Price: $$
Cravingness: ★★★★★
Whenever I go to Macau, I opt for Portuguese because the food is authentic there. This time I went to a new tapas restaurant called Casa de Tapas in Taipa, Macau.
Casa de tapas is set in a traditional Macanese shophouse in Taipa Village. If I was not guided to the restaurant, I might need some time figure my way there.
I felt kind of homey when I walked into the three floored restaurant, where there is a social room (the bar) at the right on the ground floor, walking up the spiral staircase brought me to a living room (the tapas bar) and a bedroom with a beautiful terrace (dining room) on the top floor. I love the modern furnishing and restored ambiance at the Casa de Tapas. I wish I live in a shophouse in Macau.
In today's tasting event, not only can I savour multiple authentic and delicious tapas, I can learn to mark several tapas from Casa de Tapas's Tapas demonstrations! Sounds exciting right, let's see what we did on the day!
To make a jug of Sangria, all you need is oranges, sugar, cinnamon sticks, Bacardi, Gin, Spanish Red Wine and orange juices.First you sliced 2-3 oranges and put them into the jug. Next add 4 table spoons of sugar and mix slightly.
Then pour 2 ounces of Bacardi, some gin and red wine into the jug and mix until the sugar melted.
Add 2-3 cinnamon sticks into the jug and pour more red wine and mix them.
Finally pour some orange juices in and mix thoroughly. Taste to alter the juice balance and let it stay overnight.
Our jug of Sangria was strong and fruity. You can play around with sangria by adding different fruits and alcohol to create your own!
The first tapas demonstration is a simple prawn tartar that everyone can make at home. Since we were taught to make it, below I will also show you steps on how to make it.
To be completely honest, I was a bit worried after watching the whole cooking process as the prawns were only "cooked" by Lemon Acid. But since I have no stomach problems afterall, I guess it's fine. :D
Back to the dish, the prawns were very sweet, bouncy and refreshing with a touch of sourness from the lemon and aroma from the spices. Who can believe this easily prepared dish can be so yummy!
I was invited to help making the next course but I did not know I was going to handle octopus!!! Casa de Tapas sourced this 12 kg octopus from Catalunya, look how enormous it was!
For seasonings we had smoked paprika powder from “La Vera region”, spicy paprika from the south of Spain and sweet paprika from the west of Spain.
Ta-dah! Another tapas done! This might sounds more complicated but not too difficult if you manage to cook the octopus well.
No joke, the octopus carried the BEST texture that I have ever tasted! The octopus was luxury, silky smooth, young and chewy. Along with the soft and slightly salted potato, this plate was heavenly delicious!!!
The third tapas demonstration was the ‘Bravas’ style potatoes - a fried potatoes filled with spicy paprika sauce, topped with apple mayonnaise.
I didn't pay enough attention to the demonstration as I was busy savouring my yummy octopus at the dining table. The essence of this dish lies on the apple garlic mayonnaise that was house made. The dish was decent with aromatic fried potato and sweet and savoury apple garlic mayonnaise. The mayonnaise did taste special and I like it very much.
I did not know it was an assorted croquette with four flavoured but I guess I tried the Jamón ibérico croquettes as mine was creamy and savoury with crispy crust. The croquette was nice. Get this!
I secretly had a whole lamb brochette myself as it was too good! (We were supposed to share :P) The marinated lamb sirloin was extremely juicy and tender and aromatic with a smokey note. The potato crunch was also nice!
The 'Ajillo' style prawn means grilled prawns with lots of garlic and sweet paprika. The prawn was very sweet in taste and tasted even better with the roasted garlic purée and the white wine jelly and sea salt. The texture was very silky and chewy which tasted more like sashimi than cooked.
The squid was fresh, smooth and chewy. Tasted great with the first extraction olive oil. Simple but great.
This zucchini and parsley cream with langoustines, damon caviar and mint air was quite a refreshing soup. The flavour was strong but delicate. The langoustines was sweet but the crucatian taste did not pass to the soup.
The Ajobianco almond soup is a popular cold soup in Spanish made of bread, crushed almonds, garlic, olive oil, salt and vinegar, served with white grapes and grilled cheese. The white soup was beautiful, especially with the octopus, bread and grape garnishing. Despite the beautiful look, the soup also tasted delicious and refreshing as well.
The cold vegetable soup was again vibrant in colour and beautifully plated. The soup was made with raw tomato, onion, pepper and cucumber soup, with jelly garnishments and a crunchy sesame bread stick. If you like tomato, you like this.
I love this dish, it had all the elements that I love on one plate - a runny low temperature cooked egg at the center, grilled asparagus, corn, savoury kamón Iberico ham, fresh peas and some crunchy and savoury potato crisps to enhance the overall texture to the dish. Delicious!
The ox-tail did not taste like ox-tail but more like beef cheek since the texture was very soft. Layered in between the beef was mashed beans. The flavour of the fish was quite pungent as red wine and vinegarette were used. The dish was not too spectacular but I love beans and so I like it.
A colourful vegetarian dish with chopped vegetables and salad at the center. Great to clean the palate between savoury dishes.
The classic seafood paella was served with mussels, shrimps, clams, garlic and vegetables. The rice grains was fat and juice. The tomato based paella was savoury but the broth was a bit watery to me.
The sous-vide suckling pig with sautéed apples and fresh lettuce bouquet was decent with crispy skin and smokey edge. The meat was tender but a bit too lean for my liking.
The chocolate truffle as everyone says looked like a Star War spaceship. The chocolate truffle was rich and chocolaty.
I love this dessert, both the spanish cheese cold parfait and the liquor sprinkled light almond crackers with honey. The cheese cold parfait tasted light and creamy. The almond cracker was very crunchy with a strong almond taste. The sweet honey enhanced the overall taste.
Casa de Tapas does offer solid Spanish food in competitive price with comfy environment in Macau. If it is compare to the recent Spanish restaurants that I had in Hong Kong, Casa de Tapas is the best overall. Next time if you are in Macau and want to try something other than Portuguese or Chinese, come to Casa de Tapas!
Casa de tapas is set in a traditional Macanese shophouse in Taipa Village. If I was not guided to the restaurant, I might need some time figure my way there.
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| Second Floor |
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| Third Floor |
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| Third Floor's Terrace |
Sangria - MOP70
Before the tapas demonstration, the making of Sangria was shown. I have never myself once made a jug of Sangria myself, so I was surprised by how easy Sangria can be made!
To make a jug of Sangria, all you need is oranges, sugar, cinnamon sticks, Bacardi, Gin, Spanish Red Wine and orange juices.First you sliced 2-3 oranges and put them into the jug. Next add 4 table spoons of sugar and mix slightly.
Then pour 2 ounces of Bacardi, some gin and red wine into the jug and mix until the sugar melted.
Add 2-3 cinnamon sticks into the jug and pour more red wine and mix them.
Finally pour some orange juices in and mix thoroughly. Taste to alter the juice balance and let it stay overnight.
Our jug of Sangria was strong and fruity. You can play around with sangria by adding different fruits and alcohol to create your own!
Tartar de Gambe Blanca en Aceite de Olive - Prawn Tartar - HKD120
The first tapas demonstration is a simple prawn tartar that everyone can make at home. Since we were taught to make it, below I will also show you steps on how to make it.
Step 1 - Prawns
Buy 3-4 market fresh tiger prawns or any sea water shrimp. Chop off the head and de-shell the prawns. Sliced the prawns in one direction in order not to break the shrimp's tissues.
Step 2 - Lemon
Quarter a lemon and squeeze onto the sliced prawns. Set aside and let the acid cook the shrimp.
Step 3 - Spices
Chop and use the middle part of green scallions. Chop and use the Parsley tail as it is fresher and greener.
Step 4 - Seasoning
Sprinkle a dash of salt and pepper and add a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil to the mixture, use a fork to mix everything together and it's DONE! Easy peasy!To be completely honest, I was a bit worried after watching the whole cooking process as the prawns were only "cooked" by Lemon Acid. But since I have no stomach problems afterall, I guess it's fine. :D
Back to the dish, the prawns were very sweet, bouncy and refreshing with a touch of sourness from the lemon and aroma from the spices. Who can believe this easily prepared dish can be so yummy!
Pulpo a la Gallega - Octopus, Potato, Paprika - HKD90
I was invited to help making the next course but I did not know I was going to handle octopus!!! Casa de Tapas sourced this 12 kg octopus from Catalunya, look how enormous it was!
For seasonings we had smoked paprika powder from “La Vera region”, spicy paprika from the south of Spain and sweet paprika from the west of Spain.
Step 1
Use the tentacles of the Octopus and cut in between the tendon to obtain mutiple texture in the final product. Slice the tentacle into pieces and sous vide or slow cook the octopus until done.
Step 2
Use a mould to cut the new potatoes into circular/ tube shape. Simmer the potato with bay leave, pepper and salt until it is done.
Step 3
plate your dish with boiled potato at the bottom with a slice of octopus on top. Place the remaining at the side for sharing.
Step 4
Mix the paprika powder together and sprinkled on the octopus and drizzle some extra virgin olive oil on them. 
Ta-dah! Another tapas done! This might sounds more complicated but not too difficult if you manage to cook the octopus well.
No joke, the octopus carried the BEST texture that I have ever tasted! The octopus was luxury, silky smooth, young and chewy. Along with the soft and slightly salted potato, this plate was heavenly delicious!!!
Patatas Bravas - Spanish Style Potatoes - MOP55
The third tapas demonstration was the ‘Bravas’ style potatoes - a fried potatoes filled with spicy paprika sauce, topped with apple mayonnaise.
I didn't pay enough attention to the demonstration as I was busy savouring my yummy octopus at the dining table. The essence of this dish lies on the apple garlic mayonnaise that was house made. The dish was decent with aromatic fried potato and sweet and savoury apple garlic mayonnaise. The mayonnaise did taste special and I like it very much.
Croquetas Variadas - Assorted croquettes - MOP75
I did not know it was an assorted croquette with four flavoured but I guess I tried the Jamón ibérico croquettes as mine was creamy and savoury with crispy crust. The croquette was nice. Get this!
Pincho Moruno - Lamb Skews - MOP85
I secretly had a whole lamb brochette myself as it was too good! (We were supposed to share :P) The marinated lamb sirloin was extremely juicy and tender and aromatic with a smokey note. The potato crunch was also nice!
Langostino al ajillo - Garlic tiger prawns - MOP88
The 'Ajillo' style prawn means grilled prawns with lots of garlic and sweet paprika. The prawn was very sweet in taste and tasted even better with the roasted garlic purée and the white wine jelly and sea salt. The texture was very silky and chewy which tasted more like sashimi than cooked.
Calamar en aceite de olive - Squid - MOP75
The squid was fresh, smooth and chewy. Tasted great with the first extraction olive oil. Simple but great.
Crema de Calabacin con Langostino y Hierbabuena - Zucchini and shrimp cream - MOP85
This zucchini and parsley cream with langoustines, damon caviar and mint air was quite a refreshing soup. The flavour was strong but delicate. The langoustines was sweet but the crucatian taste did not pass to the soup.
Crema de con Pulpo Yuvas - Almond and Octopus Soup- MOP75
The Ajobianco almond soup is a popular cold soup in Spanish made of bread, crushed almonds, garlic, olive oil, salt and vinegar, served with white grapes and grilled cheese. The white soup was beautiful, especially with the octopus, bread and grape garnishing. Despite the beautiful look, the soup also tasted delicious and refreshing as well.
Gazpacho Soup - Cold Vegetable Soup- MOP65
The cold vegetable soup was again vibrant in colour and beautifully plated. The soup was made with raw tomato, onion, pepper and cucumber soup, with jelly garnishments and a crunchy sesame bread stick. If you like tomato, you like this.
Huevo Poche Con Huerta y Jamón ibérico - Egg, Vegetables and Ibérico ham- MOP155
I love this dish, it had all the elements that I love on one plate - a runny low temperature cooked egg at the center, grilled asparagus, corn, savoury kamón Iberico ham, fresh peas and some crunchy and savoury potato crisps to enhance the overall texture to the dish. Delicious!
Rabo de Toro con Vinagreta e Alubia "Carilla" - Oxtail and Legumes Vinaigrette- MOP158
The ox-tail did not taste like ox-tail but more like beef cheek since the texture was very soft. Layered in between the beef was mashed beans. The flavour of the fish was quite pungent as red wine and vinegarette were used. The dish was not too spectacular but I love beans and so I like it.
Vegetable Stew - MOP120
A colourful vegetarian dish with chopped vegetables and salad at the center. Great to clean the palate between savoury dishes.
Paella de Marisco - Traditional Spanish Paella Rice - MOP358
The classic seafood paella was served with mussels, shrimps, clams, garlic and vegetables. The rice grains was fat and juice. The tomato based paella was savoury but the broth was a bit watery to me.
Cochinillo Confitao - Suckling Pig- MOP238
The sous-vide suckling pig with sautéed apples and fresh lettuce bouquet was decent with crispy skin and smokey edge. The meat was tender but a bit too lean for my liking.
Chocolate Truffle- MOP45
The chocolate truffle as everyone says looked like a Star War spaceship. The chocolate truffle was rich and chocolaty.
Queso Español, Bizcocho de Almendras y miel - Cheese, Almonds and Honey- MOP75
I love this dessert, both the spanish cheese cold parfait and the liquor sprinkled light almond crackers with honey. The cheese cold parfait tasted light and creamy. The almond cracker was very crunchy with a strong almond taste. The sweet honey enhanced the overall taste.
Casa de Tapas does offer solid Spanish food in competitive price with comfy environment in Macau. If it is compare to the recent Spanish restaurants that I had in Hong Kong, Casa de Tapas is the best overall. Next time if you are in Macau and want to try something other than Portuguese or Chinese, come to Casa de Tapas!
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| A group photo of the day :) |
Casa de Tapas
9 Rua dos Clerigos, Taipa, Macau
澳門氹仔舊城區木鐸街9號
☏ 2857 6626
Opening Hours: Sun - Thurs: 12pm - 12am/ Fri - Sat: 12pm - 1am
Reservation Available?: Yes
Walk In Possible?: Yes
Website: http://www.casadetapasmacau.com/en/
Date of Dinning: 3 Oct 2013
I've been here twice - and loved it both times also. I heard they will close soon for renovations - and change into a more "Barcelona-type" experience! Not sure what that means. But it's a great place to go for good in Old Taipa!
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