Macao awoke to a delicious development this morning, as Portugal’s beloved pastel de nata (egg tart) brand Manteigaria opened its first shop in the city at 8 am sharp.
Diogo Vieira, managing director of Manteigaria in Macao and a partner in the Portugália group that operates the franchise, proudly held court all morning, greeting customers and serving shots of espresso alongside the shop’s velvety, brown-topped egg tarts.
He said that a small queue formed outside the doors early, with one customer arriving at 7:30 am so that he could be the first to experience Manteigaria in Macao.
Inside, the early-rising customers found a shop strikingly like the branches in Lisbon, Braga, Porto and Paris – albeit spread across two floors to fit within Macao’s smaller buildings.
Behind a glass window on the ground floor, bakers continuously piped custard into their flaky moulds, while another team upstairs rolled and cut dough into buttery discs.
Those dining in could perch themselves at the standing counter and savour their sweets – with a sprinkle of cinnamon on top, as is customary – with coffee or soft drinks as bakers dressed in Manteigaria’s white uniforms worked in full view. Soon, according to Vieira, customers will also be able to enjoy Portuguese ginjinha (cherry liqueur) or a glass of port wine, too.
“Everyone gets to see the production process. It’s one of the things that we are proud of. Everything is done on-site, by hand, every day,” Vieira told Macao News.
“Batches of pastries come out every half an hour. We ring a bell outside every time a new batch comes out to let people know the egg tarts are fresh and they can enjoy them hot.”
Established in 2014, Manteigaria currently has 11 branches in Portugal, plus two in Paris and another newly opened in Madrid. In Portugal, it quickly became a favourite with locals and tourists, winning praise for the buttery, crunchy casings and rich custard fillings of its tarts.
Its Macao branch has been long-awaited – and had everything gone according to plan, it could have been the first outside Portugal.
“We had talked about opening in Macao in 2018,” says Vieira. “In 2019, our master chef came from Portugal. We did tests, we did focus groups. Then Covid happened.”
Six years later, the plans have finally come to fruition, to the delight of the city’s Portuguese community.
[See more: Bites of heritage: How do Macao’s egg tarts differ from Portuguese pastéis de nata?]
“It’s been a long wait, but we finally have a proper pastel de nata,” said a Portuguese lawyer who asked not to be named. “The custard and pastry are very much like what we would have back home. I love that they provide packets of cinnamon for customers who get a box to go, because these are meant to be had with cinnamon.”
Macao’s Manteigaria has aspired to authenticity in other ways as well. Vieira said that the company’s master chef flew in from Portugal for the opening and will stay for three or four weeks to ensure the shop meets the brand’s standards. The baker who will lead the team after that has already spent months perfecting the pastel-making process in Lisbon, too.
“It’s important for the people to understand that this is really Portuguese, and we want to keep the authenticity,” Vieira explained.
“The Macao egg tart looks similar to our pastel de nata, but the flavour and texture are completely different. Macao’s is more eggy, with a texture like pudding. Ours is creamier with less egg flavour,” he continued, before adding:
“Of course, both versions are good.”
