Huaiyang cuisine, one of China’s four great culinary traditions, has a rich history. Known for its meticulous preparation, intricate knife skills, and focus on seasonal ingredients, it stands out with its delicate flavours. While its taste may be subtler compared to other cuisines, its elegance highlights the true essence of the ingredients. Mastery of Huaiyang cuisine depends on fundamental culinary skills and ingredient quality, making it a challenging art form.
In Macau, where Cantonese cuisine is dominant, finding an outstanding Huaiyang restaurant is especially rare.
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The Huaiyang Garden is the only restaurant in Macau recognized with MICHELIN stars for Huaiyang cuisine. Guided by the legendary Huaiyang cuisine master chef Zhou Xiaoyan as a consultant, the restaurant takes its name as a tribute to his legacy. Its head chef, Xiao Fei, is a protégé of Zhou Xiaoyan. Starting from the basics—cleaning fish, making dim sum, and preparing cold dishes—Xiao Fei worked his way up, building a solid foundation in the craft. The restaurant earned its first MICHELIN star in 2023 and was promoted to two stars in 2024 edition of MICHELIN Guide Hong Kong & Macau.
“My biggest feeling about coming to Macau, is the openness and inclusiveness of the place. A lot of chefs have helped us.” Xiao Fei remarked on Huaiyang cuisine’s success in Macau. “We are not here to compete with each other, but to all blossom together. We are here to make Macau's gastronomic scene richer and more colourful, and the global food scene is even more exciting because of Macau.”
We spoke with MICHELIN Guide inspectors, who shared an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at their experience dining at The Huaiyang Garden, the dishes that won them over, and the reasoning behind the restaurant's two stars.
Arrival
The Huaiyang Garden is located in The Londoner Macao Integrated Resort, seamlessly connected to the shopping mall. Its entrance, adorned with gray tiles, green bricks, and auspicious cloud motifs, features a sign bearing the restaurant's name, radiating a sense of classic Chinese elegance.
“The restaurant's walls are covered with beautiful Chinese landscape paintings, featuring details like willow leaves and peaceful lakes. The staff wore stylish custom-made cheongsams in matching blue and purple shades that tied in perfectly with the decor. We were seated in the main dining area—not in a private room—but the metallic lattice archway next to our table gave just enough separation from the nearby tables. With the soft, dim lighting, the whole space felt cozy and intimate."
"The intricate lattice archways and the stunning golden wall mural really added to the restaurant’s vibe. The mural’s gold-accented landscapes and leafy patterns, combined with sleek modern sofas and chic lighting, struck a great balance between the timeless beauty of traditional Chinese gardens and the fresh, modern design. It created a space that felt both lively and serene at the same time.”
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The Meal
The Huaiyang Garden primarily offers an à la carte menu, showcasing a full array of classic Huaiyang dishes, from dim sum and cold appetizers to hot mains and desserts. Among the highlights, the freshwater delicacies are truly unmissable.“One of my favourites was the 'Wok-Fried River Shrimp with Ginger and Spring Onion.' (right image ©MICHELIN) The dish features river shrimp fried to perfection and coated in a sweet-savoury sauce made with sugar and soy sauce. A hint of kaffir lime leaf adds a refreshing touch, balancing the richness and sweetness beautifully.”
“What surprised me most about this dish was their choice to use locally sourced shrimp from the brackish waters near the Pearl River Delta in Guangdong, rather than the traditional Jiangsu River shrimp. River shrimps are extremely delicate, easily damaged or killed during transport. By selecting local shrimp, they not only ensure maximum freshness but also serve shrimp that are uniformly sized, in excellent condition, and even carrying roe. This thoughtful approach highlights the restaurant’s deep understanding of their ingredients and their dedication to exploring and mastering local produce.”
“While this dish isn’t complicated to make, it requires great attention to detail, as well as perfect control over heat and timing. When it was served, the shrimp had perfectly crispy shells, and the meat was sweet and tender. Each shrimp was the same size, and the plating was beautifully done. What really impressed me was that the shrimp were still hot when they arrived at the table, as heat can easily be lost during plating. But they managed to keep the temperature intact while also making sure the dish looked visually stunning.”
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Another standout dish is the "Shredded Bean Curd with Crab Meat and Egg White in Superior Soup." (left image © MICHELIN, hero image ©The Huaiyang Garden). This dish is another example of classic Huaiyang cuisine and showcases the chef's amazing knife skills. The tofu is cut into perfectly delicate, uniform strands and paired with seaweed and crab meat, creating a beautiful combination of textures and colours.
“This dish really shows off the chef’s knife skills. Tofu has a relatively light flavour so the real magic comes from the broth. It’s packed with king crab legs, shredded crab, and whole pieces of tender crab meat, which give the soup a rich, savory umami. The soup itself is nice and smooth, super comforting, and the crispy fried dough and fried flour beans add a fun crunch. It’s a dish that brings something new, both in terms of flavour and texture.”
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Conclusion
“I was really impressed by how much attention to quality they put into things at the Huaiyang Garden. Huaiyang cuisine is already pretty challengeing cuisine to master, even in Macau. That being said, compared to other Huaiyang restaurants in China, the Huaiyang Garden really stands out."
“After our meal, we got to meet Chef Xiao Fei. He came over to ask how everything was, and you could really feel how down-to-earth he is. He told us he’s from Jiangsu and grew up eating Huaiyang dishes. He’s in the restaurant every day, making sure everything’s just right and focusing on the details. Even though the staff is well-trained, he personally explains things like where the river shrimp come from and the restaurant’s philosophy, showing just how much he cares and understands. It definitely made an impression on us.”
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Tips from Inspectors
1. If you’re dining solo, you can go for the set menu, but we’d recommend bringing a group of friends and ordering à la carte so you can try more dishes together.2. Definitely order more freshwater seafood—it's classic in Huaiyang cuisine.
3. If you still have room after the meal, try their dim sum. The Dingsheng cake (right image, ©MICHELIN), with its super crispy, light skin, is made fresh to order and has a unique twist—definitely worth the wait!
