The St. Regis Macao’s The Manor restaurant is offering a fresh take on upscale dining by creating a more inviting and relaxed atmosphere with hearty, diverse and sustainable Mediterranean dishes meant for family-style sharing.
Executive Sous Chef Michele Dell’Aquila has meticulously prepared this summer-inspired menu in collaboration with sustainable farmers from France and the Mediterranean. Born and raised on Italy’s Southern Adriatic Coast, Chef Michele was brought up with the concept of using seasonal ingredients. During the Mediterranean summer, seafood like octopus and squid, and vegetables such as tomatoes and eggplants, are used in many local dishes, and these delightful regional flavours are now being celebrated in his new menu.
The Mediterranean encompasses a diverse range of countries from Southern Europe, the Middle East to North Africa. Each country’s cuisine is closely influenced by that of its neighbours for Chef Michele, the key inspirations are Southern Italian, Greek, North African and, of course, those of Macao. Simple yet quintessential ingredients of Mediterranean cuisine such as olive oil, lemons, tomatoes, garlic, celery, black olives, capers and anchovies feature throughout The Manor’s new menu.
Greek origins
Among the mezze and appetisers, the signature Greek-style grilled octopus is sourced from the Mediterranean sea and the southern parts of Spain. Chef Michele’s cooking style has considerable Greek influences since the region he is from was formally a Greek colony. This dish pairs exquisitely with the Mare Nostrum martini. Made with vodka, oyster, squid ink, elderflower liquor, Italicus liquor, yuzu, and rosé granita, this is a cocktail truly inspired by the Mediterranean sea.
Other stars are piri-piri prawns made with garlic, olive oil and piri-piri sauce and the scallop à bulhão pato, sauteed with fragrant garlic and coriander, both of which are subtle nods to Macao’s multicultural cuisine.
Olive oil really shines in the appetisers, used lavishly in dishes like the Greek salad. Chef Michele alternates between Greek and Italian olive oil depending on the type of dish he is creating. The best olive oil, says Chef Michele, is slightly spicy and bitter. “Olive oil is like wine. If you taste different types of it, you will taste the difference”.
Classics with a twist
When it comes to main courses, Chef Michele has curated a generous selection of Mediterranean classics with personal twists, many of which are unlikely to be found elsewhere in Macao. One of the highlights are the Greek chicken souvlaki skewers. Grilled with charred pineapple, piri-piri sauce and cherry tomato, they are a fusion between southern Italian, Greek and Portuguese influences. They pair delightfully with the Santorini Espresso Dream mocktail, which is made with Italian illy coffee and peach syrup.
Served with golden raisins, grilled eggplant and pickled pearl onions over couscous, the Moroccan style lamb shank tagine is tender, flavourful and full of North African spices. The Turkish baked cod, made with piquillo pepper sauce, capers, chorizo and cherry tomato, is a dish that will strike a chord with those who already enjoy cod in Portuguese cuisine.
For those on a vegan and vegetarian diet, Chef Michele highly recommends the roasted eggplant. Summer is the best season for eggplants, which The Manor sources from Spain, the south of Italy and the south of France. The dish is served with other seasonal and complementary Mediterranean vegetables and fruits, such as roasted red bell peppers, orange, olives and capers. Enjoy with beluga lentil soup, a classic comfort food sweetened with Japanese kabocha pumpkin which becomes “very soft and sweet” when cooked.
Finally, the mouthwatering spaghetti chitarra verrigni is a must-try for seafood lovers. This pasta dish is native to the coastal region of Apulia where live sea urchins can be found in abundance. Chef Michele’s version is made with sweet sea urchin sauce, tender crab meat and salty tuna bottarga –salted, air-dried tuna roe famous in Sicily. This dish strikes a delicate balance between sweet and saltiness and carries the rich flavour of the Mediterranean sea with every mouthful. To feel even more like a Sicilian, enjoy this with the Provençal Frost cocktail made with homemade rosé granita, a shaved ice dessert native to Sicily.
Sweet goodbyes
Round off the meal with quintessential desserts like lemon mousse and gelato, but for those who want to try something new, the signature banana and chocolate is highly recommended.
Chef Michele describes this cinnamon-sprinkled North African dessert as “a deep-fried spring roll” which is served with Greek mastic ice-cream, an ice-cream made from mastic tree resin and known for its stretchy and sticky texture. This pairs beautifully with the Mediterranean Mist mocktail, a refreshing cocktail made with cucumber, lemon, jasmine tea, pandan syrup and elderflower tonic water.
