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Jade Dragon brings one of China’s favorite and most esteemed cuisines — Cantonese — to Nüwa Macau at the City of Dreams. Director of culinary Kelvin Au Yeung, who has more than 30 years of experience in Chinese cuisine, is the ideal person to cater to international high rollers. He uses only the freshest seasonal, premium ingredients, many of them organic, to create dishes that balance the body and encourage longevity.
The décor blends imperial elegance with refined artistry, and you’ll see it in every detail of the serene main dining and private rooms. Look for pillars and chairs inspired by the painting, Along the River During the Qingming Festival, and listen for the gentle sound of guzheng music. Calligraphers stand ready to craft you a bespoke blessing, and expert tea masters brew fragrant cups. You’ll be welcomed with warmth, grace and attentive service at every turn, making Jade Dragon the epitome of Chinese fine dining.
Our Inspector's Highlights
- The memorable interiors blend contemporary décor, seen in the metallic silver and gold VIP rooms with curving walls, with the classic elegance of dark wood furniture and traditional Chinese symbols. Look for green-and-gold Chinese tableware, Jade Dragon chopstick holders and hand-painted walls featuring traditional scenes.
- The Macau restaurant is renowned for
its barbecued items, roasted in-house over lychee wood, which infuses the sweet
flavor of the smoke into the tenderly cooked meats.
- Dim sum is a particular stand-out here.
- Every dish is a mini work of art. Dim sum is served on a plate garnished with a double leaf and flanked by three sauces, or, if steamed, a silver dragon-carved dish that stands on three feet. The meats and soups are presented more earthily on an irregularly shaped ceramic plate and a clay-style pot, respectively.
- The chef works with a traditional Chinese medicine doctor on a menu that combines the freshest ingredients with organic and healthy produce to balance and promote a long life. Particularly interesting is the menu of TCM-inspired soups.
Things to Know
- Professional and charming, the service at Jade Dragon is superb. All the waitstaff speak English, and they are ready to share helpful information about the menu.
- At dinnertime, you might find the restaurant filled with businessmen entertaining important clients, see VIPs from a nearby casino or spy couples on dates. During the day, however, it attracts families who are interested in an authentic dim sum lunch.
- The dress code is smart casual. Gentlemen must avoid shorts, sleeveless shirts and open-toe shoes.
- The place settings, which cost more than HK$15,000 (about US$1,920) each, feature an eye-catching, light-reflecting transparent dragon. This symbol of happiness and immortality sits in the middle of the table, reflecting the restaurant's healthy philosophy.
- Securing a reservation to dine at Jade Dragon couldn’t be easier. Book through the City of Dreams official webpage www.cityofdreamsmacau.com/en/dining/jade-dragon or by calling 853-8868-2822. It’s recommended to reserve tables and private dining rooms well in advance.
The Food
- Served unusually in single portions, the dim sum at the Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star restaurant — in particular the light-as-air beef puff and the creamy shrimp dumpling with the most delicate skin — transcends other versions you’ll have eaten before.
- The traditional Chinese medicine soups are nerve-wracking to order, simply because even the English translations of some of the ingredients will mean nothing to the average diner. Instead, choose your soup according to the benefits you seek, or go for the simple-sounding double-boiled herbal winter melon, meant to counter dampness and increase the appetite — which could be handy considering what is to come.
- The roasted meats are sublime, with the Iberico ham char siu , another menu item that takes the traditional Chinese dish far beyond the usual, in terms of flavor and texture. Incredibly tender and a little crispy with ambrosial fat, the hint of lychee and its sweet coating make it pleasingly rich.
- One of the most luxurious ingredients
in Chinese cooking is abalone, and there is a list of dishes dedicated to this
much-loved specialty.
- The desserts span Western and Chinese sweets. The petits fours are a spectacular dish of mini ice cream in cones served in a teapot, a square of the softest chocolate, a mini cake, fruit jellies and a macaron.
The Drinks
- The imperial Cantonese cuisine goes well with the Cantonese restaurant’s various teas.
- Choose from Chinese rice wines and liqueurs and international grape wines from both the Old and New Worlds.
- Staff members are knowledgeable about all of the options and can help suggest a tea that will complement the dishes or suit the palate, as well as steer the less experienced diner through Chinese wines and liqueurs. They can also suggest individual pairings to go with each dish for an extremely personalized meal.
