After 3 days of hectic visiting, it is time for us to take it slow and easy in the laid back Taipa, an island linked to mainland Macau by the Taipa Bridge (also known as the Governador Nobre de Carvalho Bridge).
Though small, Taipa is definitely worth your time (at least it was worthy of ours). All it takes was a 30 mins direct bus ride from Senado Square to Rua Do Cunha, a famous food street in Taipa.
Immediately upon setting foot on this food street, the numerous cafes with their colourful signboards are enough to whet our appetite!
We started off with the most delicious mango smoothie – Yang Zi Gan Lu (杨枝甘露). Thick flavorful mango juice with real mangoes cubes and lots of pomelo pulps in it. It is the best we ever had so far….unforgettable.
For lunch, we had the famous MUST-TRY crab porridge from Casa de Pasto Seng Choeng (誠昌飯店).
The porridge is typical Cantonese style, cooked till a little runny and smooth texture. What set this one apart is the taste. It is cooked with fresh crabs and 3 different types of eggs with each ingredient complementing rather than overpowering each other. We especially loved how the salted egg brings out the sweetness of the crabs.
After loading ourselves with so much cholesterol (from the porridge), it’s time for some exploring. Besides Taipa, the island is also home to another two villages namely Cotai and Coloane. Unfortunately, we only had time for Taipa.
Most part of Taipa is residential with market catered to the locals. We had a short walk around before heading to R. Direita Carlos Eugenio (street next to Rua Do Cunha). Here, you will find the famous Choi Heung Yuen Bakery (below) where you get your hands on Macau’s must-buy, Almond Cookies.
Taipa exudes a very different atmosphere from Macau’s main city. It is a world of its own…laid back and tranquil, making it the perfect getaway from the fast paced, dazzling casino-oriented life on mainland Macau.