Coming across the alluringly named Paradise Macau among the raging commerce of Shibuya’s Udagawacho got our hopes up that at least our physical craving for Macau could be satisfied. Stepping inside, the lofty ceilings and colorful “ethnic” décor was a pleasant change from the frenzy of the street. Looking over the menu, we started to worry—Where were the stir-fried chili prawns and African simmered chicken? Where was the cod?! While Macau is nothing if not multicultural, the profusion of Asian staples like Indonesian nasi goren and Thai holy basil made us suspicious that we had perhaps been misled by the name.
Once our orders started to come in, though, we realized we needn’t have worried. The generous quantities and just plain tastiness of the fare were more than enough to keep us happy.
The drink menu showed a disappointing lack of the excellent Portuguese wine selection found abroad, but the Macau’s Sangria (¥700) was nicely subtle and the lychee-flavored Lotus (¥900) was a garish blue adorned with a vivid purple flower—as a proper tropical cocktail should be.
We asked if the small Macau salad (¥920) we ordered would be enough for two, and were told that the regular size was “like a boat.” Our server must have been referring to an aircraft carrier, judging from the massive bowl or greens, avocado, chickpeas, water chestnuts, okra, lotus root, tomato and fried wontons we received. Chicken coconut soup (¥850) was similarly ample, with bamboo shoots, sliced mushrooms, tender meat and red pepper bathed in aromatic broth. Rice paper rolls (¥890) came with big chunks of maguro, avocado and mountain potato. Crispy chicken (¥890) was two whole breasts split in two and deep fried with garlic soy sauce—very messy and very good.
We were nearing our limit but had been looking forward to trying the egg tarts all evening. Called pastel de nate in Macau, they are a beloved culinary asset, with the sweetness adjusted from the Portuguese original to match the local taste. While Paradise Macau’s tarts (¥630) don’t quite live up to that standard, the rich crumbly crust and pumpkin-pie like texture were delicious in their own way. The vanilla bean-speckled ice cream on the side also didn’t hurt.
Dinner drew to a close with cups of cream-topped strong black coffee (¥530). While getting to Macau and its cuisine still requires a plane and a passport, we’d be more than happy to spend a day in this “paradise” for now.