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2012-12-13
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8. The symbolic numeral that Chinese people consider as good fortune, so for the Chinese restaurant inside Grand Lisboa Macau to be named after this lucky figure it is more than fitting no? Specialising in Cantonese and Huaiyang cuisine, The 8 is a holder of two-Michelin stars and from the numerous positive reviews regarding the caliber of the dishes served here both for dim sum and main courses it really is not that surprising.At the entrance as you are greeted politely by the hostess, the larg
At the entrance as you are greeted politely by the hostess, the large 8 symbol is boldly illuminated from behind by the reddish lit back wall. Directed through automatic sliding doors into a dark corridor where both walls are a feature with water trickling down you are met with projected images of gold fish darting about in a stream on the ground. Very serene, there is a gap of a few seconds for guests to enjoy this before the sliding doors at the opposite end open and you step into the main dining room. The restaurant is elegant, black with a contrast of deep red setting the tone for the decor with hints of Chinese elements used in the furnishings. The far wall is an eye popping mural of plump orange-red gold fish and for any first timer to The 8, their attention must surely be stolen by the stunning crystal ball suspended low-down towards the center of the room. It was quite dim inside, but spotlights were cleverly aimed above each table, providing enough light for diners to appreciate the visual aspect of their meal.
They have an impressive selection for dim sum, with more than 50 types available for selection, but despite looking at the menu, most of the items we had were arranged for us because of Mr. C, so we had a mix of both dim sum and main dishes.It is not often that Chinese restaurants offer amuse bouche, but here they serve diced grilled pork and abalone with mushrooms on a crunchy cracker. The pork was nicely marinated, while the abalone served cold, was pleasantly chewy.
Steamed dim sum arrived first. A selection of three, clockwise from top- steamed superior river shrimp dumpling shaped like a gold fish, dumpling with sharks fin, scallop and asparagus, dumpling with Pacific clams and shrimp. Elegantly made, the fillings were very fresh while the glutinous skin was delicately thin and translucent with a slight chewiness.
As the server placed this on the table, I could not help exclaiming at how cute the items were~ L to R, a miniature baked tart with crabmeat in curry sauce and a hedgehog BBQ pork bun with preserved vegetables. The filling of the tart was creamy with a light curry flavour while the tart itself was baked perfectly, firm yet buttery with a hint of sweetness. The BBQ pork bun was something different too, the filling was moist and sweet, but what was special about it was the bottom of the fluffy bun was pan-fried to a golden brown so there was a pleasant contrast of soft and crunchiness. Both were very very good~ Recommended.
A silver covered steamer came next, revealing a hairy crab roe xiao long bao. Juicy pork mince encased in a thin skin. And of course, lets not forget the soup. For any xiao long bao, the soup is definitely the most important aspect as it contains all the essence seeped out from the filling. Here, not only was it piping hot, it was also gorgeously sweet from the addition of crab roe.
We were then served one of their signature dishes, a half portion of shredded chicken with crispy skin laid over a bed of pomelo with a honey and lime sauce. The chicken was really tender and the skin was cooked till most of the fat had been rendered out, leaving it very crisp with little oiliness. The pomelo was naturally sweet and paired with the chicken it made a very refreshing dish.
To meet our vegetable quota, we ordered pea shoots, but rather than cooking it with consomme, the manager suggested we try it with their special method using congee broth. This came out as a generous portion of pea shoots immersed in a smooth milky liquid. Creamy with a slightly thick texture, you can detect a subtle fragrance from the rice used in the congee. Paired together with the tender vegetables, it seemed so simple, but was immensely satisfying~ Recommended.
For our final savoury course, we were served 'mai seen' (rice string) with assorted mushrooms and pigeon fillet. This was prepared in front of us gueridon style and the end result was a bowl of delectable broth, with a hearty assortment of fresh mushrooms, tender slices of dark pigeon meat ladelled over perfectly cooked 'mai seen'. This was so so good, definitely worth trying~
And of course dessert plays a part here.I picked the double boiled milk with birds nest and coconut milk, while Mr. C picked the duo of chilled coconut mango pudding as well as the almond tea with birds nest.
I loved my dessert, the double boiled milk was so creamy with the perfect level of sweetness and there was a more than substantial amount of birds nest inside.
Mr. C's dessert was so cute, the two puddings were shaped into small goldfish, 'swimming' on top of a thin layer of green jelly. The coconut one was lightly fragrant, while there were pieces of fresh mango used in the other one. They were set a little more firmly than usual puddings of this type, but only because they needed to be molded. I think Mr. C quite enjoyed it too, but his preference was obviously more inclined to the mango pudding
I find that almond tea desserts served in restaurants are usually not very palatable, with overly fake almond flavour or the texture being too thin. The one served here was a different story though. Running a spoon through the liquid, I could feel a slight resistance which emphasized a thickness in texture. Silkily smooth, with no grittiness at all, the natural almond flavour was really pleasant.
And for petite fours~ Portuguese egg tarts with milk tea The waitress offered three types of powder to sprinkle on top, cinnamon, chocolate or vanilla. Mr. C chose cinnamon which was the traditional accompaniment, while I chose to have mine plain. The tarts were so flaky and crunchy with the custard being gorgeously rich. The one sprinkled with cinnamon actually tasted better, (not that the plain one was not good) as it filled the senses with its spicy aroma. Paired with the sweet, creamy milk tea, it was a perfect way to end the meal~
I do not think words alone can describe how much I enjoyed the experience at The 8, but there is definitely a need to return, especially to try their renowned dish of suckling pig stuffed with fried rice~
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