Review Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (Average)
Address: Songbo Village, 69 Av. de Sidónio Pais, Macao
Google Map Link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/WSTwg8pNysv1hcwj7
(Please refer to the Timings provided in the Google Map Link for the Operating Hours.)
Caldo Verde = HKD18.00
Minchi (No Rice) = HKD62.00
No Service Charges
Click here for the Full Menu and Receipt (Opens in a New Tab, Price is accurate as of Posting Date)
This is a Restaurant that specializes in Macanese and Portuguese Cuisine here in Macau. 🇵🇹😋 The outside of this place looks very unassuming, but inside was a very big 2 levels place that housed a Bar and the Actual Restaurant itself. 😳 I saw a few actual Portuguese speaking customers within just chilling around, so I reckon the Food here is probably quite legit. 👍
Unfortunately, I came during their Rest Hours so alot of their Dishes are not available. 🤔 Nevertheless, I was quite impressed that the China Chinese chap that mans the place was still very accomodating and was able to cook up a Couple of Dishes for me. 👍
That said though, while waiting for the Dishes to serve up, I distinctly heard the sounds of Microwave Chimes. 🔔 So I reckon he did not actually turned on the Stove to cook them fresh, but rather just re-heating pre-made ones they already had stored. 🤔 I do appreciate that they serve a Free Cup of Warm Lemon Infused Water if you don't order any drinks. 🍋🥤
Caldo Verde = HKD18.00
So apparently, Caldo Verde is a Popular Traditional Soup in Portugal eaten during Weddings, 💒 Birthdays 🎂 or Popular Celebrations. 🎉 It is even listed as one of Portugal's Seven Wonders of Gastronomy. 🇵🇹😄 (Source: Wikipedia) They serve 2 Versions of this, a Chinese and Western Version. 🤔 Of course I went for the Portuguese Western Version since this is a Portuguese Dish in the first place. 🇵🇹👍
I'll be honest, there is nothing really fancy. This is basically a Potato 🥔 and Vegetable Soup, 🥬🍲 with Potato being the Main Base. Imagine Mashed Potato being incorporated into a Soup and you get the basic idea what its about. 🥔🍲 Its not Overly Salty. 🧂 I'm not exactly sure what Veggie is added, but I feel that any Veggie as long as its Green and Leafy and doesn't have too strong of a taste will also work. 🥬👍
I also found some small pieces of Ham within. 🐷 I reckon their job is just to provide an occasional hit of Meaty Flavour to offset the Overall Vegetable-ness of this Dish. 🍖🥬 Overall a Very Simple Warm and Comforting Potato-Based Vegetable Soup. 🥔🍲
Minchi (No Rice) = HKD62.00
This is widely considered as Macau's National Dish. 👍 It is basically a Dish of Braised Minced Pork Bak Chor 🐷 with Diced Potatos 🥔 and Onion Slices 🧅 meant to be eaten with Rice. 🍚 They actually do serve this by default with Rice, but I requested for No Rice. Visually, this Dish looks Very Similar to Thailand's Pad Gaprao.
Not Overly Oily and Not Overly Porky in my opinion. 👍 When this was first served up, it has a Very Nice Braised Meaty Aroma. 🐷😋 When eating this, I felt this had a Very Familiar Taste of Soy Sauce (and Worcestershire Sauce?) 🍯🤔 and it has a Very Homemade Taste that you will most likely have eaten somewhere before. 😋
Culinarily not very Complex, I think this taste is achieved by Pan-Frying Minced Pork 🐷 with Onions, 🧅 Diced Potatos 🥔 and some Soy Sauce. 🍯 This is the type of Dish that is good to 下饭. 🍚 I reckon eating this with Toasted Bread should also work well. 🍞
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Conclusion and Closing Thoughts
Both Minchi and Caldo Verde are Not Very Sophisticated Dishes. 🤔 The more I ate them, the more I feel they are actually Very Simple Homely Dishes, 🏠 using Inexpensive Ingredients type of Budget Meals.
The sort of Homely Food that I can totally picture a Portuguese Grandma would cook for her Family. 🧓❤️ Nothing Fancy, just a Simple Homecooked Meal made with Love. ❤️ Maybe Portuguese Cuisine is by its Heart, Simplistic and got a more Homecooked 家乡味? 🇵🇹❤️
At the price of HKD62.00 (S$11.00) for Minchi and HKD18.00 (S$3.20) for Caldo Verde, I feel its still quite a reasonable price to pay. 👍 Would I try again though? No. because I feel these 2 dishes are Culinarily Simplistic and are something that I can probably whip up at Home myself. 🤔
Which I did after I came back from my Holiday Trip. Hahaha what do you think about my Version of Minchi? I added some Bellpeppers for a much needed Dash of Colour.😅
That said, just because they are Culinarily Simplistic does not mean they are not worth the money to try though. 🤔 Sometimes it's worth the money to get a taste of what the Common Folks of another Country eats and these 2 Dishes exemplifies this concept. Inexpensive Ingredients, Cheap and Filling. 👍
While I cannot give this place a Higher Score due to the 2 Dishes being Culinarily Simplistic and they are also probably re-heated food 🤔 (they don't taste re-heated for me btw) 😅 I can still recommend to visit this place because the fact that the Restaurant was nice enough to make them for me even though its supposed to be their Rest Hours is really Commendable. 👍
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