These
days, Macau is often associated with
gargantuan and glitzy casinos, with fantastical and famous restaurants and
chefs. However, one must not forget Macau was once a Portuguese colony, and
certain parts of Macau retain this colonial
character. Clube Militar de Macau, located right behind the new Grand Lisboa,
is a prime example of this.
A Brief History
The
contrast between the gleaming hotels and the tranquil club is extreme. At the
club, there is no bling bling, no gold, no ka-ching. The Military Club has a
history dating back to 1870. Originally a private recreational club for
military officers based in Macau, the club is
housed in a spectacular neo-classical building, beautifully lit up at night. (Did
we mention the building is pink?) It was
only as recently as 1995 that the club, including the restaurant, was opened
for the public.
Ambience and Service
The
colonial touch was certainly not lost in the atmospheric dining room. The
restaurant is spacious, with European-style arched windows, dark wooden
furniture and flooring, high ceiling with fans, and whitewashed walls. Waiters
were all polite, prompt, and very helpful.
The Lunch
We
arrived a little just after 2pm for a late weekday lunch, and the dining room
was still bustling, with many local businessmen, Portuguese expats, and a few
small groups of tourists. Many people come to enjoy the lunch buffet, but we
chose to order some “old favourites” in the Portuguese and Macanese menu. We
also decided to go through the decent wine list which is predominantly
Portuguese wines and ports, many available by the glass.
We
started with an aperitif of white port that made us hungry and ready for the
feast. For starters, we ordered a bowl of Caldo
Verde, a typical Portuguese potato soup that consists of collard greens,
chorizo sausages, and lots of olive oil. The presentation is tasteful, as the
ingredients listed above were laid out in a bowl, and the thick soup was poured
in front of us. Unfortunately, we found the soup to be a little bit too heavy
for a hot summer’s day, and it lacked a bit of salt, despite the presence of
the chorizos.
We then
shared three mains, including roast bacalhau, African chicken, and roast
suckling pig.
Bacalhau
literally means salted or dried cod fish in Portuguese, and there are hundreds
of ways to cook bacalhau. The menu at the club has about six variations, and we
chose the simple way of oven-roasting it. The presentation is beautiful, as the
chunky piece of codfish with a breaded crust rested on a bed of choi sum and
mashed potatoes. Even though the fish is supposed to be salted, we found the
meat far too salty for our taste.
The
African chicken, a classic Macanese dish, came with a smooth cream sauce,
atypical in style to many of the other local Macanese restaurants which adds
more paprika, peanuts and coconut for a fuller flavour and a spicy kick.
The star
of the mains was the suckling pig, with perfect skin and succulent meat. This
went extremely well with the glass of red wine from the Alentejo region in Portugal.
We
finished off the meal with two desserts, a fruity panna cotta and a stewed
pineapple with coconut ice cream, both delightfully light to compensate for the
heavy starter and main dishes.
The food
at Clube Militar might not be in the same caliber as Robuchon next door, but
the ambience and the history of the club certainly makes for some brilliant
dining experience.
