Antonio, Macau

English

Housed in a pretty 3-storey yellow building, “Antonio” is a dining instituition in Macau.

The restaurant is intimate.

Dark wood is complemented with blue table cloths, blue curtains and beautiful blue and white tiles on the walls. Flowers hanging from the ceiling and little floral arrangements on the tables inject much welcomed pockets of life into the space and provide needed balance.

Prawns sauteed with Garlic

Garlicky and stimulating, the fire from the garlic punches the palette lightly and wakes it up for more palette sensory stimulation. Ice cold and slightly acidic,  the Alvarinho is a most excellent accompaniment to this appetizer.

Creamy Asparagus Soup

This soup is amazing.  It is the creamiest asparagus cream soup I have ever tasted.  The bits of asparagus in the soup are tender and crunchy, which only add to the quality of the soup.

Portuguese Rabbit with White Bean Stew

The rabbit is imported from Portugal.  This is yet another amazing dish.  The rabbit has a distinct flavour and oh-so-satisfying. Though not exactly the star of the dish, the surrounding legume and vegetables have been executed with equal care.  The white beans are soft, the carrots are firm but give way easily to bite, the baby corn and broccoli are crunchy. Each was cooked to the degree of perfection.  I was amazed at the attention given to the supporting ingredients of a dish.  The care given to supporting ingredients only speak of the high quality of cuisine provided by this restaurant.

An excellent dessert is the restaurant’s own “Antonio Porto Reserve”.

Located away from the rowdy Cotai strip where all the tourists and integrated complexes are, the restaurant is nevertheless packed EVERY night.  It is also telling that the patrons are locals and not clueless tourists lured in by hype.  Reservations are a must here if you expect to get a seat.

Stuffed to the gills with accolades, this restaurant deserves each and every one of them.