Appetite for Asia

Pork chop bun

When was the last time you ate a pork chop? The doyenne of 80s housewife dinners, this staple is given a new lease on life in Macau when placed on a bread bun.

They go on sale from 3pm each afternoon at Tai Lei Loi Kei in Taipa Village and are sold out within hours. The Macanese love their food, so despite its filling size it's considered a snack, not a meal.

$ – Expect to hand over a few dollar coins

Hot pot

This is a make-your-own-meal that is comfort in a bowl. A soup broth is the base of the experience, with dumplings added in for a mix and match meal.

Megan's Kitchen in Hong Kong's Lucky Centre comes highly recommended with bases that include crab tomato souffle and spicy snail while the dumplings are as indulgent as black truffle.

$$ – The gourmet ingredients up the price but it is worth it

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Beef brisket noodles

Don't be fooled by the innocent name. This dish will have the squeamish running, as it does contain blood and guts. It's a local favourite at Macau's Hung Pun Kei though, so it would be rude not to try it.

Hong Kong also has its own version of beef brisket at Kau Kee restaurant.

$$ – It's in the double digits but low range, at no more than $15

Roast duck

You'll be familiar with Chinese Peking duck served with hoi sin sauce, but Macau has a twist on the tradition. Go to Chan Kong Kei and try the black pepper roast duck which is stewed in a home-made, closely-guarded secret sauce.

What we do know is that the sauce contains black pepper. Beyond that, one can only hazard a guess. They've been in business nigh on 50 years so they are definitely doing something very right.

$ – A little under ten dollars will have you satiated

Snake soup

Snake soup is the Chinese version of chicken soup, lauded for its ability to soothe and cure a cold. The restaurant with the longest tradition of serving snake soup in Hong Kong is Ser Wong Fun.

The soup is more solid than it is liquid, jammed with meat and mushrooms.

$$ – This is a speciality so expect to pay a little more

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Durian ice cream

We weren't sure whether to classify this as a sweet or a savoury so we've put it in-between courses. One thing's for sure, there's no middle ground when it comes to this sensory onslaught of a fruit.

Durian divides the loyal from the unbelievers and has a flavour most would agree has to be acquired from a young age. You can procure a scoop from Macau's Mok Yi Kei in Taipa. For those after a milder option, order the serradura ice cream.

$ – You'll have change from a fiver

Portuguese egg tarts

Portuguese egg tarts are not sickly sweet, but instead have an edge of cinnamon and a taste more toward the yolk end of the spectrum than the custard end. You can expect a queue at Lord Stow's Bakery, which would have to be one of Macau's most famous culinary sites.

They sell so many that when you order you may receive your fare oven-hot. But if you wish to deviate from the mainstream, try the Portuguese egg tarts from Margaret's Cafe which ups the butter quotient. We say you need to try them both.

For a Hong Kong take on the egg tart, make a beeline for the Hoover Cake Shop in Kowloon City. It uses duck eggs which increases the richness of the tart.

$ – An egg tart won't set you back more than a dollar

Serradura pudding

Finish with the sweetest of Macau's offering. Serradurra is also called sawdust pudding and you'll soon understand why after a spoonful. It's delightfully tacky to the tongue and comes from melding condensed milk custard with vanilla, cream and chalky soft biscuit crumbs.

$ – Inexpensive enough to be addictive

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And finally…

Savoury pastries bridge the thin divide between Hong Kong and Macau, just like the soon-to be finished bridge linking the two cities.

Koi Kei Bakery can be found in both locations and they subvert expectations with their experimental combinations that actually work. There's almond cake with shredded pork, an egg roll with seaweed and shredded pork as well as an almond cookie with lard.

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culinary delight flavour food hong kong macau traditional