As the city’s high end F&B offerings continue to boom, there is also a small, quiet movement happening on the streets, as a number of young locals begin concentrating their international and hotel experiences on smaller, resident-aimed cafes and eateries. And the results are delicious!
Cakez Café
When three hotel pastry chefs decided to bring their experience to locals, in a café-style environment outside a hotel, Cakez Café was born.
Despite Macau’s numerous eateries, the former Galaxy Hotel pastry chefs Conrad Ip, Daniel Cheong, and Kene Cheang saw a gap in the market for cafes focusing on desserts, and in April 2009 they opened their very own space to fill it.
A quick glance at the menu shows that there is a lot more than just dessert going on, with pasta and sandwiches also making up a lot of what’s on offer.
Why include pasta on the menu? Conrad Ip laughs, “When you see couples, the girls like desserts, but the guys want to eat something like pasta or a sandwich”.
The menu is aimed at Asian tastes, as a lot of their tourists are from Taiwan and Japan. Closer to home, most of their clientele are professionals from neighbouring offices.
“We know what the locals want”, the experienced chef confides. After 10 years in the hotel industry “you get to find out what the guests like and don’t like”.
Carbonara Cream Sauce spaghetti/penne is their best selling dish, closely followed by their Tuna White Mushroom Sauce spaghetti/penne. The Napoleon mille-feuille, vanilla custard slice is their signature dessert and Cakez Café is also famous for their weekend tea sets.
“Food first” is the motto at Cakez Café, which might not be as easy as it sounds.
“We are three people who have come from kitchen backgrounds, so when we make food we argue a lot”, Conrad laughs as he explains the process behind approving a new dish. “Taste is the most important thing”.
+853 2835 5968
Open 1:00 pm – 9:30 pm
Closed on Tuesday
Maquette
圖 Photos Heidi Leon Monges
If you are after a slice of Europe on the streets of Macau, Maquette, a French/Italian bistro in Taipa which opened in May 2013, is the place fo you.
“We always want something different”, says one of the three people behind Maquette, Maggie Chiang, responsible for the food side of things. “I want people here to experience the taste of European food”. Alongside partners Andy Chiang and Dannis Chan, Maquette does exactly that.
After taking cooking courses in Torino, Italy and Paris, Maggie returned to Macau in 2012 and met Andy Chiang, and together they discussed the idea of “mixing food and art together” and found a location that “is quiet and looks like it could be in Europe” she says of their airy space on a quiet street in Taipa. “We want to create, rather than follow.”
Andy studied graphic design and illustration in London, “I wanted to bring my ideas back to Macau”, he says which explains the painstaking detail that is taken over everything, from the restaurant image to the design of the pastry boxes.
“Everything is connected, the designs are taken from sketches by Maggie, the interior matches the surroundings”.
With a menu strongly influenced by Italian and French cuisine, dishes include Traditional French Duck Confit, and Creamy Risotto with Mushroom Parmigiano Regigiano.
Running a small space means that interacting with the customers is an important part of the experience. And in a town full of big restaurants and crowds, it is comforting to know that there is a place with good food and where everyone knows your name.
“We are like a little family, making friends with the customers, creating a cozy atmosphere, a casual neighbourhood restaurant”, Maggie smiles.
“We want to create, rather than follow”
Tuesday to Sunday 12 pm – 10pm
7E Estrada Lou Lim Ieok, Edificio Wa Tat Kok 6/F Room D, Taipa
+ 853-28813246
Chill Café
Chill Café, started in 2013, was born from a desire to offer residents a genuine place to unwind.
“I wanted to bring a relaxing place to Macau, because I don’t think Macau has many”, says Portuguese/Chinese owner, Rino Dias.
And finding a space that was comfortable and charming enough to make people stay proved surprisingly easy.
“I was lucky”, Dias says of the quaint building with a distinctive arched entrance, which he just happened to drive past one day.
Describing his typical customers, he says, “our target guests are foreigners, because they know how to relax and how to enjoy life, they appreciate my space”.
Chill Café has proven popular as a venue for private parties, with celebrations such as weddings and birthdays having been hosted over their three-floor space, which also includes a rooftop.
With a background in the European hotel industry, Dias has brought those influences to the menu, and many of the ingredients are imported from Australia and Holland.
Starter dishes include traditional English street food, Fish & Chips, and Tuna Melts, Balsamic Tomato Bruschetta and the popular French appetizer, Salmon Rillettes.
Burgers come in two variations, their signature Chill Burger Chill a homemade patty with hotdog buns topped with cheese and ketchup, and Honey Mustard Grilled Chicken Burger, served with potato wedges or fries, as are most of the dishes.
Then there are all the dessert options… Chill Café has a French chef who comes in at midnight to prepare all their desserts and pastries like cheesecake, Tiramisu, Blueberry Tart and macaroons, fresh for the following morning. He is also in charge of their bread, and sandwiches come with an assortment of filling options, as well as bread options: white bread, whole wheat, croissants, plain ciabatta and French baguette.
Feeling indecisive been sweet and savory? Chill Café’s Afternoon Tea Set is a combination of cakes and sandwiches, and is served all day long. A perfect excuse to spend a good number of hours there, just relaxing.
Chill Café
Tue – Fri: 12:00 – 22:00
Sat: 12:00 – 00:00
Sun: 12:00 – 22:00
2853 2376
239 Rua do Almirante Sergio Macau, Macau
