Special thanks to Macau Street for extending this food review invitation.
Update: This business has ceased its operations.
Macau Street Restaurant (澳门街) is one of the longest-operating restaurants in Automall. This stir-frying (煮炒) restaurant draws inspiration from Macau delicacies such as Portuguese egg tarts and Cantonese cooking in general.
In its air-conditioned dining area, there are tables of various sizes to suit different party sizes. In addition, al fresco dining is also available for customers who wish to enjoy the evening breeze. It is also noteworthy to mention that Macau Street has been visited by several prominent artists and politicians over the course of 2 years.
At the helm of Macau Street’s kitchen is a veteran chef from Hong Kong. Having received several months’ worth of feedback from customers, the chef is revising the food menu in conjunction with the restaurant’s 2-year anniversary. Although the food still revolves around Cantonese-style cooking, the taste is adjusted to suit the local palate.
The first dish is Deep-Fried Red Snapper (奶香红狮鱼). The fish is deep-fried to light crispiness, then dressed with spicy gravy and garnishes. While the gravy surely helps in terms of flavoring, the red snapper serves as the key appeal for this dish. Delectable and tender in texture, the fish is enjoyable overall.
The next dish is Tofu With Stuffed Scallop (干贝扒豆腐, RM25.00). Several pieces of soft bean curd are cut on the top, then stuffed with lovely filling made from scallops. The dish is topped with thick egg gravy which contains wolfberries (枸杞). Finally, juicy bok choy (小白菜) is served on the side.
The Portuguese Pumpkin Pot (葡国金瓜盅, RM38.00) uses a hollowed-out pumpkin as a bowl. Surrounded by sweet pumpkin flesh is creamy curry stew that contain shrimps and squids. Pumpkin that has been removed is not wasted either; it is used in the stew itself. The curry is highly gratifying, making this dish my personal favorite for the evening.
The mere sight of Charcoal Roast Pork Belly (炭烧脆皮烧腩, RM22.00) is impossible to ignore. Succulent slices of pork belly are roasted to absolute perfection. I think some kind of dipping sauce may help me to enjoy the pork even more.
Fried Squid & Winged Beans (四季炒苏东, RM18.00) is closer towards local Chinese cooking. Chopped winged beans (四棱豆) are stir-fried with squid and spicy minced shrimp. Overall, the spicy-savory sauce works well with juicy winged beans as well as springy squid.
In lieu of white rice, Claypot Prawn Rice (沙煲虾饭, RM40.00) is served. Presented in a large claypot, rice is cooked with savory meat stock so that it is aromatic and flavorful. The appeal of this dish is enhanced by several large shrimps on top. Stir-fried in sweet sauce, the plump shrimps are delectable indeed.
The Seafood Platter (海鲜四大天王, RM138.00) provides the ultimate seafood enjoyment. The “four kings” are represented by flower crabs (花蟹), shrimps (虾), scallops (带子) and clams (蛤蜊). These delicacies are brought together through the use of spicy shrimp paste.
For something light, try the restaurant’s signature Macau Portuguese-Style Egg Tarts (澳门葡挞, RM4.80). Each order of tarts comes in 2 pieces, each boasting crumbly pastry crust with soft egg custard inside. I cannot recommend these tarts highly enough.
As for drinks, the Macau Milk Tea (澳门冰镇奶茶, RM5.80) is the restaurant’s specialty. The tea is prepared from a customized formula of powder that is only available at Macau Street. While the drink’s creaminess is quite commendable, I prefer the sweetness level to be toned down.
The cold version of Macau Milk Tea is served in an ice bath to keep the drink chilled without diluting tea flavor. Meanwhile, hot version (RM5.50) of this drink is also available.
Besides these newly-introduced dishes, Macau Street also offers special dishes on monthly basis. For this month, Sichuan Ma La Chicken (四川麻辣鸡) is available for mere RM2.00. This unbelievably-low price is available for customers who spend at least RM30.00 on other dishes – easily achieved when ordering food for 2 or more persons.
Name: Macau Street Restaurant (澳门街)
Address: 29C-01-05, Automall Penang, Persiaran Karpal Singh, 11600 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 04-291-2022
Business hours: 11:30am-3:00pm, 6:00pm-10:30pm, closed on Tuesdays
Website: https://www.facebook.com/Macaustreet-restaurant-867148646633181
Coordinates: 5.39800 N, 100.32956 E
Directions: From Lebuhraya Tun Dr. Lim Chong Eu, take the Sungai Pinang exit and head east. Drive to the end of the road, then turn left. Automall is within a short distance on the left, while Macau Street is one of the shops on the ground floor. Street parking and indoor mall parking are available.