times a year. Among the recent menu highlights were: oven-roasted lemongrass pigeon; wok-braised yellow croaker with fish maw; fried tilefish with egg whites and crab coral; and crispy suckling pig rolls with braised rock rice with truffle.

Chef Tam’s Seasons

After leading Jade Dragon, when it achieved two Michelin stars and became the only Macau restaurant listed on Asia’s 50 Best, Tam Kwok Fung moved to Wynn Palace’s Wing Lei Palace, where he won the Black Pearl guide’s two-Diamond rating, elevated the establishment to the ranks of Asia’s 50 Best in 2023 and was named Black Pearl’s Chef of the Year. With this success, his employers offered him an opportunity to create something he could truly call his own. The result is Chef Tam’s Seasons, which is inspired by the 24 solar terms of the Chinese calendar. Here, Tam focuses on sourcing only the most seasonal ingredients and changes his menu frequently – giving diners a good reason to return often. Standout dishes at the time we visited included double-boiled pork shank with conch, American ginseng and dendrobium; steamed free-range chicken with scallion oil; barbecued pork belly glazed with honey; baked baby pigeon with sand ginger and salt; baked stuffed crab shell; baked chicken puffs with spring onion; and crispy walnut custard.

Feng Wei Ju

StarWorld Hotel’s Feng Wei Ju is a go-to for Sichuan and Hunan cuisines, which may seem superficially similar, but presented on the menu are local ingredients and a complexity of flavours that should help any newcomer draw distinctions between the two regions. As it’s helmed by executive chef Chan Chek Keong, a 25-year veteran of the culinary arts, you know you’re in for a treat at this two-Michelin-star restaurant decked out in festive colours of red and gold. Although sticking with typical Chinese cuisine, Chan employs innovative and unique cooking techniques to create different and exciting dishes. With his subtle yet creative touches, he introduces new ingredients while maintaining the authentic flavours of each dish. The menu offers Sichuan favourites, such as sautéed chicken with peanuts and chilli, and typical Hunanese fare like steamed carp fish head with chilli.

Imperial Court

MGM Macau’s Imperial Court is led by chef Homan Tsui, who’s accumulated more than 20 years of experience while working in restaurants in Hong Kong. His familiarity with and expertise in Cantonese cuisine are key to a restaurant that offers Lingnan cuisine with a modern twist, drawing influences from Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Hong Kong, Macau, Chaozhou and Hakka. By employing a broad range of culinary techniques, from quick stir-frying to slow stewing, to create refreshing, detail-oriented dishes, he’s helped Imperial Court gain recognition from the likes of China’s Black Pearl Restaurant Guide and the Forbes Travel Guide. The restaurant’s highlights include: crispy fried chicken skin with shrimp mousse with salted fish flakes; braised partridge porridge with bird’s nest and Yunnan ham; tossed handmade shrimp-roe egg noodles with shredded sea cucumber, barbecued pork, ginger and spring onion; wok-fried French blue lobster with minced pork, black bean and garlic; steamed pork dumpling with fish maw; and baked butterfly puffs with lava mango.

The 8

The only Chinese restaurant in Macau awarded three Michelin stars for 10 consecutive years, The 8 is a landmark on Macau’s dining scene. Specialising in Cantonese and Huaiyang cuisine, it infuses the number into its interiors by way of figure-of-eight decor and walls of silk goldfish. Hidden inside the majestic Grand Lisboa Hotel, it’s reached via a hidden corridor that features relaxing water curtains and virtual swimming fish. Of course, the lucky number eight is especially popular in a city replete with casinos – and it equally works its magic here, because whether by luck, pure talent or perhaps a bit of both, the result is ultimately one of Macau’s most loved Cantonese dining destinations. The 8 serves up 40 varieties of dim sum and specialities that include suckling pig with glutinous rice and honey-glazed barbecue pork, meticulously prepared by executive chef Joseph Tse and his team. The restaurant also shares a phenomenal wine cellar with more than 17,800 labels, so you might even transition from lunch to dinner without even noticing it.

The Huaiyang Garden

Earning a Michelin star shortly after opening, The Huaiyang Garden at The Londoner Macao is a perfect demonstration of one of China’s four great culinary traditions. That’s surely because the hotel recruited master chef Zhou Xiaoyan – often referred to as the “Godfather of Huaiyang Cuisine” – to helm its kitchen, who brought with him more than four decades of experience. Zhou’s use of innovative contemporary techniques to refine an otherwise distinctly traditional cuisine makes a visit to his restaurant a delightful addition to any Macau itinerary. Highly recommended are the stewed meatballs with crab roe in superior soup; steamed Hilsa herring with 20-year-old Huadiao wine; shredded bean curd with crab meat and egg white in superior soup; braised Hokkaido sea cucumber with shrimp roe; and baked rice with eel and yellow chives.

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Palace Garden

If you’re looking for Cantonese elegance in the heart of Macau, Palace Garden’s opulent dining space and evocative aesthetics are sure to transport you to another world. Located in the Grand Lisboa Palace and designed by Alan Chan, the venue is a stunning tribute to the 18th-century Chinoiserie style that thrived as trade increased between Europe and Asia. The restaurant’s picturesque setting celebrates the splendour of an imperial garden, making it a feast for the senses in more ways than one. Complete with traditional Suzhou embroidery showcased in a 35-metre-long mural of chrysanthemums and an installation of custom-made embroidery fans, it’s an extraordinary combination of colours, culture and craftsmanship in one stunning setting. Once inside, the restaurant also features five individually themed private dining rooms and the Li Bai Bar, where you can enjoy an immersive experience by artist Yang Yong Liang. Fortunately, the restaurant’s dishes are just as memorable as the surroundings: executive chef Ken Chong oversees a refined menu of Cantonese haute cuisine, serving authentic recipes alongside modern reinterpretations of dishes once prepared exclusively for Qing emperors. Must-try dishes include the premium partridge bisque and Crystal King tiger prawns.

Zi Yat Heen

Restaurants come and go, but classics survive time. One of these Macanese dining legends is the much-loved Zi Yat Heen. Since its opening with the Four Seasons Hotel Macau in August 2008, the restaurant has been the culinary jewel in the crown not only of the hotel, but also the city, so much so that it’s held on to a Michelin-star since 2009. The secret? Using only the finest ingredients in age-old recipes and following traditional meticulous techniques, Zi Yat Heen captures the essence of traditional Cantonese cuisine. Its chef champions a cooking style with reduced amounts of seasoning, allowing you to experience the true flavours of the first-rate ingredients. Menu recommendations include stir-fried fish maw, barbecued pork, crab meat with egg and egg-white milk custard with sweetened mashed taro. The spacious, elegant yet intimate restaurant also boasts a glass-clad wine cellar at its centre, so be sure to hang around for a glass or two.

Five Foot Road

Across the water at MGM Cotai, chef Yang Dengquan celebrates the diverse flavours of Sichuan cuisine at Five Foot Road by drawing on almost four decades of experience in Asia’s first Unesco City of Gastronomy, Chengdu. Complementing the restaurant’s name, which refers to the width of the cart track along the Silk Road, is an interior rich with traditional Chinese landscape paintings, calligraphy, poetry and ornaments. In 2023, Five Foot Road was also awarded its first Michelin star, a testament to Yang’s efforts in bringing out the authentic flavours of Sichuan cuisine. While the word “spicy” often comes to mind when talking about Sichuanese food, the region offers far more than that. Five Foot Road’s menu includes stewed bird’s nest with minced chicken and egg white in bouillon; marinated fresh abalone with homemade chili sauce in Sichuan style; crispy mullet carpaccio with Sichuan peppercorn sauce; Dan Dan noodles with minced pork and soya bean sauce; poached Chinese cabbage in bouillon; and stewed white duck with matsutake mushroom, ginger, ham and seasonal vegetables.