Macao: Day 3
November 8, 2018
On our final day, we started off with a cup of tea at Long Wa restaurant. I loved the moody light streaming in from the windows and the restaurant itself could have been a movie set.
We stopped by Mandarin’s House, a historical residential complex. The sounds of kids marching and laughing echoed off the stone walls. Beyond the famous circular arch lies a garden as well as the living quarters.
For lunch, we dined at Aji at MGM Macau, the latest casino on the Cotai strip, built just a few months ago. The restaurant specializes in Nikkei cuisine: bold flavors of Peruvian flavors merged with Japanese culinary heritage.
Every dish we had embodied these principles with unique flavor pairings complemented by elegant plating and aesthetics.
Ceviche with lime is already delicious. But adding soy and ginger elevates it to another level. Both the wagyu nigiri and 50 hour sous vide short rib melted on the tongue. Perfect execution on texture and restrained seasoning
After the MGM, we stopped by the Wynn Palace for a tour. We were shown regular guest rooms and compared to the nicer, bigger suites. We were also led to their steakhouse on site and ended the tour with the Skycab experience where we were transferred safely to the ground by our vehicle. Amazing views and hospitality by the Wynn staff.
After some downtime, we headed back to Coloane Village to enjoy our last dinner in Macao at Nga Tim. Live shrimp was brought out in front of us. The shrimp were getting drunk off of sake and were suddenly picked up by a jovial older man who cooked it for us in 90 seconds and began serenading nearby tables. Apparently, he’s very popular among locals and pretty runs that village. While he was singing in his best karaoke voice, we noshed on fried fish, shrimp, pan-fried noodles, calamari. It felt good eating outside with the locals to get that sense of authenticity and community. In terms of ambiance, probably my favorite meal of the trip.
After our raucous meal, we decided to drive all the way up the hill to get a glimpse of the landscape below. Surreal moment in the dark, looking at the blinking neon and thinking about all the sights we have seen and food we have eaten.
Thank you again Macao Tourism Board for inviting me on this amazing journey and Hong Kong Airlines for sponsoring our travel. Even though we covered some good ground in 3 days, it was just the tip of the iceberg. I hope to visit that part of your world again soon!
