Lai Heen at The Ritz-Carlton Macau balances Cantonese authenticity with innovation

The signature Cantonese restaurant at The Ritz-Carlton Macau has recently launched a new menu featuring authentic yet innovative dishes created by new chef Jackie Ho Hong-sing, who has more than four decades of culinary experience in the world of Cantonese cuisine.

We started with some dim sum at the well-appointed Michelin-starred restaurant. The deep-fried Iberico pork dumpling with shrimp and egg yolk was airy outside, tender and juicy inside; the crispy spring roll filled with shredded chicken, taro and mushroom in black truffle sauce was appetising, light and crunchy, with a pleasant nutty flavour from the black truffle sauce; and the steamed codfish dumpling with shrimp, cuttlefish mousse and vegetables had good umami flavours.

We then tried several of the restaurant’s signature dishes.

Next, we had stewed prawns with port wine sauce in a casserole – a twist of a traditional Cantonese dish that features oysters. Instead of oysters, the chef used prawns from Vietnam and cooked it with the sweet Portuguese wine, which added a nice fragrance to the delectable dish.

The flavoursome deep-fried codfish fillet with crispy garlic, inspired by the iconic Hong Kong delicacy crispy garlic crab, was our favourite. The codfish from France was smooth, the crispy garlic adding a golden crust and a rich taste to the dish.

We wrapped up our meal with simmered free-range chicken with jade whelk and lemongrass in a casserole. The chicken was tender and juicy, and the lemongrass brought a Southeast Asian touch to the dish.