Portuguese Christmas Buffet
Everyone says that the buffets in Macau are great and worth the money, but I have never tried them (except for hotel breakfasts), which makes me feel a bit ashamed.
If I'm going to try, I'll try something special. This Christmas, I'll taste the Christmas buffet at Royal Grapevine on the ground floor of the Macau Tower.
As the name suggests, the buffet here is themed around Portuguese cuisine, with many dishes that I've never seen in Hong Kong.
As usual, I won't talk about every dish, just the ones that are more unique and worth recommending.
Salads and cold cuts are basic, but what impressed me the most was the beetroot salad, which was so fresh and sweet that I had it twice.
The hot mussels were plump and firm, not shrinking to small pieces.
The spicy roast chicken was freshly baked, with crispy skin and a not-so-tender texture, but still had the flavor of Piri Piri sauce.
Other Portuguese specialties like duck rice, seafood rice, lamb stew with mint and red wine sauce were very authentic. My favorite was the garlic olive oil baked cod, which was delicious, and the accompanying potatoes were not to be missed.
For desserts, there were two egg-based dishes that I had never seen in Hong Kong. First was the cinnamon baked egg whites, and then the egg yolks cooked in cinnamon syrup, making full use of the eggs.
The egg yolks cooked in cinnamon syrup felt very Christmassy, quite sweet, which some friends might find overwhelming, but I enjoyed it.
Then I had a traditional Portuguese tart, some jelly, chocolate brownie, and fruits. This meal satisfied my sweet tooth more than my savory cravings.
A sip of white coffee after the meal made it perfect!
Restaurant Information:
Royal Grapevine
G Floor, Macau Tower