MINCHI, Porco Balichao Tamarinho, Beef Brisket and Tendon Stew, Oxtail Stew and baked goodies like char siu buns, polo buns, scones and orange cake are definitely on my list of takeaways from Fat Tea in Damansara Perdana.

The restaurant serves Macanese fare, and the first four dishes are what I enjoy most.

The Minchi (RM42) is love at first bite for most patrons. It’s rice with minced pork, fried diced potatoes, onions, fried egg, French beans and chee yau char, or lard crispies.

The crispies give a crunchy punch to this dish, which calls for the rice to be stirred well with the other delicious ingredients.

Most families in Macau tuck into this comfort food three or four times a week, said Susana Batalha, chef and part-owner of Fat Tea.

The meat can be pork or beef, or a mix of both, and a teaspoon of special sauce from Macau brings everything together.

The Portuguese settled in Macau in 1557, so the region’s cuisine is a blend of Portuguese and Chinese flavours.

This is evident in the Porco Balichao Tamarinho (RM48), which has pork belly braised in Macau’s famous har cheong, or shrimp paste.

It has that familiar, appetising taste of cincalok, which I like very much. This luscious dish is lovely with rice.

The Beef Brisket and Tendon Stew (RM52) gets a spicy lift from cloves, cinnamon, peppercorns and Sichuan peppercorns, and deep flavours from nam yue, or red fermented bean curd, and bean paste.

This is superb – the full-bodied gravy soaks into the tender Australian brisket and smooth, gelatinous tendon.

The Oxtail Stew (RM58) has Australian oxtail slow-cooked for three hours with red wine, carrots and onions. The acidity from tomato paste gives it a welcome perkiness.

Sesame bread is served alongside to mop up this scrumptious stew, which has chunks of tender and gelatinous caramelised meat.

To offset all that heavy protein, the Mixed Nuts and Seeds Salad (RM28) is a great choice.

It’s a crunchy and refreshing assembly of avocado, walnuts, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, almonds, mint, red cabbage and soft-boiled egg, drizzled with a piquant dressing of red and white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, honey and garlic. This can be a meal in itself, too.

Treat yourself to the Prawn Rissoles (RM19) – fried crumbed pastries bursting with a creamy filling of shrimps, onions and parsley in a béchamel sauce.

Fat Tea started a bakery next door a year ago, and its offerings have been a bestseller during the movement-control order enforcement period.

When dining there some time back, we were offered the Bun Set (RM10), comprising a char siu bun, polo bun and lai yau, or custard bun.

The char siu bun is generously filled with yummy shredded BBQ pork. The crusty polo bun, with a square of butter wedged inside, is unforgettable, and the custard bun holds its own as well.

Portuguese egg tarts, scones, savoury muffins with feta, zucchini, pumpkin, onion and capsicum, and the Portuguese Frittata are also available.

The cakes here include lemon poppy seed, onde-onde, orange, banana cream cheese and Earl Grey. You can visit Fat Tea’s Facebook page to check their availability, as well as the daily specials.

Fat Tea is a translation from the Portuguese “cha gordo” (cha means tea, and gordo means fat).

“It refers to the lush high-noon tea in Macau with a table full of goodies – finger foods and desserts,” said Susana.

A “fat tea” is usually laid out at religious and family celebrations.

All the dishes on the menu can be ordered for delivery or takeaway, including the baked treats. A single portion of the Minchi is RM22, and the Beef Brisket and Tendon Stew, RM28.

Call 03-7733-1868 or send a WhatsApp message to 017-656-8183.

Fat Tea is located at LG-05, Plaza Emerald North in Jalan PJU 8/3A, Damansara Perdana, 47820, Petaling Jaya. – March 28, 2020.

* Eu Hooi-Khaw has been writing about food for the longest time, covering all aspects, from restaurant reviews to cooking and recipes, as well as the healthy side of it. She has written for major newspapers and magazines, published the cookbook Fresh Ingredients, and also writes for her website hooikhawandsu.com.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.