Photo by f.trainer
Macao Trading Co. is a collaboration between the cocktail artisans at popular West Village drink spot Employees Only and the Chinese food devotees David Waltuck (co-owner and executive chef) and Keith Harry (sous chef) of Chanterelle in TriBeCa. The restaurant pays homage to Macao, the former Portuguese colony and current Chinese "Special Administrative Region." The bi-level room was designed to recall "the adventure of Macao's red lantern district."
The Macao Trading Co. menu is split between Portuguese- and Chinese-style small and large plates and features Macanese specialties such as African chicken and chili shrimp. Befitting of tradition everything is served family style. The cocktail menu explores Macao from a more liberal point of view with drinks like the Esmarelda, a combination of honeydew, ginger, Armazem Esmarelda Cachaca, Maraschino liqueur and lime juice. Dine until midnight, but take your time exploring the cocktail menu. The nightly adventure continues until 4am.
Location: 311 Church Street between Lispenard and Walker Streets
Reservations: Call 212-431-8750 or visit OpenTable.
View the complete Macao Trading Co. listing on Savory Cities.
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2 Comments
Don't let this review fool you - Macao is also one of the hottest new places downtown. It is cool, fresh and one of best places to take your out-of-town guests and show them something they'll never find outside of NYC. The crowd is great, music is not overpowering, menu is very good and the drinks are excellent! Even the entrance is special, there is no store sign in sight!
Macau is an awesome destination. The food is great with complex flavors and delicate subtle touches that are not for simple palates. I really enjoyed the small plates: The Manila clams with the chorizo are wonderful. The Asian shrimp was so good that my date started to negotiate for the last one. The bar staff is top notch which I would expect from the owners of Employees Only - which elevated what you came to expect from your mixologists. The upstairs is beautiful but the downstairs is a place made for first dates. It is nice cozy and the lighting is perfect.
Can it seem pretentious to some people? Probably, but who wants to be inclusive! If I want to hang with the type of person that complains about a $10 glass of wine and lack of signage (most cool places lack them) I will go to a sports pub.