Macanese cafe with solid cooking
Macau is a minor oddity of China. It was a Portuguese colony for over 400 years and was only reunified with China in 1999. As such, there are some influences from Portugal and its other colonies, but the feel is unmistakably Southern Chinese.
The most famous specialty is pastéis de nata (egg tarts). As for the next most famous dish, it’s likely unknown to the rest of the world. My vote goes to galinha à Africana (African chicken): roasted and covered with a piri piri and peanut butter sauce. It’s not actually African but an amalgamation of Central and Southern African ingredients.
Woodstone Eatery is one of the few Macanese restaurants in the Toronto region. It feels like a Hong Kong cha chan teng (茶餐廳; Westernized Chinese cafe) with Macanese items. Still, it’s a splendid choice with good cooking and down-to-earth prices.
The food
Most meals come with a complimentary hot drink. Standing out from the usual HK cafe fare like curry beef brisket and baked pork chop rice were two Macanese dishes: Macao’s Famous Spicy BBQ Chicken Steak and Taipa pork chop bun.
The chicken steak is actually galinha à Africana (非洲雞), although they don’t call it that. The counter staff was visibly confused when I said I wanted African chicken. Whatever it is, it’s better than the ones I’ve had in Macau.
The roasted chicken was nicely caramelized. Despite its name, it wasn’t spicy. Nonetheless, it was incredibly aromatic with visible spices on it. It was boneless, flattened, and moist. It had influences of a Portuguese roast chicken but beats the socks off other Portuguese rotisseries in Toronto.
The surprise winner were the roast potatoes. They had absorbed the schmaltz from the chicken laying above. Yet the inside was feathery, not mushy.
The accompanying brown sauce was tangy and helped to cut the richness. Overall, 8.5/10.
The Taipa pork chop bun (豬扒包) is an attempt to recreate the one at Tai Lei Loi Kei (大利來記) in Taipa, Macau. I haven’t tried the one in Macau and can’t say how authentic it is. The one at Woodstone Eatery looks plain.
The taste was also plain. It wasn’t bad but what you see is what you get. A buttered roll, some onions, lettuce, coriander, and a slab of pan-fried pork. The pork was seasoned with salt and pepper. Overall, a simple dish for a quick snack. 7/10.
The place
The interior is bright and contemporary. Definitely not the cha chan tengs of the mid-20th century.
Woodstone Eatery has installed mini plexiglass partitions between tables as a result of COVID-19. This was during the early days of the pandemic and before it was acknowledged as an airborne disease. There weren’t a lot of diners when I visited during COVID season.
Verdict
Competent bistro that sets itself apart with hard-to-find Macanese dishes. A refreshing change from Hong Kong cha chan tengs. 8/10.
Practical information
- Name
- Woodstone Eatery
- Rating
- 8/10
- Recommended dishes
- Spicy BBQ chicken steak
- Prices
- Spicy BBQ chicken steak with drink: $18.07 ($15.99 excluding tax)
Taipa pork chop bun with drink: $7.90 ($6.99 excluding tax) - Address
- 10 Apple Creek Boulevard, Unit B1, Markham
- Hours
- Daily 0900h – 2015h
- Date of visit
- August 2020, September 2021