What adds to the appeal of Macau’s restaurants is that while quality is up there with the best Western food Taipei has to offer, prices are significantly more reasonable. This is most notable at one of Macau’s biggest ticket restaurants, Robuchon a Galera, owned by Michelin-stared chef Joel Robuchon.
Robuchon a Galera might not quite be up to the standards of Robuchon’s restaurants in New York, Paris or Monaco, but with a lunch set menu ranging from 288 to 488 Macau patacas (roughly NT$1,000 to NT$2,000) a head, it is the kind of value you could never hope for dinning at a similar establishment in France, or Taipei for that matter. A la carte runs a little higher, but you get to eat food designed by one of the world’s most highly decorated chefs. (Robuchon has the most Michelin stars of any chef in the world, with a total of 18; his nearest rivals are Alain Ducasse with 15 and Gordon Ramsay with 11.) The cellar of 2,800 wines is an additional attraction, and you are perfectly located for having a little bit of a flutter at the tables afterwards.
In Macau you will also have the chance to eat the original Lord Stow’s Bakery egg tarts, those little confections of pastry and custard that kicked off the whole egg tart craze in Taipei a few years back. Such remains the popularity of these tarts that the bakery has a dedicated takeout outlet. Tour buses stop by on the way to the airport for tourists to pick up a box or three.
Lord Stow’s Bakery also has two little cafes that serve sandwiches, savory pies and, of course, egg tarts. Lots of other places sell Macau’s signature sweet as well, but Lord Stow’s was the first, although there is plenty of room to argue which produces the best.
All this is just a drop in the bucket of the culinary cornucopia that is Macau. The city also offers a huge range of Cantonese and other Chinese regional cuisine, ranging from top-of-the-line restaurants to excellent street stalls with selections that will delight anyone who has had enough of the usual Taiwan snack foods. And then there are all the usual scenic spots, ranging from baroque churches to Chinese temples, not to mention the casinos. But for the food alone, Macau is certainly worth a visit.
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