Malay magic: Katong Corner

This article first appeared in the Mar/Apr 2016 issue of WGM.

Macau is often associated with luxury hotels and highend dining. But for visitors who are both hungry and on a budget, it’s nice to know that there are plenty of mid-priced restaurants to choose from too. A good place to find them is Broadway; an offshoot of Cotai’s Galaxy casino and resort that caters specifically to the middle market. It’s just a short walk across from Galaxy via air-conditioned bridge.

The hotel at Broadway offers some of the lowest rates in Macau. With rooms starting at around MOP$800 per night, it’s not surprising that it’s nearly always full. Also popular is Broadway’s outdoor hawker-style street market, which aims to recreate the hustle and bustle of the old Portuguese colony. In addition to busking musicians and a nightly stage show, there are plenty of scheduled performances, so it’s worth checking online ahead of your visit to see what’s on offer. Then there are Broadway’s 40-odd food and beverage outlets.

If you’re a fan of Malaysian cuisine, one of the market’s more popular eateries is Katong Corner, which specializes in Singaporean and Malay dishes. The warm wood and soft earthy tones of the décor there are welcoming and a good crowd always shows up for lunch. A meal for two typically costs MOP$250 per person.

Given the reasonable prices you might be tempted to splash out on some fresh seafood, like this Panda did when our group ordered one of Katong’s signature dishes Black Pepper Crab (MOP$498). The one served up was a real brute, with giant pincers that might take a finger clean off were it still alive. Even dead, breaking open its claws to get to the flesh looked like it would be something of a wrestling match. Fortunately, the restaurant provides disposable gloves and aprons and sturdy nutcracking-type utensils, so diving in is not a problem. The sweet white meat was nicely offset by the onions and spring onions in the dark peppery sauce.

Laksa is a classic Malay dish and I was glad to see there were a few varieties on the menu. We tried Singapore Special Prawn Laksa (MOP$108). The portion served was ample and easily enough for two people to enjoy. Laksa is good when the taste of the meat infuses and balances the spicy coconut broth. On this account Katong’s dish does exceptionally well, with the seafood flavors of prawn and mussel, together with noodles, tofu and bean sprouts, making for a hearty and rewarding treat. This one dish on its own should satisfy anyone looking for a light and nutritious lunch.

Singaporean cooking of course mixes Chinese and Southeast Asian elements. On the Chinese side, a good choice at Katong is Hainan Chicken, which is comes in three sizes (small for MOP$88, medium for MOP$158 and large for MOP$268). We didn’t want to overdo it, so the small portion was more than enough. Cold and succulent, it’s served with three sauces to dip in; chili, ginger and soy.

Lastly, a delicious alternative to fried rice or noodles is Katong’s Signature Fried Carrot Cake (MOP$70). Also known as Chai tow kway, this dish is a very popular street food in Singapore. Its English name is misleading because rather than carrot, it’s made from white radish. The root vegetable is grated and boiled, before being mixed with rice flour and steamed as a cake. After chilling, the cake is cut into cubes and fried with eggs, onions, chili sauce and thick soy sauce.

Katong Corner is a recommended restaurant in the 2016 Michelin Guide to Hong Kong and Macau. Even for those on a budget that allows them to dine in the city’s higher-end restaurants, it’s well worth a visit.