Macau Gourmet Adventure | The Grand Lisboa Palace Garden: A Black Pearl Restaurant Experience Worth 20 Million

I’ve long heard of the renowned Grand Lisboa Palace Garden restaurant in Macau. It’s said that the interior design alone cost a whopping 20 million, and it has earned the prestigious Black Pearl honor. I’ve been eagerly anticipating a visit, and finally made my way there on a Friday. Perhaps due to the off-peak travel season, the restaurant wasn’t crowded, allowing me to leisurely enjoy the ambiance. The menu is divided into à la carte and set options. Considering it was my first visit and our limited appetite as a party of two, we opted for the set menu. There are two tiers priced at MOP 2,399 and MOP 3,699, with the main difference being the ingredients used in the abalone dish and another course. We chose the MOP 2,399 set menu to embark on this culinary journey. The meal began with a trio of signature sauces—Sichuan pepper sauce, chili sauce, and shrimp paste—adding diverse flavors to the dishes that followed. The appetizer, a crispy pastry, was delightfully flaky, sweet, and aromatic. One bite was pure bliss, instantly whetting the appetite. Next came the dish featuring Iberico pork char siu and suckling pig paired with caviar. The staff recommended starting with the suckling pig. Its skin was roasted to a glossy, crispy perfection, and was exceptional on its own. However, when paired with caviar, the flavor complexity felt somewhat mismatched. The Iberico pork char siu was of high quality, but as someone who isn’t particularly fond of char siu, I found it rather average. The highlight of the meal was undoubtedly the Peony Tiger Prawn! The prawn was firm and springy, coated in a rich shrimp oil base that burst with umami on the palate—truly the star of the show! On the other hand, the bird’s nest soup left a lasting impression for its unexpected sour and spicy flavor. Its thick texture combined with the tangy and spicy taste was a surprising twist, akin to asking a southern Chinese person to try savory tofu pudding—it was a complete departure from the norm for those who prefer sweet bird’s nest dishes. While some dishes were a matter of personal taste, the restaurant’s ambiance and service remained impeccable. This Black Pearl experience, costing around MOP 2,000 per person, was a unique and memorable culinary adventure!