24 Hours In Macau

The Sunday Age

Sunday September 7, 2008

Penny Watson

A seamless blend of Portuguese and Cantonese influences characterises Macau, one of China's special administration regions. With a dash of Las Vegas added to the mix, East meets West in the most tantalising combination.

9am

Put aside any notion of eggs and bacon: this is congee territory, the Chinese breakfast staple that looks something akin to porridge and tastes well, something akin to porridge - unless you're in Macau where Wong Chi Kei, a three-tiered restaurant with a feint whiff of the colonial era, serves up creamy bowls of a must-try local favourite, water-crab congee. Juicy orange crab claws are drowned in a soupy sea of congee tweaked by shallots bobbing on top. The house speciality, egg noodles with dried shrimp roe, is also worth dipping your chopsticks into.

Wong Chi Kei, Travessa de Cinco de Outubro, 51, Senado Square, Macau Peninsula; tel:+8532892 2271

10.30am

Flick the dried noodles from the front of your Hawaiian shirt and step from the restaurant straight into Largo do Senado, the heart of Macau Peninsula. This square, which reflects Macau's colonial period, is laid in waves of black and white stones and surrounded by the kind of architecture that makes you feel as if you've closed your eyes, clicked your heels and landed in Europe. Pop inside the Loyal Senate Building, erected in 1784, for a glimpse of its neo-Classical design and distinctive blue-and-white Portuguese ceramic tiles reminiscent of Lisbon's architectural facades. Also note the grandiose Central Post Office and beautiful Baroque Santa Casa da Misericordia.

11am

From Senado Square turn up Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro, a road connecting Praia Grande with Inner Harbour. Traverse the length of this thoroughfare (known as San Ma Lo to locals) for a taste of Macau both old and new. Brand spanking new buildings and colonial structures keep company with intricate mosaic pavements and old Chinese shophouses selling elaborate gold jewellery and gaudy clothing.

Noon

Parallel to this street lies Rua de Felicidade or Happiness Street, its name being a nod to its history as Macau's red-light district. Browse shops specialising in dried fish, meats and the famed Macanese baked cakes. While you dodge fruit stalls jostling for room on the footpath, don't walk past the old Tak Seng pawnshop where, on the second floor, there's a traditional tea house. Sit down and be treated to the rituals of an authentic Chinese tea ceremony.

Water Teahouse, 2/F, 390-396 Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro, Macau Peninsula; tel:+853921 811; culturalclub.net

1pm

Meander north to one of Macau's famed remnants of Christianity, the Ruins of StPaul's Cathedral. The hilltop stone steps and huge facade carved with oversized biblical motifs are all that remains of the 17th-century Jesuit church. A fire roared through its interior in 1875. The sun shining godlike through the windows of the facade is one of Macau's favourite brochure photos. The city is also worth ogling from here.

2pm

If you've walked up an appetite it's time to sample Macau's other great cuisine, Portuguese with a twist. Retrace your footsteps to this morning's territory. Fat Siu Lau has been given a makeover, but it's actually the oldest restaurant in town (circa 1903) with recipes to show for it. Marinated roast pigeon and spicy African chicken are the house specialities. Something a little less conspicuous is Restaurant Escada, set in a colonial terrace house the balcony of which provides the perfect place to taste-test calde verde (green soup), bacalhau (North Sea cod) and Portuguese steak.

Fat Siu Lau, Rua da Felicidade, 64; tel:+853287 22922. Restaurant Escada, Rua de Se, 8; tel: +853 2896 6900

3.30pm

Jump into a taxi to A-Ma Temple, where the first clues to civilisation on Macau can be traced. It is said that during the Ming Dynasty, in the 15th century, fishermen built the temple to pray for safety on the sea. On feast days, locals pay homage to A-Ma, the goddess of seafarers, and the aroma of thick incense sticks being burnt in the temple reaches far and wide.

4.30pm

Next stop is serene Coloane Island, one of the few places barely touched by Macau's modernisation. The narrow streets, pathways, shops and houses of the main village are centred on Eduardo Marques Square, a laidback little nook encircled by restaurants with the quaint Chapel of StFrancis Xavier at one end. From here, a pretty waterfront promenade is a pleasant walk through the local communities. Lucky folk might chance upon a Chinese opera show, performed here in huge makeshift, bamboo-scaffolding marquees.

6pm

Hit Hac Sa Beach for a sunset walk. On the east coast of Coloane, this popular beach has fine black sand coloured by rich seabed minerals. It is also home to Macau's most famous restaurant, Fernando's, a no-fuss, no-reservations venue that promises suckling pig like no other.

Fernando's, Beach of Hac Sa, 9, Coloane; tel:+853 328 264

8pm

Now. Perhaps the moment you've all been waiting for. Macau's fast-track modernisation has arrived in the form of outlandish casinos, some with even more razzle-dazzle than their Las Vegas counterparts. Board a gondola at the Venetian, for a cruise through life-sized replicas of Venice's most treasured architecture, or take a stroll along Fisherman's Wharf, a theme park of different seaports throughout the world. Despite the tacky casino approach, it would be remiss not to partake in at least one game of roulette. But just remember, with a big enough bank account you might not notice when it's almost time for another bowl of congee. -- Penny Watson

© 2008 The Sunday Age

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