Le Chinois @ Sofitel Macau At Ponte 16

I’ve had the chance to try the contemporary Chinese Restaurant – Le Chinois in Sofitel Macau At Ponte 16 where innovative dim sum is delicately prepared, and classic Chinese dishes come with a twist.

Le Chinois is sophisticated in red with both common dining area and private dining rooms available. The private rooms get a panoramic view of Macau’s urban sprawl as well. We’ve had too many dishes to sample so I am going to start with my top 5 favorite dishes.

1. Kungfu Soup – not the literal meaning of martial arts kungfu, but the other meaning of having put in a painstaking amount of effort into the preparation process – evident in this classic Chinese lotus soup in a dainty teapot. The key ingredient is the abundance of dried scallops used, making this soup unbelievably sweeter than the average soup. The teapot keeps the soup hot throughout the meal and drinking out of the tea cup allows you to savor the soup bit by bit.

2. Braised Winter Melon with Salted Vegetables – this cheeky dish that disguises as the classic braised pork dish is in fact winter melon – refreshingly light, braised to perfect tenderness almost similar to that of meat.

3. Scallop Siew Mai (MOP 36) – siew mai has never really been my “must-order” item when I eat dim sum. But when topped with an inviting piece of scallop on top, I am all in for it. The thoughtful oiled slices of cucumber that cushion the siew mai prevents the awkward wrestle between your chopsticks and the white paper that tends to stick to dim sum. The cucumber slices are also present in the other dim sum to come.

4. Crispy Carrot Shaped Chicken Roll (MOP 38) – Shaped liked carrot with Italian parsley disguised as carrot leaves, the rolls have an intriguing mix of flavor & texture. The orange part is sweet and starchy with a crisp outer layer, encasing a filling of savory minced meat.

5. Mango Dessert with Birds’ Nest (MOP 36) – the intoxicating scent of mango is to die for and I could die again for the translucent shreds of birds’ nests that adorn the pudding.

6. Roast Chicken is a typical Chinese dish quite commonly found in Chinese restaurants. The paper-thin and ultra crisp chicken skin is what makes this one different.

7. Char Siew & Roast Duck Combo – another beautiful dish with just an adequate amount of grease to make the dish appear all glossy.

8. Fresh Bamboo Shoots Roll (MOP 28) – a classic dim sum with a twist, where it gets dipped into the superior broth provided for extra flavor.

9. Xiaolongbao (MOP 38) & 10. Prawn Dumplings (MOP 38) – always a pleaser.

10. Chee Cheong Fun (MOP 38) – I didn’t get to try this dish actually as there were too many! But my companions did mention it was silky-smooth.

11. Spring Roll with Kraft Sauce (MOP 38)- an exquisite dish that amazes me with the sound of flawless crackling.

12. Simple Vegetable Dish (MOP 28).

A few items are not indicated with price as they are off the dim sum menu, but perhaps served at dinner. Do inquire with Le Chinois if those are the dishes you are interested in.