A taste of Portugal

This article first appeared in the May/Jun 2013 issue of World Gaming magazine.

The Panda may well have found his spiritual Portuguese home in Macau at this wonderfully inviting eatery.

I am a big panda now so I can put my own napkin in my lap and I don’t need someone to pull out my chair. I can even do silver service when the occasion calls (as sometimes it’s nice to be pampered) but on a day to day basis I just like to feed on well cooked food with as little pretension as possible.

Hooray for the Portuguese! Laughter, wine, noise and plenty of good food is their forté. Macau, being a former Portuguese colony, has a plethora of excellent Portuguese cuisine. The best of these would hold their own in the most prestigious culinary haunts of Lisbon and A Petisqueira is now my favourite Portuguese establishment in Macau because it combines all the traits I love about this style of cuisine.

My first experience of this wonderful eatery is a story in itself. One second I was swilling down beverages with some gaming industry heavyweights and the next I was being pushed into the back of a taxi. Of course, as soon as the word “food” was mentioned this panda stopped putting up a fight! After spending a frustrating half an hour in the taxi on a journey that should have taken two minutes, we were seated and ready to eat.

Right: Boiled codfish tongues” src=”http://www.wgm8.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/a-taste-of-portugal-2.jpg” height=”239″ width=”588″ />Left: Grilled codfish | Right: Boiled codfish tongues

It was an eclectic crew, hosted by Tim Shepherd from Silver Heritage. Tim knows the Asian gaming industry inside out, is a renowned foodie and host and is one of the nicest guys you will ever meet.

Other notable diners on this evening included an Australian electronic gaming legend, an Austrian casino developer, a stunning airhostess from Lufthansa and an American-Jewish bookmaker.

Let me say I have happily returned to the site of this evening many times since to refresh my memory of the fine food and delights on offer as memories of my first visit are a little cloudy due to the said beverages. I do remember doing rounds of shots and a few toasts and I also remember a whole lot of photos being taken with Eusébio, the owner, who is not only great value but an excellent restaurateur.

The food at A Petisqueira is first class. It’s exactly what you expect – lots of well cooked meat and seafood served with crisp salads and hot bread. I don’t need to list my favourites because I love everything on the menu and you get exactly what you order. Leave your pretension at the door; this is roll-up-your-sleeves food brought out on large plates and shared with friends. The service is friendly and fast and the décor is simple and matches the food and environment.

Right: Grilled boar loins” src=”http://www.wgm8.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/a-taste-of-portugal-3.jpg” height=”239″ width=”588″ />Left: Fried clams | Right: Grilled boar loins

Some cuisine is perfectly suited to drinking and Portuguese is up there with Mexican at the top of the list. Cold beer, crisp whites and light reds all do the job perfectly. Nothing is too difficult for the bar staff here so if you want something adventurous, just ask. Take some time when you dine here. This is a real dining experience and one not to be rushed.

I have two minor criticisms of A Petisqueira. Firstly I find the name hard to pronounce and secondly I always get lost finding the place! Then again, pandas have thick tongues and poor directional skills so these complaints are probably unique to me. These are both very small problems so just do your research beforehand or make sure the concierge sends the taxi driver in the right direction.