Macau’s best late-night eats, according to chefs Tam Kwok-fung, Julien Tongourian and Pan Sihui
Macau’s top chefs share their favourite post-shift haunts where the city’s culinary roots run deepest – and where inspiration is born
The rhythmic hiss of gas burners from Sek Si Mei Sek’s kitchen cuts through the chatter as we take our seats. Once a modest street stall, this now-roofed eatery retains its dai pai dong soul: wobbly plastic stools, the syncopated clang of woks and the intoxicating aroma of white pepper-laced bone broth swirling around the table.
Macau’s 24/7 rhythm, fuelled by its casino economy, sustains a late-night dining culture where 100 pataca stir-fries share pavements with casseroles three times the price. “Back in the day, we’d take dates to roadside stalls for siu yeh,” laughs Rex Ao, a 40-something Macau native, using the Cantonese term for a late-night snack or meal. “The old egg custard vendor in the Three Lamps District worked magic with border-town water buffalo milk, but that creamy sweetness vanished when he did. It’s now all just a memory.”
“These days, restaurant business drops noticeably during weekends,” says Ao. But the “tripping north” trend to Zhuhai isn’t Macau’s only challenge. Chef Tam Kwok-fung of two-Michelin-starred Chef Tam’s Seasons has observed a generational shift: “Young locals see F&B as gruelling. They often prefer the stability and comfort of hotel careers to running family kitchens.”
Technology fills gaps, too. While late-night delivery thrives in mainland China, Macau’s scene remains relatively analogue, prompting Pan to scroll Google Maps and the Chinese e-commerce app Dianping after hours to scope out the places still open. “These apps are my essentials for surviving the night shift,” he says.