If you had to choose the most traditional word to define Portugal, “Fado” would probably be the way to go. The word itself means “fate”, but it is also used to describe the most famous Portuguese music style. That, of course, was taken into consideration as well for the opening of the restaurant “Fado”, a Portuguese dining concept in Hotel Royal offering authentic Portuguese cuisine to discerning diners.

Led by one of the most prestigious recognized Chef’s in Portugal, Luís Américo, the restaurant aims to revitalize classic recipes and flavors brought from Portugal, offering a unique experience to visitors. “I was in Macau around four years ago in an event at Clube Militar. It was a very interesting experience and it was then I met the owners of Hotel Royal. They really enjoyed the kitchen style presented and they contacted us to do a partnership”, said Chef Luís Américo, regarding on how it all started.

Offering 100% Portuguese food as far as the process goes, “Fado” also aims for a modern twist and presentation. “It has my personal touch, of course, because I’m the Chef, but it’s very Portuguese-like kind of food. I can’t say there is a signature dish because there is a lot of diversity on the menu, it depends on what the people like more”.

Even so, Chef Luís Américo has no doubts that the codfish (“Bacalhau à Brás”) is probably the most successful dish in “Fado” also because “it is very connected to the Portuguese cuisine”. Another feature that makes the codfish so popular among the costumers has to do with the way it is presented. For this dish, Chef Luís Américo brought up the cart to the table with a carry-on oven and prepared the cod with egg and angel hair-fried potatoes, and the end result was just superb. “It aims to bring back one of the traditions from Portuguese and international hotels from the 70’s, when it was usual to bring some small carts near the tables and cook in front of the guests. It was something that people would remember and it’s one thing we tried to bring to ‘Fado’”.

At first, the idea was to use this dish for one year and then change to another one, but it was so popular that Chef Luís Américo decided to keep it on the menu. Another very popular dish from the restaurant comes in the end, with a delicious pumpkin lava cake with white cheese mousse and toasted almonds which tastes as good as it looks. “It’s one dessert that the Chinese people love. They don’t like very sweet things, and even though it has some sugar, it has a very unique combination of flavors, making it an unexpected success for me”, he said.

As for the space itself, “Fado” offers a very bright and colorful environment, which combines perfectly with the food, providing an unforgettable take on the Portuguese cuisine.

如果需要選擇一詞去詮釋葡萄牙，非 “Fado” 莫屬。 “Fado” 的意思是「緣」，同時也會用來描述葡萄牙最出名的音樂類型。而皇都酒店裡面的「花道 Fado」葡萄牙餐廳就是以此命名，那當然也是寓意著他旨在提供精緻的地道葡國美食。

以葡萄牙著名大廚 Luís Américo 為首的 “Fado” 餐廳旨在提供葡萄牙經典配方和口味，慕求為每一位前來的賓客提供一次超凡的葡萄牙美食體驗。關於餐廳開始的來由，Luís Américo 大廚說：「大概是在四年前的 Clube Militar 活動中，我認識了皇都酒店的老闆，那是一次很特別的經歷，他非常喜歡我們廚房的風格，並希望與我們合作」。

“Fado” 提供 100% 純正葡萄牙菜和葡萄牙烹飪方法，旨在創作與呈現正宗的葡萄牙菜式。「當然，作為大廚，菜式當中不乏我的個人風格，這些都是非常經典的葡國菜式。我們沒有特別設立哪個是招牌菜，但是餐單中菜式繁多，各有所愛」。

雖然如此，大廚 Luís Américo 很肯定的告訴我們鱈魚菜式一定是 “Fado” 餐廳最成功的一道菜式，也就是 “Fado” 餐牌當中與葡萄牙菜式接軌的 「Bacalhau à Brás」 。 鱈魚之所以這麼受歡迎的另外一個原因是因為它的賣相。大廚Luís Américo親自推出焗爐餐車，鱈魚配享雞蛋和天使粉煎土豆，口感出人意料，並向我們介紹：「我們想打造葡萄牙國際酒店70年代的傳統風格，親自推出精美手推車，在顧客面前現場烹飪，慕求為每一位顧客獻上難忘的 Fado 體驗」。

一開始打算鱈魚菜限量供應一年，次年換另外的菜式，可是沒想到這麼受歡迎，所以大廚 Luís Américo 就將其列入餐牌。餐廳另外一特色菜留在最後的是美味的南瓜岩漿蛋糕，配上乳清乾酪及杏仁片，賣相和味道都十分過人。他說「中國人大愛這甜品，之所以這麼成功是因為甜而不膩和其獨特口味」。

至於環境，“Fado”餐廳光線明亮，裝飾色彩繽紛，配合完美葡國佳餚，實在令人流連忘返。

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