António
7 Rua dos Clerigos
Taipa, Macau
When I tell people we spent 9 days in Hong Kong, people’s eyes widen a bit. I will admit, it was a lot of time to spend in a city that’s better known as a shopping and eating rather than a cultural or sight seeing destination. Technically, we didn’t spend all that time in Hong Kong. We made a short side trip to Macau to eat some Portuguese food and watch the famed House of Dancing Waters spectacular at The City of Dreams casino. We stopped in Taipa Village to get a taste of old Macau. What better way to do that than to eat some delicious Portuguese food. Antonio is a pretty small restaurant, but it wasn’t too full for a weekday lunch.
Salada de Polvo Português portuguese octopus salad
I LOVED this octopus salad. The octopus was just that right balance of tender chewiness. The olive oil so rich and definitely high quality. The garlic was plentiful, maybe bordering on too much. It was a bright a delicious start. YUMS!
Ameijoas à Bulhão Pato sautéed clams, garlic, coriander, olive oil, white wine
I was hesitant to order the clams since I knew they would be delicious but uninteresting. The waiter recommended it so we succumbed to the FOMO. It was was as expected. I enjoyed sopping up the wonderful juices with crusty bread in one hand and a spoon in the other.
Arroz de Mariscos à António Servido em Tacho wet seafood rice antónio style, crab, mussel, clam, prawn, served in ceramic pot
I meant to order the paella style of this but mistakenly ordered this more soupy version. The seafood flavor was deeply intense. The plentiful crabs, mussels, clams, scallops, and prawns were a testament to that. It was a hearty dish and wholly satisfying. For two people, this was more than enough food.
António was wonderful seafood delight in Macau. The menu was expansive and would take more than a few visits to cover. But based on our selections, I would be safe saying António will not disappoint. They serve more than just seafood. The Annoyer and I happen to be seafood fiends, so that’s just what we focused on. I can’t say the things we had were anything new to me, flavor or concept wise. So I still wouldn’t be able to describe Portuguese food in exact term. I definitely felt some Spanish and Italian influences. I would certainly return to get a better feel for Portuguese food.
10 – You NEED to eat here
9 – Awesome
8 – Very good
7 – Good
6 – OK
5 – Average
4 – Not bad
3 – Not good
2 – Terrible
1 – Do NOT eat here
Overworked. Underfed. 