Savor the Flavors of Macau: A Glimpse into Local Life (Part 2)

The "Sugar-Stealing" Tan Family Cuisine

Liu Guozhu, the executive Chinese cuisine chef who spent over 40 years as head chef at Beijing Hotel and Beijing Grand Hotel, arrived at Wynn Macau with his seven disciples to take charge of “Jing Hua Xuan,” which serves primarily Tan Family Cuisine. Blending elements of Cantonese, Shandong, and Sichuan cuisines, Tan Family Cuisine is a refined official’s private cuisine originally created by Tan Zongjun, a Qing Dynasty scholar-official. When he served as an official in Beijing, he specialized in Shandong cuisine, and after being exiled to Sichuan, he further incorporated the essence of Sichuan cuisine into his cooking. Tan Family Cuisine emphasizes high-quality ingredients and labor-intensive, time-consuming cooking techniques. In the past, it could only be found at banquets hosted by high-ranking officials and was not available to the general public. Chef Liu says that it wasn’t until 1958, when Beijing Hotel added Tan Family Cuisine to its menu — eventually becoming state banquet fare served to many presidents — that the general public got a chance to try it.

Another key technique is using oil to rehydrate the fish maw. Fish maw, also known as fish bladder or commonly called fish collagen, is referred to as “flower glue.” Chef Liu explained that for one catty of four-head flower glue — four pieces weighing a total of 16 taels — the rehydration process takes about 35 minutes. First, the fish maw is soaked in warm oil until softened, then transferred to hot oil, where it immediately “puffs up.” “This method of rehydrating the fish maw makes it soft with lots of air pockets inside, so when cooked, plenty of broth can seep in.” But controlling the heat is tricky — if the oil is too hot, the surface can easily burn.

Once the fish maw is fully rehydrated, it is blanched in boiling water and seasoned with scallions, ginger, and Shaoxing wine to remove any fishy smell and the taste from the oil rehydration. Then it is simmered in a light broth with more scallions, ginger, and Shaoxing wine to further eliminate any unwanted flavors. The broth is discarded, and the fish maw is squeezed dry — by this point, it has already started to emit a fragrant aroma, “with a hint of chicken soup flavor.” The final step is simmering the fish maw in milk broth over low heat until it becomes soft, tender, aromatic, and melt-in-your-mouth.

[INFO]

Address: Wynn Macau, Estrada Sir Andrée Ricou, Outer Harbour Reclamation Area, Macau

The Quirky Dishes of Fatty Hero

In the evening, we visited a hotpot restaurant packed with locals, “Sun Yee Food.” Even before sitting down, we were amused by the menu on the walls. For example, one sign read, “Order your chicken with confidence, we cook it with heart” — promoting their scallion oil chicken, garlic chicken, and pepper chicken. Or other dishes with completely baffling names like “A Lifetime of Daughter Debt, Half a Lifetime of Wife Servitude,” “Wow, Hero Pot,” and “Loving You More Each Day.”

Here, every pot of soup is packed with ingredients. Take “Bone Pot Tribe,” made with pork cartilage and pig trotter bones — the broth is naturally rich and thick, with a soy-milk-like milky white color that’s irresistible. Scoop down, and you’ll find cloud ear fungus, tofu skin, corn… all temptingly steaming. You can even suck the marrow out of the big bones.

Aside from dishes ready to eat upon serving, there’s also a pot of shrimp marinated in Shaoxing wine. With their long blue legs and translucent bodies, the busy staff instructed us to let the shrimp sit in the pot for a while, promising they’d come back to open it later. Soon after, the server brought over an iron pot lined with sizzling hot rocks, poured in the shrimp, coarse salt, and Shaoxing wine — and a burst of steam shot out. After covering the lid for about ten minutes and lifting it, the perfectly cooked red shrimp had firm, tender meat, and you might accidentally bite into some coarse salt. No extra seasoning is needed — it’s flavorful enough on its own.

 

[INFO]

Address: Opposite Saint Paul’s School, Rua da Colina, Areia Preta, Macau

From morning till nightfall, the lives of Macau residents are inseparable from food. As long as you know how to appreciate local flavors, hidden gems await in every street and alley — no Michelin stars needed, just the knowledge of the locals. Next time you’re in Macau, embark on a classic street food journey. You’re sure to see this little island in a whole new light.