Restaurant Guide
Michael Taylor jetfoils his way from Hong Kong to Macau to check out a newly opened restaurant serving contemporary Spanish cuisine. Yesterday he talked about the venue. Today he talks about the food.
I read a rating of the world’s Top 50 Restaurants recently, and three countries dominated the list: France, the United States, and Spain – but not in that order.
Spain really has become a culinary superstar in recent years, so your expectations when you dine at a Spanish restaurant tend to be a bit high.
And so were mine when I traveled from Hong Kong to Macau to dine at Casa de Tapas, a recently opened Spanish restaurant, which is located in a beautifully renovated home in Taipa Village.
Yummy Starters
The starters were yummy – and innovatively presented. I particlarly liked the gazpacho, a robust tomato concoction served chilled after the Spanish tradition. It was the perfect anecdote to our exploration of Taipa Village on a sultry summer’s eve.
We had forgotten to write down the address, you see. We didn’t think it was necessary. We figured that Taipa Village was such a small place that we wouldn’t have any problem finding the new eatery. But we did.
Not to worry. The place must be gaining reputation. The staff at a Starbuck’s in the village had never heard of it (at least not our English description of it), but a couple of customers had, and they pointed us in the right direction.
So by the time we arrived, we were a bit hot and bothered. So that yummy cool soup – one of our first courses – really hit the spot. As did that shot glass full of Spanish sangria.
We had several courses, and a few stood out. Not surprisingly, the traditional Spanish paella rice was a winner. The sucking pig was also velvety, nuanced, and perfectly seasoned.
I wasn’t impressed, however, with the garlic tiger prawns. I’ve had better tiger prawns at countless Chinese and Thai restaurants in Macau and elsewhere.
Lamb Skews
My hands down favourite? The lamb skews. Oh, YUM! The marinated lamb sirloin brochette was served with this crunchy potato crunch together with a mouth-watering sweet onion confit.
I tried to eat them slowly – so that I could enjoy them longer!
OMG! I can still taste them!
I’d make the three hour journey from my home in Hong Kong’s Northern New Territories to Taipa just to sink my teeth into those suckling morsels again (and especially in such elegant surroundings).
Casa de Tapas is located in Taipa Village at 9 Rua de Clerigos, Taipa, Macau. Telephone: (853) 2857-6626.
For More on Casa de Tapas
Macau: Loving Restoration Turns Crumbling Edifice into Stylish Eatery