As a food writer, but one who is far from a food expert, I can tell very little difference between Cantonese cuisine and Macao cuisine.Actually, the former cuisine is much more familiar to me but the latter only seems to impress when its signature snack is on the menu - the Portuguese egg tarts.

However, I became much more interested in Macanese food after I recently visited a restaurant named Lisboa Yum Yum Pot, which reportedly enjoys a big following in the city. The restaurant is owned by a Macao celebrity and features hot casserole dishes, one aspect of Macao cuisine which resembles its Cantonese cousin.

When I arrived early for lunch at the two-floor restaurant, which is located at the Hongqiao Development Zone, it was already full of diners. The interior decor of the Lisboa Yum Yum Pot looks like any ordinary Cantonese tea restaurant. The dining hall is capacious and casual, and also boasts a special design for good "feng shui."

Most dishes in the Lisboa are served in big ceramic casseroles, and their portions are very generous. First appearing at the food courts in South China in the 1930s, these casserole dishes are regarded as a special feature of Cantonese cuisine. The container is able to keep the heat inside for a comparatively long time and thus help preserve the food's original flavour.

The shark's fin soup in stone pot with rice (58 yuan, US$7.25), which is one of Lisboa's signature dishes, was a very nice delicacy. After it was presented on the table for us, a waitress poured the soup slowly from a metal glass into the stone pot, then mixed it with the rice and shark' fin in the pot. The soup, which is said to be a mixture of chicken and fish broth, was so rich that it looked like boiling milk. It tasted very delicious, authentically mild and perfectly harmonious with the shark's fin.

The rice with preserved meat in casserole,Macanese style (38 yuan, US$4.75)was also worthy of recommendation. The dish was heated up in a short time and the vegetables and segmented sausage which topped the rice emitted an alluring scent as soon as the cover of casserole was opened.

The Macanese-style sausage tasted heavy,succulent, salty and a bit greasy, but it was a good accompaniment with the Thai rice. In addition,the crispy rice at the bottom of the casserole was also refreshing and tasty.The stewed fish head in casserole (58 yuan,US$7.25), in comparison with the steamed rice and sausage, was less impressive for my tastes due to its mild flavour. The BBQ fish style eggplant & beancurd (32 yuan, US$4) had a cute presentation.

The beancurd, of uniform round shape, surrounded the sauteed eggplants
with meat and chili. This dish had a strong flavour, tasted both sweet and spicy, and was also quite refreshing. The beancurd which absorbed the soup of the fish style eggplants was especially good.

The most popular dish in the Lisboa is the braised beef spare ribs with ginseng sauce (138 yuan, US$17.25), which had a splendid presentation and a fantastic flavour. The dish is said to have won gold prize at an international cuisine competition last year, and what makes it so outstanding is the sauce made from Korean ginseng. They also say the beef is braised in a purple clay pot over a small fire for several hours.

This dish has become the must-have specialty at the restaurant. A waiter usually bangs a gong at the table on which the dish is served, thereby signalling its difference from all the other dishes. Topped with thinly sliced ginseng and medlar, the braised beef tasted very rich, tender and succulent. Due to the special sauce, it seemed slightly bitter,but still pleased my palate greatly.

The Lisboa Yum Yum Pot also serves dishes very quickly, and they arrived in order onto our table in no time at all. So,diners, there is no need to make many orders at the same time, otherwise you will find your table overwhelmed with pots and casseroles.

Lisboa Yum Yum Pot
Location: Unit 10-12, 100 Zunyi Road
Tel: 021-62372777