A Chi might be one of Macao’s best-kept culinary secrets.
The ramen restaurant – whose full name is as much of a mouthful as its soup: Estabelecimento de Comidas (Sopas de Fitas) A Chi – is tucked away on Travessa da Dorna, in the shadows of the Ruins of St Paul’s.
Apart from portraits of Che Guevara, Marilyn Munroe and Elvis Presley in the dining shack, A Chi lacks almost all frills. It’s also tiny, with just four metal tables flanked by plastic stools.
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Even after adding a dining shack across the plaza, A Chi is compact.
Looks can be deceiving, though. While A Chi’s premises are humble, its exquisitely plated ramen dishes have made it a landmark on the local dining scene, satisfying hungry customers for almost 30 years.
It does that with ingredients normally reserved for fine dining. Meaty red lobsters, crab roe and mantis shrimp are artfully layered in glossy black bowls. The plating reaches its apex with the abalone starter: four plump mollusks crowned with roe, nestled into mint-lined spoons and served atop billowing dry ice.
A Chi’s prices are more in line with its modest design than food. The standard seafood ramen is a bargain at 45 patacas while the signature ‘half-lobster’ option goes for 20 patacas more.
But for many customers, the mother-son team that runs A Chi is yet another drawcard. Chio Chi Ngong, 49, and his 80-year-old mum are a riot, often joking with one another as they dash between tables.
Between the mouthwatering food, modest prices and family-run energy, A Chi is the kind of restaurant that is in short supply everywhere these days – a labour of love that gives local communities their special character.
Turning the wheel to a new adventure
Ramen was far from Chio’s mind when he purchased the property in 1994. “I just wanted to park my motorcycles there,” says Chio, a self-professed motorhead.
His mother objected to the idea of ‘wasting’ such prime real estate on his bikes. She urged Chio to open up an eatery with her – Chio was a professional cook who had worked in hotel kitchens; it was a logical next step in his career.
But when they opened A Chi, they became just another noodle shop. Ramen wasn’t on the menu then. “We sold wonton and beef brisket noodles” – two of Macao’s most common food items, says Chio.
To stand out from the crowd, Chio channelled his professional experience and came up with a lo-mein dish featuring his own XO sauce (the spicy seafood condiment that originated in Hong Kong).
It was a hit.
As the crowds came in, Chio kept exploring ways to expand his culinary repertoire. A fan of Japanese noodle soups, he decided to experiment with ramen – a dish he knew was popular with students in Macao.
Chio went on a ramen research trip to Japan to perfect his recipe. What he took away from the experience was that he should do something different.
Instead of staying true to tradition, he opted to make a unique broth infused with Chinese herbs. On top of seafood, A Chi also serves ramen with Brazilian beef brisket, pork ribs and pork jowl.
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While it may have been a risk, A Chi’s many loyal customers have validated Chio’s decision to buck noodle norms.
Alongside its regulars, A Chi enjoys official support from the Macao Government Tourism Office’s Distinctive Shops Programme. It also welcomes the occasional influencer, which leads to a tidal wave of attention every time someone posts about the shop.
From side hustle to sole focus
It’s perhaps ironic that Chio only part-timed at his own restaurant for two decades.
By day, he plied his trade at some of Macao’s swankiest restaurants, where he learned the artful plating techniques he employs at A Chi today. By night, he prepped ingredients for his mum to use the next day. He didn’t work at his own venue full-time until 2013, when he quit his day job and joined A Chi to ease his ageing mother’s workload.
Chio doesn’t intend to work as long as she has, though. He says long days in the kitchen have already taken a toll on his body. Rather, he aims to retire by the time he turns 60.
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Since neither of Chio’s two grown-up children want to take over the business, the clock might be ticking on A Chi. His kids have even told him to revert to his original plan and turn the space into a motorbike garage.
Until then, diners in Macao can queue up for plump lobster ramen and buttery roe-topped abalone washed down with homemade pear- and fig-infused herbal teas. And with a decade on the clock before Chio hangs up his apron, there’s plenty of time to return for seconds.
