Find Korea in Macao

 

By Annabelle Shen

 

 

If you were to travel to Macao tomorrow expecting to enjoy delicacies, chances are you might pick local Korean restaurants, and understandably so. Compared with Cantonese or Portuguese food in Macao, Korean food here seems to be more exquisite and acceptant, which is suitable for those who want to try something new but not too much exotic.

 

In Taipa, there are so many restaurant choices, from the Mi Rock Jung serving traditional Cholla octopus soup to the fashionable restaurant strip on Cunha Street. Wandering along the street, you can find almost every type of Korean cuisine, feeling as if you have entered a space warp.

 

Big opportunity

 

“I came to Macao four years ago and decided to settle down here this year,” said Song, the owner of Mi Rock Jung. “My uncle is a businessman who loves gambling very much. He and his friends have already been here five times, and soon he will accompany my wife and kids on their trip to Macao, who are coming to reunite with me.” When mentioning his families, his eyes were glistening with tears.  

 

When asked why he chose to develop his business in Macao, Song replied, “Korean people have a long history of traveling and working in Macao, due to their strong preference for gambling. With the prosperity of the gambling industry, more Korean people know and come to Macao. However, there were few restaurants which provided Korean food at that time.”

 

Song continued, “My uncle brought kimchi with him every time when he came to Macao. Then I thought I might find a niche in Macao by serving Korean food. I suffered a very hard period with only the support from my wife. But now,” He looked around the crowded room, smiling, “Time proved I was right.”

 

Recently, more low-cost airliners choose Macao as their new destinations. There were over 550,000 Korean visitor arrivals in Macao in 2015, which made Koreans the number 1 group of international tourists in addition to the largest tourist arrivals from Chinese societies of mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, according to the information provided by the Macao Tourism Office.

 

Special food

 

“One, two three...cheers!”

 

It was a normal Friday afternoon and Rua de Chaves was almost empty. While Chicken & Fried, a small snack bar providing various fried chicken in Korean style, was fully packed with customers. Kuang Weng U is a secondary school student. After an exhausting mid-term week, she and her friends were treating themselves with delicious fried chicken.

 

“Do you know the Korean drama “My Love from the Star”? I love it so much. The scene that Jun Ji-hyun and Kim Soo-hyun eating fried chicken together is just so romantic that now it is my favorite food, too. … It is a pity that we cannot drink beer now,” said Chan Lok Yi, Kuang’s friend. She then continued prudently, “One of my dream is to drink beer and eat fried chicken, with my boyfriend in a cold winter night - just like what they did in the drama.”

 

The upsurge in popularity of Korean food and culture in Macao may be a derivation from Korean dramas and the K-pop culture in recent years. On the Rua do Cunha neighborhood alone, there were four new Korean restaurants that opened in 2015.

 

Merged with local diet, some Macao-Korean fusion cuisines have been developed and offered in this melting pot of cuisine cultures. They have soon become the most popular dishes in Korean restaurants, such as sampan (boat) congee with kimchi, seafood pot made with local oyster, etc.

 

Massive introduction of Korean restaurants in the city, meanwhile, means differentiation of ingredients, dishes, and techniques. Song said, “We want to make more people familiar with Korean culture by our elaborate food, so quality is what really counts.”

 

He said, “It is important to adapt to the foreign circumstance, and try to satisfy local customers. However, it is also significant for us to maintain our identity and distinction. If we want to survive in the harsh competition, we need to be special.”