Michelin Bib Gourmand Recommended Portuguese Restaurant - Bay Restaurant

Strolling through the streets of Macau, you’ll often come across buildings that exude the charm of the Portuguese colonial era, giving you the illusion of being transported to Europe. Not only do the architectural styles take you back to Portugal a century ago, but the cuisine also offers unique flavors, such as the famous "Portuguese Chicken," a dish you won’t even find in Portugal itself—only in Macau.

During Macau’s time as a Portuguese colony, many Portuguese settled in the region. Their descendants, known as "Macanese," preserved Portuguese culinary traditions while blending them with Eastern influences, creating the distinctive "Macanese cuisine." The hallmark of Macanese cuisine lies in its use of spices. During the Age of Exploration, various spices like cinnamon, turmeric, bay leaves, star anise, cloves, and Sichuan pepper were brought to Macau via trade ships, and the cooking techniques combined elements of Portuguese, Chinese, Cantonese, and Southeast Asian cuisines, forming a unique culinary style found nowhere else.

One must-try dish to truly indulge yourself is the Portuguese-style roasted suckling pig, known for its crispy skin and tender meat. To ensure the meat’s tenderness, Portuguese-style roasted suckling pig uses piglets less than a month old that are still nursing, unlike the three-month-old piglets used in Chinese-style preparations. The piglet is marinated with a blend of spices for an entire day and then slow-roasted over medium heat until the skin becomes thin and crispy, with the fat underneath melting in your mouth. The perfectly balanced richness and tenderness make this dish a pinnacle of pork cuisine, earning it high praise among Macau locals. It’s worth visiting Macau just to savor this delicacy.

Another iconic dish is Bacalhau, derived from the Portuguese word for codfish. Bacalhau refers to salted and dried codfish, often made into canned cod. Originally a fasting food for Catholics during Christmas Eve, Bacalhau has since spread across the Mediterranean and Latin American regions.

📍Address: Shop 53, Rua de Cunha, Old Taipa Village
🕰️Opening Hours: 12:00 - 15:00 // 18:00 - 22:00
☎️Phone Number: 853 28825255

Post by Edith_T | Jun 3, 2025