Chef José Avillez is a leading figure in promoting Portuguese cuisine. He owns multiple restaurants worldwide, including the two-MICHELIN-Starred restaurant Belcanto and one-MICHELIN-Starred restaurant Encanto in Lisbon, as well as establishments in Dubai and Macau.
More than a decade ago, he visited Macau for the first time and witnessed the influence Portugal had left there. He was amazed to discover a reflection of his homeland’s history and culture in a distant corner of the world, as well as the exchange and fusion of cultures.
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Later, he opened a restaurant in Macau, and even during work trips, he always takes the chance to explore nearby coastal trails, such as the Hac Sá Long Chao Kok Coastal Trail. Strolling along the paths, descending the steps, and feeling the sea breeze reconnects him with nature. “I think it's a place that I really connect with Portugal back home," he shares "and it's a bridge from Macau and Portugal.”
Avillez also enjoys visiting Macau’s old town to experience its unique cultural fusion. “You can find a lot of Portuguese influence here, especially in architecture.” he said. “But there's always something different that (makes) you understand it couldn't be in Portugal.”
When he craves Portuguese cuisine, Avillez heads to Comida Portuguesa O Santos, a restaurant founded by a former navy chef. It serves a variety of Portuguese delicacies, including octopus salad, Bacalhau à Brás, Portuguese salad with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers, prawn with garlic, and roasted suckling pig with French fries, olives, and red wine. Every visit is a feast for him.
For local flavours, he is particularly fond of the Bib Gourmand Eatery Lok Kei Noodles (Patane). Widely loved, it offers signature dishes such as prawn roe noodles, deep-fried wontons with crispy dace balls, and crab congee. Among these, the prawn roe noodles stand out, made with traditional bamboo-pressed noodles in lard sauce and topped with prawn roe toasted by the owner himself—a dish Avillez never misses on his visits.
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From nature and culture to cuisine, Macau's vibrant offerings always make it hard for this globe-trotting chef to say goodbye. “I have to go back to Portugal, but (I am) missing Macau already” he shares.
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