Macau is all glamour and glitz, isn’t it? Frankly speaking, if you only know the city for its mega-casinos, then you’re missing out. Take a trip through the historic Taipa Village, as old-school as it gets with its winding back alleys and quaint townhouses. There’s a new dining star in this colonial haven – Casa de Tapas, a contemporary Spanish restaurant in a historic Portuguese shophouse, with a first-floor bar, second-floor tapas eatery and intimate top-floor with terrace. It’s very romantic, with artistic touches, music and a rustic Macanese feel (tip: book ahead if you want to enjoy the balcony). And the food suits perfectly; the Spanish team cooks up authentic tapas recipes with innovative twists.
We start with the asparagus and orange salad ($90), where white-boiled and fresh asparagus are intertwined over the orange segments, with Manchego cheese creating the perfect complement. For tapas, we choose the ‘first extraction’ olive oil-stuffed squid ($75), which is sliced in half, slightly chewy and full of flavour, and the lamb skewers ($85) – juicy sirloin chunks with crunchy potatoes and a sweet onion confit. For the main, we devour the signature suckling pig with sautéed apples ($238) and, clearly, this is the star. With crispy skin and a slight saltiness, the meat just falls from the bone into a divine gravy. To finish, the cheese, almonds and honey ($75) also shines as the Spanish cheese cold parfait arrives like a scoop of ice cream surrounded by roses, honey and almond crackers.
Casa de Tapas is set to be a highly popular spot in an area that will surely explode with similar eateries over the coming years. Forget the overhyped glitz and glamour – the future of Macanese dining is surely housed in its past. Fred Melling
Casa de Tapas, 9 Rua dos Clérigos, Taipa, Macau, +853 2857 6626; casadetapasmacau.com,
Sun-Thu 12pm-12am, Fri & Sat 12pm-1am. Dinner for two: $800.