Macao’s dining scene is becoming more diverse by the day, and you don’t have to travel far to experience the time-honoured food traditions of far-flung places like France, Japan or the UK.
In a single afternoon in Cotai, you can enjoy the satisfying crunch of British fish and chips, sweet and savoury French onion soup and the filling warmth of a heaving bowl of ramen (if you are extremely hungry, that is). For cravings closer to Macao, crispy Chongqing fried chicken and addictive Shanghainese xiao long bao should hit the spot.
Whether seeking a taste of home or trying something new, these five Sands China restaurants promise comforting flavours in every bite.
1. British: Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill
Few things are as quintessentially British as kicking back at the pub with your mates after a long day at work. For that experience in Macao, head to Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill at The Londoner.
With warm wood and vaulted red-brick ceilings, it offers an upscale pub experience with classic British comfort foods. Ramsay, a household name who’s appeared on competitive cooking shows like Hell’s Kitchen and MasterChef, grew up in Scotland and England and surely knows his pub fare.
This is the place to try the king of British comfort foods – fish and chips – made with sweet, flaky wild-caught haddock from Holland in a crispy ale batter. You also can’t go wrong with crowd-pleasers like the smoky bangers and mash (sausage with onion gravy and mashed potatoes) or the classic beef and ale pie, which has been slow-cooked for eight hours for maximum tenderness with some cheeky smoked cheddar baked into the potato crust. Let’s not forget The London Burger: it’s perennially popular thanks to its slightly sweet, tender wagyu patty and a subtle smoky flavour imparted from the Jasper charcoal oven.
Naturally, you’ll want to wash it down with one of the British beers on the menu, like a Fuller’s Black Cab Stout or an Old Speckled Hen English Pale Ale. And when it comes time for dessert, the pub’s take on sticky toffee pudding – a little lighter, a little less sweet – with crème fraîche and vanilla ice cream feels like the right way to end things.
2. French: Brasserie
Though often equated with fine dining, many classic French dishes double as comfort foods thanks to ample use of cheese, rich sauces and butter – lots of butter. This is the case at Brasserie, a lively restaurant within The Parisian.
“Our dishes are simple and flavourful – a type of food that people can relate to,” says Executive French Chef Daniel Brolese. His personal favourites? Buckwheat crêpes. Filled with oozy Emmental cheese, Parisian ham (known for its tender texture), and egg, these delicate crêpes taste just like they would on the streets of Brittany, where they originated.
Other staples include steamed mussels à la crème – served alongside a warm, freshly baked baguette – and baked escargot, featuring six Bourgogne snails doused in a decadent Parisian parsley and garlic butter sauce.
And then there’s the ultimate classic: French onion soup, starring a velvety, umami-rich beef broth brimming with onions and Comte cheese croutons. “The soup takes about six hours to make because we caramelise the onions very slowly,” says Brolese. “This is one of my favourite dishes on the menu.”
3. Shanghainese: Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao
Easily one of the most universally beloved cuisines, Shanghainese food delivers comfort through its characteristic balance of sweet and savoury sauces combined with homey techniques like brining, steaming, braising and stewing.
At The Londoner Macao, get your fix at Crystal Jade, where the xiao long bao features carefully pleated dumpling wrappers enveloping umami-packed broth. As a fun twist, the restaurant offers colourful multi-flavoured options, ranging from Chinese okra (aka angled luffa) to the rich 13-spiced lobster.
“Each dumpling must have 18-22 pleats, folded meticulously by hand,” says Crystal Jade Chef Steven Tsang. “The soup inside is enriched with Jinhua ham and chicken, making it richer than traditional versions.”
You can’t have a Shanghainese feast without pan-fried pork buns, aromatic drunken chicken and braised meatballs, he adds. “Growing up in Hong Kong, I loved dining at Shanghai restaurants,” Tsang reminisces. “Braised meatballs are a family favourite I often cook at home. This dish holds many memories and is my go-to comfort food.”
4. Japanese: Hiro by Hiroshi Kagata
Next stop? Japan! It’s not hard to find a steaming bowl of ramen in Cotai. Hiro by Hiroshi Kagata at The Venetian specialises in tonkotsu ramen, which has a creamy, deeply savoury broth made from pork bones simmered for hours, topped off with pork chashu (Japanese braised pork belly).
“We make our tonkatsu ramen by simmering fresh pork head and bones with dried scallops, shrimp and vegetables for 12 hours,” says Hiro’s acclaimed Executive Chef Hiroshi Kagata, who was born in Yonago city on the northern coast of central Japan. “We remove the excess pork fat and thicken the soup with potatoes and vegetables, so the resulting broth has a strong taste almost like a French potage soup.”
The restaurant makes its own noodles daily using a machine that produces thin, firm and slurpable strands that perfectly complement the soup. You’ll also find tori paitan ramen (made with chicken broth and chicken chashu), roast beef wagyu ramen, and awabi ramen (dried fish and kombu soup with abalone) on the menu.
“You can choose whatever suits your tastes,” says Kagata. “I love spicy tonkatsu ramen. I rarely ate spicy food in Japan, but I developed a love for spicy food while working abroad, and now it’s very comforting for me.”
5. Northern Chinese: North
Dressed up in vivid red hues and intricate lattice woodwork, North at The Venetian Macao channels the grand residences of northern China. When it comes to the food, however, it couldn’t be more down to earth.
With dishes like Chongqing fried chicken with dried chilli and peanuts and traditional Lanzhou braised beef la mian noodles, this inviting restaurant offers a range of satisfying northern staples.
“One of the most comforting dishes is our deep-fried banana with pulled sugar because that’s the food people grew up eating in Beijing,” says Chef Fung Chan, the Executive Chef of The Venetian Macao. “I also love the fried chicken. It’s crispy on the outside but tender and juicy on the inside. The batter, oil temperature and cooking time – every step is meticulous.”
Another calling card is the poached sliced fish. “The crucial part of the dish is the broth, which contains Chinese herbs like licorice and lemongrass to balance the heat of the chillies,” says Chan. “In northern China, people usually use river fish to make this dish, but we chose ocean perch because the texture is smooth and tender.”
