Thread: What are you drinking today?

I took the Current Wannabe Mrs. Shu (CWMS) to M acau for a few days. My pics seem to be mostly of the beverages. She has hundreds of food which I'll not bother people with. We weren't being touristy so there are almost no pics except F&B, certainly not enough for a standalone thread. That said, every trip starts somewhere and ours got going from the off-airport parking at Udon Thani, travelling in style in the executive shuttle bus.



On to Macau where the standard Super Bock had to be first choice. There was a smoked sausage and bean casserole, Portuguese style, along the way.



The first night was at The Roadhouse. I don't see Guinness very often where I live, so a few of these were in order. Frankly, at nearly ten quid a pint, fewer than I might have liked.

My memory is a bit vague, I think the next day was lunch at Coloane old village, a Portuguese place just behind Lord Stow's bakery, which was mentioned elsewhere for its famous egg tarts.

Being lunchtime, a jug of white wine hit the spot. Some of my happiest wines have come from a jug. There were sardines and other bits too, I think.

So why, one might ask, does TD sometimes show 'attached thumbnails' and sometimes not? And why sideways? Two of life's mysteries.

Late afternoon we repaired to the Old Taipa Tavern. My old friend Tsing Tao was there.








































































I wonder why it is 'imported'? Surely it is all China now? Maybe I should report it.

One thing sorely absent in Thailand is a choice of craft beers, so the board caught my attention.



It was hot, a refreshing cider seemed the way to go.



Choices! A rare treat. I'm sure it won't impress the cider police, I went for the Pandan Cider. Which tastes like its name suggests. Actually very drinkable, although one was enough.



Try again.

Dinner at O Manuel. This used to be a hidden Portugues gem. Social media caught up with it and it is now packed every night. The food is still good. I always drink the house wine here. Manuel told me years ago his red wine came from Portugal, never having seen the inside of a bottle. I guess it is still the same. Very quaffable.



I found a food pic. Deconstructed clams in white wine, spicy olives and bread rolls.

Next day was a short hop to Hong Kong. The morning's tasks completed, there was news of a new grandaughter to be celebrated. Since we were walking past, the Captain's Bar seemed the obvious choice. It didn't impress CWMS, just another bar to her. She doesn't seem to feel much sense of history. I gave her a glass of rose, which I think was a first for her, whilst I went for a pint of the own-brand lager, served in the traditional mug.



From there it was straight to the ferry, where limited beverages are available.

Our route took us close to the Old Taipa Tavern, again. This time I went for the Black Kite Chestnut Ale and pronounced it very good.



Conveniently close by is A Petisqueira, another established Portuguese restaurant. Typically full these days, with no booking we were given a table on the condition that we not outstay our welcome. A bottle of something red was called for.

The next day found us at Fernando's. They don't go in for extravagant signage.



A light, white sangria seemed like a good lunctime choice.



Dinner time loomed and we crossed the bridge to Macau proper. Up to the Cathedral Cafe behind the old post office. Maybe my mistake to give CWMS a free choice. She went for the rose sangria. Steve the owner saw my plight and kindly swung by with an extra splash of wine to turn it into a drink.

The following day was our last. CWMS had followed me around dutifully so I took her for a lunchtime splurge at Galaxy's Urban Kitchen. An all-you-can-eat, top quality buffet. Recommended. No alcohol was taken! However we did get some Hong Kong milk tea, one of those things that strikes you as peculiar when you first taste it, but after a decade or so you kind of miss it.



The cappuccino was terminally cute.

Excellent trip, it appears to be all about the drinks!

Respect.

This was our last day and we had an early start in the morning, so we said our farewells and left the bar early. As chance would have it, our homeward journey took us past the Roadhouse. A chance to complete the circle.

(Okay, now the pics won't load. I'll try to finish tomorrow.)

Originally Posted by DrWilly

Excellent trip, it appears to be all about the drinks!

Respect.

There was quite a lot of food. CWMS has all thos pics on her phone. Mostly Portuguese.

Originally Posted by Shutree

There was quite a lot of food. CWMS has all thos pics on her phone. Mostly Portuguese.

Drinks in the drinks thread, nice.

Did you find the vibe had changed from the heyday of the expat days - my HK period was 92-94. I went back briefly in 06 and even then it felt different.

I'm a gonna jump in and say yes, the casino has robbed the city of all life, and young people.

Now I know the answer in advance but I'll throw it out there.

Martini.

I like them, don't have spirits often but this weekend is it vodka martini, gin and vodka martini or dirty vodka martini.?

Classic dry gin martini.

^ Hmm. Are we having an olive in that sir or another fruit or addition?

Originally Posted by malmomike77

vodka martini

Shaken not stired?

Originally Posted by Shutree

After a nap it was back to Macau for the beers I had promised myself the day before. The Cathedral Cafe usually has folk to talk with. A few Super Bocks were in order.

Ahh, Super Bock. The first beer I ever had on my first trip to Portugal!

Super Bock
Superstar
Gets you more pissed than Stella Artois

Gets you pissed.... 330s ... Awww sweet ��

Getting "Bocked up" on the Super Bock back in the early nineties in Albufera, fond memories!

Bica maserio with a saucer full of carcois to accompany was a nice whoosh to start the day .

That's brandy and expresso with garlic snails to you heathens

Originally Posted by Shutree

Hong Kong milk tea

For those who've asked: Hong Kong milk tea is black tea, stewed beyond the end of it's life, a little bitter. Diluted with canned, condensed milk. Most people need some sugar to balance the taste.

Originally Posted by Shutree

This was our last day and we had an early start in the morning, so we said our farewells and left the bar early. As chance would have it, our homeward journey took us past the Roadhouse. A chance to complete the circle.

(Okay, now the pics won't load. I'll try to finish tomorrow.)

Third attempt at posting these last pics. Farewell night in Macau. When in China, do as the Chinese do, ...





We left early the next morning. I have no pics of the Macau Airport duty free. It is an Aladdin's Cave. It seems that people are prepared to buy fine wines regardless of how carefully they have been cellared. I noticed rows of Ch. Petrus, Lafite, Margaux, Talbot, Mouton Rothschild, Ducru-Beaucaillou and more. I could have bought a bottle of Cristal for a mere Baht 80,000.
Instead I went for a bottle of their cheapest port, still not a cheap port, because I had forgotten to stop at the supermarket the day before. I am now holding a bottle of 10-year old tawny from the Douro which I am hoping will survive until Christmas.

Originally Posted by malmomike77

^ Hmm. Are we having an olive in that sir or another fruit or addition?

For me, a classic dry martini with gin needs an olive, or in my case three.
A vodka martini I prefer to have a twist of lemon peel.

Originally Posted by malmomike77

Did you find the vibe had changed from the heyday of the expat days - my HK period was 92-94. I went back briefly in 06 and even then it felt different.

That's a very complex question. HK has always been a very dynamic city, changing all the time. The thing is that the changes look different from wherever we happen to be looking. If you are wealthy and belong to the HK Club or the Country Club then many of the changes can be ignored, for me the HK I knew has gone. My friends, including HK native Chinese, are mostly gone. On this trip I met my HK Chinese lawyer, he told me his four children are all outside HK and he doesn't expect any of them to come back. Neither he nor I was impressed by the propoganda ads about 'stronger together' on the public tv.
Macau has probably changed faster than HK in the last 20 years. Of course it started from a lower base, it was a sleepy town. You could cross the one bridge from Macau to Taipa and feel like stepping back into the past, look across the channel and see a few green lumps of Chinese islands. Now, both sides of the channel have been landfilled, you stand on the current shoreline and in your face is a wall of Chinese tower blocks, some still under construction. It's vile, to be honest, although probably less vile than the omnipresent cameras with their facial recognition tracking your every move.
Maybe this was my last trip.