Macao?

[travelmad478]

I'm headed there for dinner next week. Comments? Suggestions?

[bluesky22]

I'm interested in hearing about any recent experiences at Macao too. Thinking about having a birthday dinner here but have never been. The menu looks good though.

[alepenazzi]

I always had great experiences, it may not be the most refined food in in NY but the majority of the dishes are very good, they're perfect for a group because many of them are easy to share and if you enjoy cocktails it can easily become a fun night out with friends.
I always went on weekends though, I don't know if the vibe is the same during the week..

[prima]

Has anyone dined at Macao recently? The menu appears to have some new dishes, or variations on previous dishes (no bacalao in the current kale salad).
http://www.macaonyc.com/images/menu/d...
Thanks for any comments. ;-)

[travelmad478]

Reporting back. I ended up dining solo, since my friend ended up getting held back at his office at literally the last possible second, and I was already sitting down. I had a weird "travelmad eats solo" meal: I was hungry, but unwilling to order anything big and/or overly meat-oriented after eating way too much the night before at Blue Smoke. So I started with the kale and bacalao salad, then moved on to chicken/pork steamed dumplings, and finished things off with a side order of sauteed greens with garlic and ginger. I also had an overpriced, kinda girly but good cocktail with coconut, green tea vodka, and Thai basil for $15.

The dumplings, which had a spicy sauce on them, were probably the high point of a non-memorable yet not-unpleasant meal. The kale salad with bacalao was just weird. It wasn't bad, but when I order a kale salad with bacalao I don't really expect it to come with what tasted an awful lot like Caesar dressing. The sauteed greens were, well, sauteed greens (and kind of overcooked).

Perhaps it was because I was eating alone and had gotten stood up, but I got more service than I really wanted from my waitress. She was nice enough, but if there's a bottle of tap water on the table and a tiny glass to drink it from, I really don't want my server to come over every five minutes to pour me another glass. (I drink a lot of water.) It got a little oppressive after a while. Still, it's hard to complain about that when normally a woman dining alone can expect treatment from the opposite end of the attention spectrum.

For drinks this place might be OK, although I wouldn't want to be paying for those drinks myself (this meal got expensed). For food, there is no reason to return. I chalk this one up to experience.

[squid kun]

Just to clarify, are we all talking about Macao Trading Co. on Church St.?

[travelmad478]

Yes, that's the one.

[foodwhisperer]

I'm amazed they are still in business. My last meal there was awhile ago and it was pretty bad. The original chef is long gone. Good Luck

[Pan]

Sounds intriguing. Sort of Portuguese-Chinese food?

[travelmad478]

I thought the menu looked very interesting when my friend suggested it, so I booked it (even though--gasp!--I couldn't really find any CH reviews of it). Will report back with my findings.

[LeahBaila]

Let us know how it goes - I hope you enjoy.

[LeahBaila]

Yep, though nothing like the food I actually had when in Macao...it was actually much more delicious at the restaurant in NY! The cocktail program is a winner, to boot, as it was conceived by the guys from Employees Only.

[LeahBaila]

Granted, I have not been back since 2010, but my dinner there was one of the better meals I've had (up until that point). Great cocktail program and, whatever you do, make sure to order the malasadas for dessert. Brilliant.