MACAO TRADING COMPANY.

I swear to god it was like Chronicles of Narnia meets Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (or some other ancient Asia-y type film). The doors of Macao Trading Company are nondescript, unmarked, and lie on a quiet, unassuming street. Unless you know the exact address, you would never expect to push through the aforementioned uninviting doors and find yourself transformed into another world. You are immediately ensconced by the hustle and bustle of a 1940s harbor warehouse. The decor in this restaurant is phenomenal. Cages outline the upper perimeter of the dining area and allow you to catch a glimpse into a seedy environment filled with old antiques and relics. The soft glow from the lighting barely illuminates the wooden tables, providing a vibe of mystery mixed with warmth. I've never seen a restaurant TRY to make their bathrooms seem worn and dingy, like those you would find in most eateries in Chinatown. The crowd is lively and a healthy mix of suits, hipsters, etc.

We were escorted downstairs and entered an even "sexier" part of the restaurant - as our hostess described. I had already expected to fall in love with the atmosphere and decor, but I was hesitant about the actual food. I had read many a scathing review on Macao Trading Posts' mediocre menu (which features both Chinese and Portuguese specialties and also offered dishes prepared in either Chinese or Portuguese style), so I started off with one of their famous cocktails. A little buzz always makes the meal more enjoyable.


I ordered the Drunken Dragon's Milk - Charbay Green Tea Vodka shaken with Young Coconut Puree, Thai Basil, & Macao Five-Spice Bitters. This frothy drink was delicious, but almost made me feel as if I were drinking liquid curry...but does that have to be a bad thing??? Thoroughly enjoyed this indulgent cocktail.

Our table ordered three small dishes to share.


Chinese style shrimp in crispy wrappers. Eating shrimp with its shell still intact is extremely strange to me, but no doubt definitely a common Chinese-way of serving shrimp. I was somewhat averse to this dish only because the shell was left on, but other then that - the little shrimp wrapper was tasty.


The Portuguese style mushroom and truffle croquettes. TRES yummy...but I am wondering what ingredients or form makes this cheesy, creamy croquette actually Portuguese???


Scallop and snow pea leaf dumplings. Again tasty - but nothing mind-blowing.

I ordered the Macanese Paella for my main course, which was absolutely delicious!!! The rice developed a nice texture from being stewed in clam and lobster stock. It was topped with Manila clams, monkfish, shrimp, and a few vegetables. Great flavors, well-cooked seafood...albeit fairly salty. I recognize this only because after my meal I felt completely dehydrated!!! My apologies for the lack of photography for this dish - all of my images came out really blurry and dark.


The trio of flan and churros for dessert. The flan was absolutely divine. I loved the creamy texture of the caramel flan, and then interesting infusion of chocolate flavors in the chocolate flan. We could have done without the strange citrus-y one at the end. The churros were extremely mediocre in my mind. It would have helped if the dough had more flavor - if there were also hints of cinnamon and sugar within the churro rather than just sprinkled on the outside. The chocolate was watery, not thick enough for dunking.

Go to Macao Trading Company, but don't expect to eat extremely inventive, creative dishes. Expect to eat normal Asian-style cuisine and you will not be disappointed. Come thirsty and enjoy their delicious cocktails. Dessert can be made an afterthought.