The Las Vegas of Asia, Macau is not known just for its lights, sounds and opulent casino hotels.
Since being designated “Creative City of Gastronomy” by Unesco in 2017, the country is home to a number of internationally renowned chefs and some of the world’s finest, most imaginative restaurants. Guru By Bangkok Post takes you on a tour of some of the best there is.
Broth by André Chiang
André Chiang is no stranger to Asia, nor Macau. The celebrated Taiwanese chef is well-known for his restaurants in Taipei and Sichuan Moon at Wynn Palace Macau, which closed its doors in July last year.
Named Wynn Macau’s Culinary Ambassador, chef Chiang opened Broth by André Chiang at Wynn Macau in May, to offer a personalised hot pot experience like never before. “This year, we have a lot of new concepts and renovations going on at the Wynn, which is super exciting. I guess we're all thinking what will be a better service or a better concept to provide to all the Macau and international markets.
“This broth concept started many years ago. We’ve had that secret version of hotpot since we started Sichuan Moon in 2019, which was served in our private rooms and for our special guests. More and more people used to talk about it and people really enjoyed it. Due to word of mouth, it has become our secret back alley speciality. That was when we came up with the idea of doing a hotpot concept.
“Broth at Mizumi at Wynn Macau is the only fine-dining hotpot and it’s very straightforward, especially for Asian dining. Though people focus on ingredients when it comes to hotpot, at Broth premium ingredients are just the basics. We wanted to put the focus on the broth; that’s on what we spent most of our time on, developing the broth.”
Offering eight signature Asian-inspired broths, chef Chiang begins with a bone broth that is the foundation of all the broths.
• The Sauerkraut or gao-liang sour cabbage broth of chef Chiang’s favourites, rides on the Taiwanese tradition of pairing Kinmen kaoliang, a clear, fragrant spirit distilled from sorghum on the Kinmen Islands, with sour cabbage and pork bone broth. Chef Chiang recreates his hometown’s signature with the addition of the spirit into a comforting broth showcasing refreshing lacto-fermented cabbage and the lingering aroma of the grain spirit.
• Sichuan or green peppers and pickled chilli broth, my favourite, is perhaps the star of the show, especially if you’re going to dip seafood in it. Inspired by the chef’s family recipe that mirrors a traditional Taiwanese recipe of “skinned chilli pepper chicken broth”, his new creation will showcase the taste of the Taiwanese original, crafted with a kombu and black-bone chicken broth accented with green Sichuan peppercorns.
• Suki or black truffle sukiyaki is a French execution of the traditional Japanese sukiyaki broth, where the addition of Echiré butter into the beef broth simmers into a savoury fusion accented with French truffle-laced Perigord sauce. • Taiwan traditional satay broth is an homage to chef Chiang’s Taiwanese roots. Following the satay prototype from Fujian, the broth is flavoured with Tianjin preserved vegetables (a type of pickled bok choy from Tianjin, China), dried pomfret, dried squid, dried shrimps and dried oysters. It is a fusion of satay broth taste profiles from Taiwan, Shantou and Southeast Asia. • Ma La is the house-made Sichuan mala broth that takes the best from Sichuan numb and spicy sensations and the earthy comfort from Taiwanese mala broth. Due to the bone marrow and 18 varieties of spices, the broth is high on complexity. • Hokkaido, a mix of Hokkaido miso and milk broth, mirrors the Japanese traditional soy milk broth. • Laksa mimics the popular Southeast Asian curry broth of a flavourful Penang curry.
• Herbal, which has figs and mushroom, is a vegetarian-based fusion inspired by Chinese traditional herbal medicines.
Apart from the broths, chef Chiang also focuses on is the dining experience. “It’s slightly different from the hotpot we know. Along with the high quality ingredients, like Kagoshima Wagyu, Mangalica pork, Welsh baby lamb, Japanese vegetables and all the seafood from local seas and abroad.
“The main thing about hotpot at Broth is the ability to able to get a tasting of each broth so diners can choose one that appeals most to them. We would like to use the soup as the sauce, which is so flavourful that diners won’t need any extra dips, and that’s different from what’s already in the market. During the meal, we prepare a shabu section for the meat, done tableside. This is the second soup experience, the first being the one that the diner chooses.
“The third soup experience will be the starch session at the end of the meal. Normally, when we eat hotpot we put the kanji or the gudong or the noodles into the pot. I don’t think that is an elegant way to finish a meal like this. We want a clean soup that is just a good hot soup to finish the meal. At the starch session, we will use a Japanese dashi broth for the gudong,” explains chef Chiang. Broth by André Chiang take the traditions of hotpot to new boiling points.
Chef Tam’s Seasons
Having opened its doors in October 2023, Chef Tam's Seasons, has gained many accolades. Awarded “The Best Restaurant in Macau,” chef Tam Kwok Fung’s conceptual restaurant is inspired by the 24 solar terms of traditional Chinese wisdom that govern minute changes in temperature and humidity.
Known for menu changes every two weeks, Chef Tam’s Seasons at Wynn Palace Cotai celebrates Cantonese cuisine through the marriage seasonal ingredients and finely balanced flavour profiles. “I am true to Cantonese traditional cooking techniques, keeping an open mind. I can describe my cooking as Cantonese spoken in an intentional language,” says chef Tam. At the restaurant, he revitalises Cantonese cuisine by matching global ingredients with contemporary culinary techniques, which earned him the distinction of becoming the first chef in Macau to be awarded “Chef Of The Year” from the 2023 Black Pearl Restaurant Guide.
With à la carte and tasting menu offerings, the lavish restaurant offers a wide selection of dishes, including signatures such as Steamed seafood dumpling with turmeric and lime. Chef Tam uses turmeric powder to create the golden yellow dumpling skin encasing the scallops and shrimp that are combined with shredded lime leaf and Litsea oil to bring out the fresh, juicy taste of the seafood.
The Deep-fried Chinese yam puff is filled with chicken and is inspired by traditional dim sum of deep fried glutinous meat puff or ham sui gok. Chef Tam recreates the dish by replacing the traditional filling with Chinese yam for an extra smooth texture. The yam is steamed, pureed and iced with chicken and preserved vegetables to enhance its flavour. It is then coated with white sesame seeds and deep fried. Barbecued pork puff pastry is a classic Hong Kong dim sum and Chef Tam spins the classic by serving it in the form of a puff pastry tartlet. It is filled with honey barbecued pork and brushed with a layer of a house-made mixture made with butter, shredded cheese and egg yolk. The filling is sweet and savoury which complements the crunchiness of the tartlet.
The angled luffa gourd also known as Chinese okra is at its best during the summer. It is known for its "clearing summer heat" from the body in Chinese culture and forms the main ingredient of a Pork dumpling. Wrapped in a vibrant thin skin coloured by dragon fruit and beetroot juice, the sweetness and texture from the luffa creates a juicy and delicious bite.
No Cantonese restaurant is complete without soups and at Chef Tam’s Seasons the star would be the Double-boiled fish soup with polygonatum root and southern jujube. To make this seasonal soup, polygonatum root, southern jujubes, fresh wild fish and pork tendon is simmered over low heat. Unlike traditional dates, southern jujubes in Chinese culture nourish the body without causing heat or dryness. The soup has a sweet, umami taste that helps feed the body’s yin, nourishes the stomach and promotes the production of body fluids.
Another highlight is the Stir-fried green lobster with green peppercorn, white gourd and peas. The lobster is stir-fried with green peppercorns and peas, and a dash of peppercorn oil to enhance the taste. Seasonal cucumber flowers are placed under the lobster to absorb the juices and provide extra texture. This dish showcases the masterful heat control in wok cooking, where each ingredient is cooked as per their unique textures. The result is a perfect combination of flavour, aroma, texture and most of all, in today’s day and age, is visually appealing. Instagram eats first!
I always save the best for the last and the Steamed mud crab with Hua Diao wine doesn’t fail to impress in taste. Mud crab from the Pearl River Delta region is known as the "ling of crabs" due to its aromatic roe and succulent white meat texture.It is best enjoyed in the early summer as the mud crabs have been exposed to the summer heat. This means that the roe turns into oil, making them highly sought after. Chef Tam uses rice wine to get the crabs drunk before being steamed to maintain their shape and appearance. At the restaurant, diners can enjoy the crab two ways: Steamed with Hua Diao wine, where the crab is served with crab vinegar (aged vinegar, ginger, sugar) to retain the umami of the meat; and with the crab roe and the white meat, which are cooked together with chicken broth and served with steamed rice.
The restaurant’s intricate menu is enhanced by the pairings of award-winning Chinese wines. Expect to find wines like Helan Qingxue Vineyard Jiabeilan Babyfeet Pinot Noir 2018, which comes from the foothills of the Helan Mountains in Ningxia. The winery adopts traditional French techniques where the wine is aged in French oak barrels.
My favourite wine is the dessert wine. Domaine Franco-Chinois Petit Manseng 2016 comes from Hebei, and is known as the “pioneering and leading winery of Chinese Petit Manseng”. Best paired with my absolute favourite Chinese dessert of all time — Sweetened sesame glutinous rice dumplings with sweet potato in ginger tea.
Golden Flower
The restaurant at Wynn Macau has a new chef and a new menu, inspired by the historic private kitchens of the Imperial family. The restaurant under the helm of chef Henry Zhang offers an expansive menu of traditional and contemporary favourites, served in the splendour of a reimagined floral garden.
Chef Zhang uses Gros Grains caviar, amber in colour and rich in oceanic flavour with a thick texture. It is paired with glass noodles that are mixed with Japanese scallions and homemade peanut oil. The Roasted squid with house-made sauce uses a seasonal squid, which is filled with its own squid eggs. Chef Zhang braises the squid in a secret sauce and then roasts it. Hanging roasting is a Cantonese cuisine technique that demonstrates chef’s skills in temperature and heat control. The dish is a combination of the chewy exterior and soft interior, rich in the aroma of the brine.
Slow-cooked abalone, is inspired by the old Shanghai scallion oil noodles. The chef has recreated this dish using Zhangqiu scallions from Shandong, which are less spicy and sweet. He deep-fries the scallions in oil at a low-temperature until crispy and pairs them with the abalone that has been slow cooked at 60°C for five hours. The combined textures of the fresh abalone and scallions are a beautiful blend of crispiness and tenderness. Buddha’s temptation is the Beijing-style superior broth that has premium seafood including abalone, sea cucumber and two types of fish maw: one is rehydrated in water and the other in oil. The soup is thick and rich with an endless aftertaste.
Desserts aren’t far behind, especially with the Black sesame rice dumplings, pastry roll in two styles. The glutinous rice dumplings are filled with black sesame paste. To accompany the dumplings, Chef Zhang recreates a traditional Beijing dim sum creation — “Rolling Donkey” pastry in two flavours. Inspired by this pastry from the past, he reinterprets the dish in a contemporary way by using Japanese red beans to form a Japanese-like daifuku. For the other flavour, he uses creamy soft cheese to create sour and sweet flavours.
Wing Lei
The two Michelin-starred Wing Lei offers a taste of China's traditional culinary arts. Executive chef Chan Tak Kwong presents classic Cantonese cuisine with a modern flair at the restaurant, which is Wynn Macau’s signature Chinese restaurant.
Wing Lei’s décor is an evocative blend of traditional and modern Chinese design, influenced by the West through a palette inspired by Vincent Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” painting. The iconic Moon Gate welcomes diners, while heroic-scaled Cloisonné horses add a touch of drama.
However, the focal point of the dining room is the iconic flying dragon composed of 90,000 Swarovski crystals and individual blown glass elements. Hundreds of tiny lights illuminate the sculpture, bringing life to the undulating creature, which seamlessly glides across the wall, or so it seems.
Not to be missed dishes include Marinated goose liver with red wine sauce, where Hungarian foie gras complements the Burgundy wine sauce. Chilled sliced abalone with Sichuan pepper sauce uses fresh abalone from South Africa seasoned with fresh sliced Sichuan peppers. Barbecued Iberico pork is roasted over lychee and then seasoned with maple syrup.
The star of the menu is the Shrimp dumpling, inspired by the dim sum of the early 20th century. Chef Tak uses fresh shrimps and bamboo shoots as the filling, and the dumpling wrappers are elegantly folded with 13 pleats.
Apart from Wing Lei signature dishes, not to be missed is the Wing Lei Signature Tea pairing, done by a tea sommelier tableside, and the house-blend XO sauce. The Wing Lei Signature Tea combines a mixture of flowers, fruits and different types of tea leaves.
Wing Lei Bar
Having joined Wynn Macau and Wynn Palace in March as head mixologist, Mark Lloyd has designed new cocktail programmes served across different restaurants within both properties.
With extensive cocktail experience in Asia, including at J Boroski in Bangkok, Lloyd’s new creations are seasonality-driven drinks, from alcoholic to low-ABV concoctions. Taste whimsical drinks inspired by the hotel’s gourmet offerings, often dishes from a menu, each highlighting the season’s most prominent harvest of ingredients from spring osmanthus to early summer plums, waxberries and autumn’s warming yellow wine, among many.
