Dine on Macao delights

THIS MONTH, get a taste of what Macao has to offer in terms of culinary treasures at Samplings on the Fourteenth Restaurant at Berjaya Times Square Hotel, Kuala Lumpur.
The Macao Government Tourism Office has flown in chef Sandra Niza Barros, a third-generation chef born and raised in Macao, who will be showcasing her culinary skills as well as dishing up modern Macanese cuisine with a twist in a special menu.
Her special menu is offered alongside Samplings on the Fourteenth’s own MIGF menu, featured in conjunction with the Malaysia International Gastronomy Festival 2018, from now till Sept 29 (except Sundays).
This is in line with Macao’s new designation as a Unesco Creative City of Gastronomy, which aims to enhance the city’s culinary scene both locally and internationally.
Guests sampled a taste of what to expect from this special menu at a recent preview dinner prepared by Barros, as well as Samplings’ chef de cuisine Valmurugan Subramanian.
The special MIGF menu is priced at RM208 nett per person (with wine), or RM178 nett per person (without wine).
The appetizer was Portuguese squid salad, with perfectly grilled squid placed on top of a paprika-based sauce smeared on the plate together with cherry tomatoes, watercress and long beans.
The soup offered was the classic Portuguese potato kale soup.
Barros explained that spicy chorizo sausage is traditionally used in the soup, but for this menu, Valmurugan suggested she used duck instead. She was surprised how well that worked.
The duck was first smoked, and slivers of its meat were placed on top of the soup. The aroma was lovely, and the duck really did help elevate the flavours of the soup.
The entrée was Macao garlic prawns. Barros said that this was a popular dish back home as prawns are a popular ingredient during celebrations in Macao.
For the mains, Barros presented guests a choice of grilled fillet of marble 7 wagyu tenderloin, or confit of soon hock (marble gobi).
The wagyu tenderloin came with a quail’s egg fried sunny side up and served with a rich jus, while the perfectly-cooked fish went well with the vegetables and sauce it was served with.
Desserts were the simple Macao favourite called serradura, which is actually layers of whipped cream and cookie crumbs, as well as macaroons, accompanied by either coffee or tea.