Bacalhau (codfish)
This is probably Macau's most famous Portuguese dish. Bacalhau is actually dried codfish slices imported from Portugal. It is an essential part of Portuguese cuisine and there are many of ways of cooking it. Before cooking, the fish slices are soaked in water for 20 hours to get rid of salt. It can then be served baked, grilled, stewed or boiled. The popular dishes made of Bacalhau include Fried Bacalhau Balls, Streamed Bacalhau with Seafood and sometimes it is served with rice. Most restaurants in the city offer this well-known dish.
Portuguese seafood rice
Portuguese seafood rice is the soupier cousin of its Spanish and Italian counterparts.
The highlight is not the succulent mussels nor the giant prawns but the comforting soupy rice stewed with a bunch of other ingredients in the tomato seafood broth.
African Chicken
This special chicken dish is a result of borrowing ideas from both the African and Indian traditions of using spices. The chicken is first seasoned with a piquant sauce made with garlic and capsicum together with Cola a Portuguese spice and then baked in the oven. The finished chicken is seasoned with the sauce again before serving. The recipe for the sauce is the secret of Chef Yang, who invented this dish.
Portuguese egg tarts
The Portuguese egg tart is one of Macau’s most famous foods. It consists of a flaky pastry shell, with a rich, sweet egg custard filling with a consistency similar to crème brulee. A caramelized top plays an integral role in the taste. It's best eaten warm. Everywhere from restaurants and hotels to street food vendors sell them.
Pork chop bun
Another well-known Macau street snack, the pork chop bun is literally a seasoned pork chop on a bun. At Tai Lei Lok Kei in Taipa, the bone-in, incredibly tender and flavorful pork chop rests in a piggy bun, which has a crunchy exterior, soft center and good chew. Simple but satisfied. In operation since 1968, this humble establishment serves the buns only in the afternoon, while stocks last. If you miss out, street food vendors around popular areas such as Ruin of St. Paul’s serve their own version.
Almond cookies and sweet pork jerky
These two items are often sold by the same vendor, and are found everywhere. The almond cookies are baked on the premises, and have a gritty texture and nutty flavor, made with mung bean flour. A slight saltiness prevents them from being too sweet. There's also a varied selection of dried meats, ranging from spicy beef to wild boar. Other snacks, such as coconut ginger candy, peanut candy and black sesame cookies are also worth trying.