澳門河邊新街259號B地下
259B Rua do Almirante Sergio, Macau
Bus from ferry terminal: 10A
Get off at A-Ma temple (媽閣廟)
According to my friend doing his master's thesis in Macau, a Portuguese restaurant by the name of Alorcha is not only the best Portuguese restaurant in Macau, it's the best restaurant period...but not just in Macau, but all of Asia. Intrigued by the audacity of such a claim (even if it was an obvious exaggeration), and given the additional necessity of having to renew my tourist visa, I made a day trip with my parents starting with a 1-hour boat ride from the China Ferry Terminal in Tsim Sha Tsui ($133 HK one way). At the information center at Macau's Ferry Terminal, the employee noticed my notepad and said "the number you have written for Alorcha is incomplete," and he wrote in the remaining numbers from memory. "But it's Tuesday today. It's closed."
"Closed?!" I asked, in shock, and in that instance my hopes in eating at the "best restaurant in Asia" poofed and disappeared.
But apparently Alorcha is one of three Portuguese restaurants in that same A-Ma Temple area that are famous. Litoral Restaurante (海港餐廳) was closed for renovations, leaving O Porto Interior as the only remaining choice. But O Porto Interior is by no means a leftover choice. In fact, it was the best Portuguese food I've ever had...and this is coming from myself, who grew up in a town of plentiful Portuguese immigrants (Ludlow, MA). My parents (who've lived in Ludlow longer than I) agreed with me.
These clams came to us bathing in a wine sauce with several whole cloves of succulent garlic. Even after the clams were gone, my parents and I continued to drink the garlic wine sauce as if it were soup, 'til the last drop was gone! A delicious must-order at this restaurant.
We ordered this dish (actually the other two as well) because this is a common dish we get in Ludlow Portuguese restaurants. And the reason we loved this restaurant is because the dishes are authentic, like this one, but they're not overly salty like the dishes in Ludlow can be. Perfect.
This dish was packed with a great combination of flavors. Eaten with white rice it's a hearty combination of carrots, potatoes, and Oxtail in a savory wholesome sauce. Also a must-order.
But if what you really want is a melt-in-your mouth culinary experience, it's the next two desserts that will blow your mind away. Going down the desert list, my father and I picked whatever sounded more Portuguese to us, or basically more foreign to us.
This stewed and baked apple looks quite special, especially before it's cut. It has a sweet and soft taste, with a hint of wine.
My mouth waters the most as I recount this dessert experience. The cream is a vanilla-y sensuous texture of ice cream (just not as cold), while the crushed biscuit is of the most fine consistency I've ever tasted. I like the Chinese name given to this, which literally translates as "white snow gold sand." It is definitely as simple but aesthetically pleasing as the Chinese name implies.
