Interviews by Rui Pastorin
Visitors to the “International Gastronomy Promenade” at Fisherman’s Wharf in Nape will be met with various aromas and flavours, each presented by over a hundred booths from 15 Creative Cities of Gastronomy.
Set up in Roman Amphitheatre Square and Legend Boulevard, the promenade is one of the three highlights of the “2025 International Cities of Gastronomy Fest, Macao”.
The booths are presented by five Creative Cities of Gastronomy in the Chinese mainland; five other Asian Creative Cities of Gastronomy; and four Creative Cities of Gastronomy in Portuguese-speaking countries, which marks their debut in the festival this year. Macau also continues to present its culinary flavours, alongside the city’s six integrated resort operators.
The Post spoke to three randomly chosen exhibitors yesterday afternoon to not only learn about the delicacies they brought to Macau, but how they felt about showcasing them in the city.
Villanueva, a 68-year-old from Iloilo in the Philippines, brought his specialties to the festival. Marking his second time to participate, Villanueva said that he was very excited to be at the event as well as grateful for the city’s hospitality. “This is the second time we came here and we are very happy”.
His booth features culinary delights including special empanadas and pancit molo, a Filipino dumpling soup, Villanueva noted that Chinese participants particularly liked the soup for its taste given its ingredients, among which are chicken and shrimp. Villanueva said he hoped that more visitors will explore both his and the festival’s offerings over the next few days, especially with the weekend coming.
Meanwhile, Manuela, a representative from a booth showcasing food from Florianópolis in Brazil, said: “We feel really honoured to be here”.
“We travelled a long way to get here and to bring our gastronomy to the people of Macau”, including the city’s Brazilian and Portuguese residents, and tourists, the 28-year-old pointed out. She added that for them, it also felt nice to see other cultures and try food that they couldn’t find in Brazil. Their booth, which features seafood options and traditional food and snacks from Brazil, has been experiencing a “huge success” for items like cocktails and soft drinks, while they also designed a menu ideal for passersby who might want to leave room to sample delicacies from other booths, according to Manuela. “It was really positive for us”.
Meanwhile, Punika, whose booth sells traditional Thai sweets from Phuket, hopes to see more people coming to the promenade in the next few days. Marking their first time at the event, the 37-year-old said that people normally don’t know the food they are showcasing, hoping to introduce it to others. Although she noticed that there were not that many people at the start of the week compared to the weekend, she said she hoped to see more coming, calling the event a good initiative by the Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) for inviting Phuket, and other Creative Cities of Gastronomy, to present their culinary delights. “I think it’s a good experience for us”.
Two first-time eventgoers exploring the booths at the promenade also shared their thoughts with the Post yesterday. One of them, a Filipino based in Macau surnamed Lapid, pointed out the wide selection of food on offer. Coming with his wife, Lapid, 30, said that he found the event to be both unique and attractive. “It’s good, we tried a lot of food”.
Ronquillo, also a Filipino, said that what intrigued her was the wide range of different types of food on offer, prompting her to see it for herself. To the 32-year-old, gastronomy means the art of food and the uniqueness presented by different part of the world, looking forward to what the event has to offer. “Filipinos are food lovers” she said, and the food on offer is certainly part of what makes the event special.
One can explore the promenade and its specialties until Sunday, being open from 3:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. until Friday and from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. during the weekend. More event details, including the exhibitor list and other event highlights, can be found by visiting https://www.macaotourism.gov.mo/en/article/events/gastronomy-fest-2025
Foodies explore the various culinary booths set up in the Roman Amphitheatre Square and Legend Boulevard in Fisherman’s Wharf yesterday afternoon. – Photos: Rui Pastorin
