Torre Panorâmica or Macau Sky Tower, one of the region’s landmarks with the world’s highest bungee jump point from its outer rim at 233 m. A thrill to all Evel Knievels out there, and certainly not for the faint hearted!
Photo © C M Cordeiro-Nilsson for CMC 2010
Driving along the highway, Macau’s Sky Tower looked akin to Seattle’s Space Needle, though at 338 meters, it stands considerably higher than Seattle’s landmark. Both structures halfway across the globe, have a revolving restaurant at the top and it was there, at 360 Café that we were headed to have lunch.
360 at 60.
Having never been to Macau or dined at such an altitude, I hardly knew what to expect. The enthusiastic discussions between well-meaning and highly adventurous relatives on bungee jumping after lunch made me think twice about having lunch at all, wondering which was worse, never having bungee jumped at all or contemplating bungee jumping after downing lunch.
My quiet reservations about eating at 360 Café lifted however, when on the 60th floor, I stepped out of the elevator and was greeted by the most delectable spread of cookies, cakes, jellies and fruits – the dessert table laid just where the elevator entrances were.
Dessert greetings.
Beyond the dessert spread, a breathtaking view of Macau in panorama!
A captured moment in the spin that takes about an hour to come full circle.
Perfect timing for a languid meal.
Straight on.
Tables.
This restaurant is no doubt one of the more interesting dining experiences in Macau, serving quite a wide variety of cuisines from Continental to Southeast-Asian, Indian, Chinese, Macanese and even Japanese food.
There’s something comforting about bread, whether served filled and steamed …
…or baked plain, tossed in wicker baskets.
Macanese cuisine was what caught my attention at this lunch sitting. Unique to Macau with Portuguese and Chinese influence, the cuisine stemmed from the wives of Portuguese sailors during the 16th century in an attempt to replicate food found at home using local ingredients and spices. Dominant spices and ingredients in Macanese cuisine include turmeric, coconut milk, cinnamon and bacalhau (salted dried codfish).
Passionate about bacalhau, the number of ways in which this could be used in dishes is comparable to the number of listed French cheeses, more than one dish / cheese for every day of the year. The curiosity about bacalhau is that it originated in Norway before refrigeration was mainstay in the early 16th century, travelled halfway across the globe to land in Macau and is still commonly used in cooking in Macanese food today. As a result, Macanese cuisine can be aptly described as fusion cuisine.
Angel Cake.
Luscious Red.
Apart from Macanese cuisine, the highlight for me was the dessert spread where I got a chance to sample Macanese desserts, in particular, Serradura that literally translated means, ‘sawdust pudding’. Served in this restaurant in tiny portions, this soft, sweet and creamy dessert made with just the few basic ingredients of cream, sugar and eggyolks topped with finely crushed biscuits, was perfect to round off lunch.
And after an hour or so, the 360 revolution told that time had passed and we were back at the vista where we began. And I had almost forgotten my fear of bungee jumping.