Macau’s Best Spot for Afternoon Tea

The Lobby Lounge at Mandarin Oriental Macau has recently been refurbished in a colour scheme that is much lighter and welcoming than before. It’s one of the few spots in Macau where you can break away from the hustle and bustle of the casino resorts and enjoy a quiet catch-up with friends over traditional afternoon tea.

The hotel, perhaps more than any other in Macau, works hard to offer diverse food and beverage options and regularly invites guest chefs and mixologists to come and present pop-up dining and cocktail series.

Most recently, Singaporean celebrity chef Eric Teo came to introduce an afternoon tea and à la carte menu offering guests a rare opportunity to sample the very finest quality of Singaporean cuisine. Chef Teo recently scooped the 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award at the World Gourmet Summit Awards of Excellence and was previously executive chef at Mandarin Oriental, Singapore.

Highlights of the afternoon tea set include ‘Kueh Pie Tee’, designed to be eaten in one mouthful. It’s an explosion of juicy prawns, thinly sliced jicama, mixed vegetables and chilli sauces, all in a thin crust shell cup – a mouth-wateringly delicious savoury treat.

Among the sweet offerings, the Singaporean Kueh Lapis cake is the real standout. ‘Kueh Lapis’ literally means rich-layer cake and is made up of 20 or so thin layers that combine to make the king of all cakes. A richly indulgent treat, each of its 20 layers is grilled separately in a process that takes over two hours to complete. The result is a cake that is very moist, delicious and highly addictive – you have been warned!

From the à la carte menu, you can’t miss trying Chef Teo’s Singapore Laksa. Traditionally a popular street food dish in Singapore, it’s a deliciously warming noodle soup consisting of rice noodles with chicken, prawns and fishcakes, and served in rich and spicy curry coconut milk.

For seafood lovers, you will not want to miss the Singaporean-style soft shell crab. A variation of the famous Singaporean chilli crab dish, crabs are stir-fried in a semi-thick, sweet, savoury tomato and chilli-based sauce and served with fried mantou – these are steamed bread buns that are perfect for dipping and soaking up the delicious chilli crab sauce.

Chef Eric Teo’s Singaporean Food Experience is available at the Lobby Lounge, Mandarin Oriental Macau from December 7–12, 2017.

Traditional Afternoon Tea is available daily from 12–6 p.m. alongside an extensive collection of premium loose leaf teas and light snacks.

Mandarin Oriental Macau, Avenida Dr Sun Yat Sen, Macau, +853 8805 8888