Showing posts with label Macau. Show all posts

[FOOD] 20141224 Chan Kong Kei 陳光記飯店 @ Macau


Chan Kong Kei is probably one of the more famous restaurant in Macau serving Cantonese style roast meat found in places like Hong Kong and Guangdong.

Running for generations and serving famous dishes of roast duck/goose/pork with their unique recipe of black pepper duck, this little eatery nearby Senado Square is often packed with locals and tourists. So make sure you are early to secure a seat.

Rua Do Dr. P José Lobo 19
南灣羅保博士街19號
Nearest Bus Stations: Avenida Do Infante D. Henrique
Telephone: +853 2831 4116
Opening Hours: 11:00am until 9:00pm

TO GO


The restaurant is actually located a few streets away from Senado Square and travel by foot is highly recommended. It is easily spotted by the main road, beside Luk Fuk Jewellery shop. Alternatively you can take any bus that travels through Avenida Do Infante D. Henrique Road.

Bus No. 3, 3A, 3X, 10, 10A, 10B, 11, 21A, 26A, 33, N1B, N3.



SPECIALITY



You will be able to spot this yellow sign board sticking out far to grab your attention with a picture of a bald guy, Chan Kong.

The restaurant is packed during dinner time but luckily no queue was seen during my visit on Christmas Eve night. Service is mediocre and the waiter will assume you are Chinese tourist by conversing in Mandarin during order.


Ordering is pretty simple, just choose whether you want single, double or triple meat combination and to be pair with either white rice or bowl of soup noodle (wanton noodle). They also have congee, if you fancy one. The black pepper roast duck is their signature dish, hence, it is a must try.


I saved a few pieces of the duck meat before it completely submerged in the soup to preserve the texture before it became soggy. The duck meat is tender with hint of sweetness and black pepper. I ordered the soup noodle because the white rice looks too plain for me. Single serving of meat with rice or noodle combination costs MOP36 (RM15).

If you fancy some exotic dish like duck blood, you may also find it here in Chan Kong Kei with their signature duck blood vegetable. Well, I will skip that.



Good business, almost finish selling already.

SUMMARY


Another roast meat? I had a lot of roast meat during my whole Canton trip, the best being in Yat Lok in Hong Kong, followed by this in Macau. If you fancy some roast meat during your visit in Macau, Chan Kong Kei is a place you will find quality food at reasonable price.

Taste
☆☆☆☆
Good, but not as good.
Value
☆☆☆☆
Reasonable
Service
☆☆☆
Too crowded
Cleanliness
☆☆☆
Slippery floors
Opening Hours
11:00am until 09:00pm (Daily)
Wifi
Nil
Parking
Limited
Website
N/A

GPS: 22.192012, 113.541539
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[FOOD] 20141224 Gelatina Mok Yi Kei 莫義記 @ Taipa, Macau


Gelatina Mok Yi Kei 莫義記 is a 80 years (and counting) old dessert shop that is well known for something that is not actually produced locally in Macau. In fact, it is so exotic that I found it amusing to find it in place like Macau. Well, it is no other than our Malaysian King of all Fruits - Durian.

Yes, they are selling Malaysian produced durian ice cream and proudly promoting to tourists. Located at the busy pedestrian streets of Rua do Cunha, right opposite the Galaxy Macau, you will spot this corner store right in front of the bus stop.

Mok Yi Kei sells various kind of desserts such as agar and ice creams, but both the durian ice cream and sawdust pudding (Serradura) are their best seller.

9A, Rua do Cunha, Taipa, Macau
氹仔舊城區官也街9A號地下
Nearest Bus Stations: Rua do Cunha
Telephone: +853 6669 5194
Opening Hours: 11:00am until 9:00pm (unconfirmed)

TO GO


Gelatina Mok Yi Kei is located in the famous Rua do Cunha streets, opposite Galaxy Macau. You can actually walk from Galaxy Macau to Rua do Cunha. Alternatively, there is a bus stop which directly stop in front of a small square in the middle of Rua do Cunha.


Rua do Cunha Bus Stop: Bus No. 11, 15, 22, 28A, 30, 33 and 34




SPECIALITY


I read a few blog posts about Gelatina Mok Yi Kei prior to my departure. It started off from a humble setup selling various kinds of desserts. What fascinates me is their best selling product is actually ice cream made of Malaysian durian. 


I arrived at Rua do Cunha some time around 5:30pm in the evening and the famous Tai Lei Loi pork chop bun was closed early due to Christmas eve. I walked further up the street to Mok Yi Kei and to my surprise, there's no queue at the store as opposed to what described in many blogs, even on a Christmas eve.


Just like any other famous shops, there are bound to be imitators around, particularly in Macau where you will often see the whole street selling the same kind of product (e.g. Bagua, Pork Chop Bun, Egg Tart and here, the durian ice cream) just like at Senado Square. Lack of authenticity, in my opinion.

The lady at Mok Yi Kei was promoting the durian ice cream, emphasizing on Malaysian Musang King durian was used. She offered me a sampler for tasting, hard selling that it's Musang King. Well ma'am, if you are trying to sell Musang King to a Malaysian, you better be serious.

(Sorry, no picture of the sample because it's in my stomach already!)

To be honest, the durian ice cream does taste nice and creamy with trace of durian flesh, it's Musang King indeed. Besides that, they do have the cheaper D24 flavour for sale as well. The ice cream may not appeal me as a Malaysian but it definitely will attract durian fans from Hong Kong, probably that's how it get its fame.


I skipped the durian ice cream and wanted to try the second best seller, the sawdust pudding, or also known as Serradura in Portuguese. This small cup of pudding cost me about MOP25 (RM12) (couldn't remember the exact price). The durian ice cream is more expensive at MOP30++ for the D24 and MOP60+ for Musang King.


I opened the lid and took a picture of the inside. I asked the lady what is the sawdust made of and she told me it was cookie crumb. It tasted like plain vanilla ice cream with cookie crumb on top of it to be honest. Nothing much to shout about. Perhaps that's why there's less crowd to be seen around Mok Yi Kei nowadays, at least that was what I felt on the spot because I was the only customer.

Next time, better try their other products like bird nest ice cream or coconut ice cream than the overrated products.

SUMMARY


The durian ice cream was good to be honest. Recommended if you never tried any form of fresh durian ice cream, it taste just like the original fruit. Just come to Malaysia during the durian season to have the authentic ones.

Taste
☆☆☆
overrated by durian fans
Value
☆☆☆
Service
☆☆☆☆
free tasting but not so polite in answering my question
Cleanliness
☆☆☆☆
Opening Hours
11:00am until 09:00pm (unconfirmed)
Wifi
Limited
Parking
Limited
Website
N/A

GPS: 22.330139, 114.165974
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[PLACE] 20141224 The Mandarin House 郑家大屋 @ Macau


The Mandarin House 郑家大屋, or the Zheng's House is the home of the well known Chinese philosopher and philanthropist, Zheng Guanying 郑观应 (1842 - 1921). Among all, his materpiece i.e. 《盛世危言》 (translate: Golden Age Prophecy) which was first published on 1893 has influenced many country leader in their decision making as the prophecy has provided various transformation ideas and concepts to China back in those days.

The Mandarin House was constructed by Mr Zheng's father, Zheng Wenrui as early as in the 1869, thou history mentioned it was built in 1881. The whole courtyard sits on a 4,000m² land in the Peninsular of Macau with two main court. The uniqueness about the mandarin house is the combination of both east and west architectural design. While the exterior of the house may looked like any other Canton house, the interior is the one that blends in the western culture with the main living hall located at the first floor as opposed to ground floor in conventional Chinese houses.

The house was long abandoned and vandalized in the 90's after a developer purchased the land. After long negotiation, the Macau government successfully regained control of the Mandarin house with the proposed land swap in 2001 and refurbish work was started.

However, the restoration process was not easy with majority of the house were severely vandalised and the government has tried to recover the house to its original look as much as possible. The Mandarin House was finally opened to public in 2010.

10 Travessa de Antonio da Silva, Macau
澳門龍頭左巷10號
Telephone: (+853) 2896 8820
Opening Hours: 10:00am until 06:00pm (Entrance closed at 05:30pm)
Closed every Wednesday except for Public Holiday.

TO GO


The Mandarin House is located along the R. da Barra and R. do Padre Antonio roads with many other attractions along the road like cathedrals, cafes etc. I would suggest those who are able to travel on foot to take this route from Senado Square and stop at each attractions along the way. Clear road signs are available to guide you accordingly.

Alternatively, you may take public bus 18 or 28B to stop at the junction near the Mandarin House.



ATTRACTION



The government has did a very good job in promoting tourism industry with clear road signs and signboards available to guide tourists and visitors accordingly, making it a very seamless experience. The entrance to the Mandarin House is free of charge and there's not many tourists to be seen here despite Christmas Eve (or maybe due to Christmas Eve?).


Brief description of each attraction is also available. You may also find a rubber stamp to mark your visit at every popular destinations.


Two cute Mandarin tortoises located at the entrance of the Mandarin House.


The entrance will lead you the side corridor of the Mandarin House. The entrance is actually at the middle of the picture above. The left is actually a small garden and the right is the building.


Some rooms are equipped with video and audio presentation to explain the history of the Mandarin House.


The traditional style of Chinese house 四合院 which means four sides with building (typically according to NSEW) with a courtyard in the middle.


The main hall entrance of the Mandarin House.


Carved wood window panel with the air well in the middle.


Notice the ceiling design that is different from conventional Chinese houses?


Filmy stairway leading up to the first floor. The design of the stairways is leaning towards western culture.


The main living hall at the first floor, as opposed to conventional ground floor. Even thou the ground are tiled, the whole floor is actually unstable due to the wood frame structure.


The study room where Mr Zheng completed most of his work.

There are a lot more pictures to share but basically these are the highlights of the Mandarin House. The government has did a lot to restore the Mandarin House to reassemble back to its original look. The combination of the east and west interior design and architecture is also one of the main highlight of this place, along with the significant historical presence.

SUMMARY


It's a good detour when you are on the way to Barra temple. Spend some time around to understand the history and to zoom into the details of the house.

Attraction
☆☆☆☆
Interesting architecture and very informative 
Cleanliness
☆☆☆☆☆

Entrance Fee
Free
Opening Hours
10:00am until 06:00pm (Daily)
Entrance closed at 05:30pm
Closed every Wednesday
Wifi
Limited
Parking
Nil
Website
Macau Tourism Website

GPS: 22.188450, 113.534652
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[FOOD] 20141224 Yee Shun Dairy 義顺牛奶 @ Macau


Stumble upon this Yee Shun Dairy after my lunch at Cheong Kei's Wanton Noodle. I remember seeing the same name in Hong Kong, but it all originated from this shop in Macau. They have a ranch in Zhuhai, China which supplies their fresh milk daily.

Yee Shun Dairy specialized in steam milk (milk pudding), similar to the one I had in Australian Dairy Company back in Jordan, Hong Kong. Besides the traditional steam milk, they also have other variants like ginger steam milk and papaya steam milk.

Besides dairy products, they do have other food like sandwiches and noodles.

381, Av. de Almeida Ribeiro, Macau
新马路381号
Telephone: +853 2837 3104
Opening Hours: 09:00am until 11:00pm (Weekdays)
                           09:00am until 12:00am (Weekends)

TO GO


Yee Shun Dairy is located just next to Senado Sqaure on the main road. Just travel North-West for about 3 minutes then you will see the signboard.




SPECIALITY



You will notice the signboard of Yee Shun on the corridor, with both signature milk pudding and ginger milk pudding listed.


The shop is a very old shop with a Mezzanine floor above to cater for more crowd. However, there's no crowd during my visit and Yee Shun was an unexpected detour away from my original plan.

Original Double Skin Milk Pudding 双皮奶 @ MOP25

I ordered the signature original double skin milk pudding 双皮奶 @ MOP25 (RM11) to try. They have other variants like the lotus and red bean milk pudding at a slightly higher price at MOP28. The name double skin literally means the thin coagulated milk layer on top of the milk pudding.

Yee Shun's milk pudding is thinner than Australian Dairy Company's variant back in HK in terms of flavour and texture. Personally, I would prefer the later version.

SUMMARY


Taste very similar to Australian Dairy Company's milk pudding but personally preferred the the Australian Dairy Company's version than Yee Shun.

Taste
☆☆☆☆
Australian Dairy Company's milk pudding is slightly better
Value
☆☆☆☆
Service
☆☆☆
Cleanliness
 ☆☆☆☆
Opening Hours
09:00am until 11:00pm (Weekdays)
09:00am until 12:00am (Weekends & Public Holiday)
Wifi
N/A
Parking
N/A
Website
N/A

GPS: 22.194776, 113.538197
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[FOOD] 20141224 Cheong Kei Noodles 祥记面家 @ Macau


Cheong Kei Noodle is probably one of the more well known noodle house in Macau that sells wanton noodles identical to those in Hong Kong like the one I went - Mak's Noodle.

With more than 50 years of history and their unique method in making their noodles using bamboo stick to kneed the dough (a traditional method before the invention of machines), it is not surprise why this noodle house is so famous locally and internationally. It became a must eat in Macau by many travel magazines and guides.

Among all, their prawn roe wanton noodle and side dishes like the fish skin and fish cake are the most ordered.

68, Rua da Felicidade, Macau
新馬路褔隆新街68號
Telephone: +853 2857 4310
Opening Hours: 12:00pm until 12:30am

TO GO


Located walking distance away from Senado Square, Cheong Kei Noodle House is located at a small alley, in between two cookie shop. The tagging in Google Map was off from the exact location, so following my mark below will definitely lead you to the correct way.


SPECIALITY



It was quite hard to find the exact location using the address and the Google Map's POI is way off from the exact location. However, with good sense of direction and natural instinct, it lead me to the correct location. 


There's no queue noted during my visit, as opposed to my expectation for a famous eatery like this. The eatery is old and small, with about 10 small tables for a total maximum capacity of less than 50 patrons.


Menu, newspaper articles, magazine reviews etc filled both sides of the wall, promoting their signature dishes. A small cramp space in the front, opposite the counter is where the chef will prepare all the orders.

Service is not stellar with the lady boss (I assumed) rushed for order. 

Signature Prawn Roe Wanton Noodle 招牌虾子捞面 @ MOP30 (RM13)

I ordered their famous prawn roe wanton noodle 虾子捞面 @ MOP30 (RM13). The serving is very simple, plain noodles in soy sauce, sprinkle with stir-fried prawn roe for flavouring. You will notice a very strong aroma of the prawn roe, identical to ebiko in sushi restaurants will fill your mouth during the first bite. Then, the texture of the noodle is slightly different from the Hong Kong variant. It is less tangy, and has a more coarse texture than the counterpart in Hong Kong, most probably due to the preparing method of using bamboo, hence the name bamboo noodle 竹升面.

Wanton Soup Noodle 云吞汤面 @ MOP26 (RM10)

I also tried their wanton soup noodle 云吞汤面 @ MOP26 (RM10). The wanton was OK and the noodle as the dried noodle above but I don't really like the soup base (still better than lousy Malaysian MSG soup). Probably due to higher expectations from those I tried in HK. Overall a good bowl of noodle but nothing much to shout about.

SUMMARY


Personally I think Cheong Kei Noodle is a bit overrated, probably due to less competition in Macau and also a few signature dishes like the prawn roe noodle and fried fish cakes etc. Given the price and quality, it is still an acceptable and decent meal. Recommended if you are a fan of wanton noodles and would like to try their prawn roe noodles. 

Taste
☆☆☆☆☆
Five star for the unique variant of prawn roe wanton noodle
Value
☆☆☆☆
acceptable pricing
Service
☆☆☆
poor service but still acceptable
Cleanliness
☆☆☆
slippery floors but clean utensils
Opening Hours
12:00pm until 12:30am (Daily)
Wifi
N/A
Parking
N/A
Website
N/A

GPS: 22.194752, 113.537480
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[PLACE] 20141224 Monte Fort 大炮台 @ Macau


Monte Fort (Fortaleza do Monte), or known as Mount Fortress, is a military fortress built by the Portuguese colony during the 17th century to fend off intruders. The fort is built on the hill top with solid walls up to 9 meters, overseeing the Macau peninsular.

The fort is fortified with heavy artillery and cannons but was only fired once during the Dutch invasion in 1622 and never since.

Currently the Monte Fort has become a popular attraction in Macau with the Museum of Macau located right on top. Visitors can have a panoramic view of Macau Peninsular on top of the fort.


TO GO


The Monte Fort is located next to the Ruins of St Paul's, near to Senado Square. Visitors usually arrives at Senado Square first before continue to Ruins of St Paul's and then to the fort. 

Bus Stop nearby Monte Fort: Bus No. 7, 7A, 8, 17

Alternatively, visitors can opt for the free shuttle bus provided by the casinos nearby. The nearest casino will be the famous Grand Lisboa. The Senado Square is just about 5 minutes walking distance away from the Grand Lisboa.

Bus Stop nearby Senado Sqaure: Bus No. Bus No. 3, 4, 6 8A, 18A, 19, 26A, 33, N1A.




ATTRACTION



Monte Fort is similar to our A' Famosa, which is also a fortress on hill. Located just next to the Ruins of St Paul's. It requires some more climb of the stone steps up hill to reach the top of the fortress. So make sure you wear the appropriate footwear.


Soon you will reach the entrance of the fortress where the cannons are all located, behind the tall and solid stone walls.




The entrance of the fortress, leading to the garden and platform on top.


Rows and rows of defunct cannons, fortifying the fortress in the older days, fending off any potential intruders.


a few of it actually aligns facing the Grand Lisboa casino from afar. Makes you feel like lighting the fuse somehow (just kidding).


From here, you get a high vantage point of the city of Macau. The peninsular is where the majority of the population resides. Despite the run down condition, these apartments can actually cost as much as those in the Hong Kong counterpart due to the lack of land.


The reflection pool surrounding the Museum of Macau.


The building, and the entrance of Museum of Macau.


Somewhere around the the museum there's an entrance down to a small dungeon where some of the remains of the fortress are exhibited.


The fortress has much more to see than the Ruins of St Paul's as you have the whole view of the peninsular from atop and also the remains of the fortress.

SUMMARY


Monte Fort is a detour from the famous Ruins of St Paul's but has much more to offer than the later. The hilltop also offers an overview of the Macau peninsular and is a good photo spot with urban landscape and seaview. The Grand Lisboa casion building is also clearly seen from here.

Attraction
☆☆☆☆☆
good vantage point, historical site
Cleanliness
☆☆☆☆
Entrance Fee
Free
Opening Hours
Daily
Wifi
N/A
Parking
N/A
Website
N/A

GPS: 22.196847, 113.542384
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[PLACE] 20141224 Ruins of St. Paul's 大三巴牌坊 @ Macau


The Ruins of St Paul's is a remaining façade of the St Paul's church that was destroyed in a fire during a typhoon in 1835. The original church was built in 1602 and completed in 1640, being one of the largest church in Asia during the days.

The ruin is now Macau's famous tourist destination and it is a must come for every visitor to Macau. It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage in 2005.


TO GO


The Ruins of St Paul's is located on a hill, next to Monte Fort, near to Senado Square. Visitors usually arrives at Senado Square first before continue to Ruins of St Paul's. However, visitors can also choose to visit the ruins first via the nearby bus stop.

Bus Stop nearby Ruins of St Paul's: Bus No. 7, 7A, 8, 17

Alternatively, visitors can opt for the free shuttle bus provided by the casinos nearby. The nearest casino will be the famous Grand Lisboa. The Senado Square is just about 5 minutes walking distance away from the Grand Lisboa.

Bus Stop nearby Senado Sqaure: Bus No. Bus No. 3, 4, 6 8A, 18A, 19, 26A, 33, N1A.



ATTRACTION



What's special about the ruins is similar to what our A' Famosa in Melaka has to offer. In fact, I think our A' Famosa has more to offer than just a remaining façade. Both shares the similarity of the Portuguese heritage. The ruins is located on a hill and requires some climb up (around 10 minutes) along the busy pedestrian streets from Senado Square. A lot of merchandise and souvenir shops are located at both sides of the streets and trying their best to get you to buy their products.


The Ruins of St Paul's is located at a very strategic location with the Senado Square, Monte Fort and Museum of Macau all within the same location. There are also a few cathedrals and temples around like the Na Tcha Temple, Yui Seng Lonh Mou Temple and Guan Di Temple around here if you are more adventurous of the spiritual type of tourist.


It was a gloomy Christmas Eve and the ruins is flocked with thousands of tourists from all around the world.


If you are into ancient heritage and architecture, you probably will be more interested in the ruins than I am.


It's quite challenging to have a clean picture without human heads obstructing your view. This is the remain of the St Paul's church, where millions of tourists will come to visit every year.


The back of the ruins lies the remaining pillar and shrine of the church, there's also some signboards at both side of the opening area showing you the original layout of the church.

There's nothing much to see after you walk passed the wall or gate. Time to move on to the Monte Fort located just beside.

SUMMARY


Although it is just a remaining brick wall, the Ruins of St Paul's is worth a visit given it's historical value, or simply for the "been here, done that" check-ins. Recommended to complete your tour with all the surrounding attractions.

Attraction
☆☆☆☆
Historical and cultural value.
Cleanliness
☆☆☆☆☆
Entrance Fee
Free
Opening Hours
Daily
Wifi
Yes but limited connection.
Parking
N/A
Website
N/A

GPS: 22.197424, 113.540868
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