Lisbon on a plate

Portuguese egg tarts, a staple of Macao, are very popular with Chinese, and in the restaurant I had the most delicious egg tarts I've ever tasted.

The golden and brown surface was very crisp, but the inside was warm and sweet, and literally melted in my mouth with a pleasant aroma. The secret lies in the high cooking temperature, Quaresma says. With high heat, the egg tart cooks fast, reducing the chance for the moist filling to soak into the pastry before it sets. The consistent sweetness comes from high-quality sugar, he adds.

The most unexpected dish I had was tomato soup with a poached egg. The tomato broth was boiled with onion, garlic, sausage and other ingredients to enrich the flavor, which is both sour and refreshing.

Seafood stew is also a must-have: The broth I ate was a modest one, with about five ingredients, including shrimp, scallop, and pepper, but was very fresh and delicious.

Other specialties I didn't get to try on this visit: "Bairrada" style roasted suckling pig, with sweet-potato chips and orange, and several Macao specialties, including African chicken with green salad and potato wedges.

Quaresma has trained four cooks to help him, and the restaurant now offers set business lunch menus with choices of three or four courses, which cost respectively, 168 yuan ($27) and 188 yuan, plus a 15-percent service fee.

IF YOU GO

11:30 am-2:30pm and 6 pm-10:30 pm, Tuesday to Sunday. Camoes Portuguese Restaurant in the Legendale Hotel, 92 Jinbao Street, Dongcheng district, Beijing. 010-8511-3388, Ext 8920.