Street Food IV – Rua da Emenda
Yizi district composes of five streets interlinked, making up the busiest streets in Macao. (Rua da Emenda, Lu Cao, Rebanho, Tome Pires and Bras da Rosa 義字街; 盧九街; 群隊街; 飛能便度圍; 道咩卑利士街; 羅白沙街).
This is one of the most typical street structure set in the old days. All streets are accessible between blocks. Most market stalls open from 7 am – 9 pm. I Guarantee you will never get lost there. It directly hook up to main road Horta e costa and the three lantern lamps where a food stalls located. YiZi reflected its historical importance on “Macau old Times”. A district definitely can’t went missing. This area exists from eighteen centuries. The place had turned over from a public mastery cemetery to a famous retail market selling point. This is where the chinese wording “YiZi” reflected a series of historical events that brings such a lovely place now
You can get everything there. From ladies wear to shoes, accessories etc, head to toe. Fresh groceries, food, meat, floral, plants, fruits – just anything you want will appear there. This is one of the most popular marketplace everyone will reach out every week. On special days like pre-chinese new year weekends, you probably can’t merge in the lane!
Below a quick walkthrough on some food stores and marketplace worthwhile to stop by and take a grasp look.
Yang Kei and Buns
Try one of the best bun and noodle store, Yang Kei. Best recommended Chi Siu Bao and traditional steamed buns made fresh everyday. Around the corner next to barbeque pork place they have desserts and various traditional local food available.
Version 101 Fish balls – Man Kei
This place offered many kinds of fish balls available. All housewives, kids and elderly will pick their favorite kind, pack them home and eat with soup noodles. Definitely can eat them right away in a box and a stick. Other choices include: stuffed fish green peppers, egg plant, fish corn cakes, fried tofu.
Ching Kei Pastry
This is one of the oldest traditional chinese pastry store. The first original store was located next to the Red Market, a small street named Tou Fa Kong 桃花崗.
Ching have moved to Yizi street after urban development took place. Having said, the store exists back in 1960s. Perhaps now not claimed to be the best pastry store in town – you can find all kinds of old pastry recipes anytime you want.
Best yummy pastry you can’t missed: 老婆餅 sweet heart cake, 光酥餅 sugar biscuit, 摩囉酥 peanut stuffed pastry, 迷你月餅 mini moon cakes
Barbeque store – Wing Fung
This store opened more than 30 years ago. Wing Fung’s barbeque goose and roasted Piglet are always best buys. As great fan of Goose thighs, it always makes me feel fantastic every time ordered – like eating duck thighs in doubled sizes, more chunky and crispier.
The restaurant’s order mostly requesting take away. Limited seats available for a quick meal. Not even locals might have noticed, Wing Fung offer limited Baked chicken and liver dish (金錢雞). This is one of the most traditional dishes that appear back in the 70s, where not too many restaurants offering nowadays.
Looking extremely fattening, unhealthy for youngsters! It was a popular dish for working class back in the 70s. Some people craving for fat bite in the old days. It was not an expensive item, probably those are the trimmed leftovers, unwanted part. Cut rounded 5cm size shaped lean pork, saturated freeze fat and chicken lungs, layered by layered, stack in between pieces formed a bunch of barbeque skewers. Just one piece will melt your heart. The fat wont make you feel oily at all. All excessive oil dripped away from the skewers – half way hang dried in the stove.
In the next article a quick intro on other traditional versus modern restaurants covering authentic asian pacific regions, presenting its own individual taste around YiZi area.