Savor the Flavors of Macau: A Glimpse into Local Life (Part 1)

Text by TRAVELER Luxe Traveler

 

The Old-Time Flavor of a Nostalgic Teahouse

Located next to the Red Market traditional market, “Long Wah Teahouse” is the most popular old-school teahouse in Macau’s Three Lamps District. As you climb the stairs to the second floor, you’ll find it already packed with patrons. Owner Ho Ming Tak is continuously stacking steaming bamboo steamers on a metal cabinet, each filled with Cantonese dim sum such as pineapple buns, lotus paste red bean buns, chicken feet, and taro cakes. The moment they’re placed down, customers quickly pick them up, and every table is stacked high with towers of steamers.

Next to the steamer cabinet are rows of tea canisters, with red paper labels reading Yunnan Dian Hong, Anxi Fragrant Tea… After selecting your tea, the owner will scoop a handful into a teapot, pour hot water to brew it, and then serve it to your table.

While waiting, we take in the appearance of this old teahouse. Built in 1963, Long Wah Teahouse preserves the look of a 1960s Cantonese teahouse. In addition to round tables, there’s a row of open booth-style seating by the windows, similar to those in cha chaan tengs. In the corner of the second floor, there’s a large dragon-carved ceramic vat and everyday items resembling small bamboo baskets, while the walls feature landscape ink paintings and shelves lined with white porcelain vases of all sizes.

[INFO]

Address: 3 Rua do Coronel Mesquita, Macau

Phone: +853-2857-4456

Handmade Almond Cookies from a Time-Honored Shop

After a satisfying meal, we stroll into a nearby alley across from the Red Market, where two connected old bakeries, “Ching Kee Bakery,” sell handmade pastries. In its modest space of just a few square meters, buckets of almond cookies, egg rolls, lard cakes, wife cakes, and crispy biscuits are displayed. When asked how many types of pastries they offer, the owner, while sliding a baking tray into the large oven, replies: “Can’t remember, but everything is freshly baked on the same day.”

Address: Shop A, G/F, 1A Rua de Lei Ou, Macau