Mother of all Sandwiches @ Angela's Cafe

When you want a fast and quick sandwich, the main thing to do is go down to grab one real quick and eat it along the way, not so if you happen to be eating at Angela's Cafe in Macau.

For those of you who do not know, there are actually two in the city. The first one is at New Yoahan department store on the second floor, the other is located at the Macau Museum.

Personally, I prefer the one at the Museum, as it is never crowded and the the staff is always attentive. The one at the department store is always full during lunch and dinner time, and high tea during weekends. So it is very difficult to get a seat.

To be fair, I brought over my Singaporean friends over to eat there and they were in awe. For a sandwich place, they make some pretty mean sandwiches. First, the sandwiches are massive! It cost around US$7 and you choose your filling, ham, cheese, pate, tuna or whatever, etc. It comes sprinkled with potato crisp and you can't possibly fit everything in one bite. You can't get something this good at any sandwich place in Singapore.

You have a choice of breads or croissants, that said, you can't go wrong with either. The value for money as a dining experience is pretty extraordinary as you never ask for seconds once you had one helping of these sandwiches. And the coffee is great too. There is no skimping on the fillings of choice, you can add on more if you want but that would be waste if you can eat it all.

This is not a take out place as some would imagine it. This is a sit in cafe to enjoy the mother of all sandwiches and that's a big deal in a small place in Macau. Years ago, I remember eating in Seah Street Deli, thinking that they serve the best sandwiches, well this beats that by many times over. So remember to take my advice about eating at the Museum, it's really a much better place.

Make your own Sandwiches @ Angela's Cafe 

Macau's Bifana or is it a Pork Chop Bun?

Which came first? the Chinese Pork Chop Bun or the Bifana Sandwich? In Lisbon, the Bifana is a splendid pork burger eaten as a snack or a after dinner dessert. If you are in Portugal, they even have a McBifana for you to tuck into.

But before you jump into the debate, let's look at the ingredients. First, you must have it on a Portuguese style Bread Bun, ditto in Macau. Then you need a piece of meat, normally pork, ditto in Macau.

But that's where the similarities end. The Bifana in Portugal is all meat—pork cutlet. Macau's version is a pork chop, with the bone sticking out. Then comes the seasoning that is put into the meat. Paprika, pepper and garlic are the norm for the Bifana, but for Macau, the seasoning is more Chinese, with a hint of five spice powder, ginger, soy sauce, etc.

If you put the two together, can you tell it apart?

I suppose not. So you can safely say that Macau's Pork Chop burger owes much of its heritage to its Portuguese counterpart, the Bifana. 

When I was in Macau, the favorite place to get one was in Tai Lei Lok Kei in Taipa. There is also another place that is a favorite with the locals, Cafe Cameron which is just behind Largo Senado. The humble pork chop bun is a staple in Macau, served as common snack. The bun is quite hard, as with all Portuguese buns, the outer crust is thick and if you are accustomed to the softer texture of buns from Chinese style bakeries, this may not be your liking. 

All you get is the bun and the bread. Nothing else. No salad, no sauces, no add-on condiments. It is a plain burger with just the taste of the bread and meat. This rustic approach is probably best if you hate sauces or bits of vegetables you find in other sandwiches or burgers. 

Tai Lei Lok Kei had quite a bit of drama in 2012, when they were closed down by the authorities after they discovered that they didn't have the required permit to operate a proper establishment. Apparently they fell foul of two laws, one that says that you cannot occupy public spaces for business (which they had been doing for years) and another with regard to the actual ownership of the license to sell food. They have reopened since then, as a take away counter. Anthony Bourdain was probably the last celebrity to have had a chance to sit in and eat there.

Tai Lei Lok Kei @ Taipa Village

Anyway, Tai Lei Kok Kei has a branch in Venetian Macau located along the shopping arcade. It is tucked away in a corner so you have to find your way to it. The burger there cost TWICE of what you'd pay in the Taipa branch not far from the Venetian. 

As for the burger itself, well, it is a pleasant surprise. I didn't find the taste all that fascinating as growing up, my grandparents and my mom use to fry pork chops with a similar marinade seasoning. It is nonetheless a recommended eat in Macau. 

Hong Kong too has this same snack if you went to a Cha Chan Tiang (tea restaurant), no doubt influenced by the Macau version. The taste will always be similar as they use similar spices to marinade the meat, and with that you sort of get an idea they are going to taste the same in some ways, the only difference with the Tai Lei Lok Kei version is that it has a much deeper taste than the ones from downtown—probably due to a stronger marinade. 

Cameron Cafe on the other hand is a local hangout, where orders are sometimes shouted out across the shop floor in a claustrophobic setting. That review however will be left for another day. 

Tai Lei Lok Kei Pork Chop Burger, Macau SAR. 

Rating