On these hot summer days, it can be hard to find something light and refreshing to eat, if you even feel like eating at all. Hot, heavy, oily food just isn’t appealing when the mercury is in the red zone. Fortunately, our city is full of wonderful restaurants and amazingly creative international chefs who know exactly what seasonal ingredients to use and dishes to prepare for the perfect summer cuisine. This month CLOSER speaks to six talented chefs from some of the finest dining restaurants in town to get their sumptuous recommendations.
Sea Bass with Bacalhau crust and gelatin “gazpacho”
“This dish gives a refreshing combination of something warm, something cold, something crispy, something soft, with an interesting combination of flavours and textures,” explains Chef de Cuisine Simon Li. “The sea bass is gently roasted so it stays very soft and light, while the bacalhau is crispy and salty. And the tomato gazpacho is cool and refreshing. The concept is inspired by our sister Michelin-starred restaurant Fortaleza do Guincho, in Portugal, but slightly adjusted for Asian tastes, and using fresh ingredients that are seasonally available”.
Guincho a Galera
Location: 3/F, Lisboa Tower, Hotel Lisboa
Opening Hours: Lunch: 12:00 – 14:30, Dinner: 18:30 – 22:30
Reservations: (853) 8803 7676
Deep fried Alaskan crabmeat roll with avocado and pumpkin
“The concept of this dish is being healthy for summer, and it is also modern, colourful and creative,” explains Executive Sous Chef Louie Wong. “The avocado is very fresh and comes from Mexico. The fresh crab meat from Alaska balances out the taste, and the pumpkin from Japan is good for cholesterol. Together it is a very good combination, with the softness of the avocado, the saltiness of the crab and sweetness of the pumpkin. It’s very simple and fresh and light, with no marinade so you can taste the original flavours. We add a sour sauce garnish for an extra flavour element. Finally, it is wrapped in rice paper and deep fried which gives a lovely warm, crispy feel and texture, in contrast to the soft cool centre.”
Imperial Court
Location: G/F, MGM Macau
Opening Hours:
Monday to Friday
11am – 3pm & 6pm – 11pm | Saturday, Sunday, and public holidays
10am – 3pm & 6pm – 11pm
Reservations:
(853) 8802 2361 / [email protected]
Scaloppine Scottate in Padella
“Seafood is a big part of the Mediterranean diet, and this dish is very light for summer,” says Senior Chef Katia Soujol. “It has poached scallops, fresh heirloom tomatoes, fresh radish, fresh snap peas, mixed green salad, some mint and fava beans, with a base of pea puree. The scallops are from Hokkaido, which are some of the best in the world, and the vegetables are all from Italy because they are all in season in Europe right now. For summer, fish and seafood is perfect and light, so you can eat this for lunch and not feel tired afterwards, or at night just as a salad.”
Portofino
Location: Shop 1039, 1/F, Shoppes at Venetian, The Venetian Macao
Opening Hours:
Lunch: 11:00am – 3:00pm , Dinner: 6:00pm – 11:00pm
Reservations: (853) 8118 9950
Banana Heart Niçoise
“For summer, it’s nice to have something more refreshing and more exotic,” notes Chef de Cuisine
Robby Setiawan. “This dish is based on the very classic Nicoise salad from Southern France, but with an Asian twist. We use fresh sashimi grade tuna from the Maldives, and add a very popular item in Asia, banana heart, which is a flower of the banana plant, and also very summery. The banana heart adds a little acidity and bitterness, and we marinate it with sesame dressing and a little sugar, to bring out some sweetness and give a good balance and roundness. The freshness of the tuna with the crunchiness of the banana heart, some sour and sweetness from the dressing, it is all a wonderful combination.”
Belon
Location: 31/F, Banyan Tree Macauat Galaxy Macau
Opening Hours: Dinner: 18:00 -23:00
Reservations: (853) 8883 6090
/ [email protected]
Ayu Shioyaki
(Grilled Sweetfish with Salt)
“I personally love the traditions of Kyoto cooking, so I recommend Ayu. You will often find this popular fish dish during the summer months from June to August in Kyoto,” says Chef de Cuisine Hiroshi Kagata. “When I was in Kyoto, I was strictly trained by my senior chef to cook the Ayu Shioyaki well, and I only mastered the technique after years of practice. The most common and traditional way is to grill it with salt on the Robatayaki grill with Tade-zu sauce drizzled on top, and when it is served, it actually looks as if it is swimming on the plate! Tade-zu sauce, also known as water pepper vinegar, is made from the Tade leaf, with sugar, vinegar, cooking wine and hon-mirin (true mirin). It enhances the flavor of Ayu and reflects its natural sweetness. Our Kaiseki menu is designed to feature ingredients that best match the season and balance taste, texture and presentation. Only the freshest of seasonal ingredients are used.”
Mizumi
Location: G/F, Wynn Macau
Opening Hours: 5:30 pm to 11:30 pm (Closed on Tuesdays)
Reservations: (853) 8986 3663 / [email protected]
Pigeon cooked sous vide with rosemary, foie gras confit Summer tutti-frutti
“When I prepare the menu, I always only work with seasonal products,” says Executive Sous Chef Guillaume Galliot.行“Rasberries are in season now and the tutti-frutti gives a sweet and sour combination, which is very interesting and very light, so good for summer. The sous vide technique we use for cooking the foie gras brings out the fatty flavours, and this is a good combination with the red berries. We cook it at a very low temperature, 58 degrees, so the texture is soft but firm, which is very important. The pigeon is from my area in France, the Rhone valley. It is quite large with a lot of meat on it, and we use the breast and leg, with a small stuffing of chicken, foie gras and oven-roasted pistachio, which gives a nice crunchy texture.”
The Tasting Room
Location: 3/F, Crown Towers at City of Dreams
Opening Hours: 12:00noon – 3:00pm, 6:00pm – 11:00pm
Reservations: (853) 8868 6681
