Travel + Leisure - India & South Asia
The Venetian Ride
The Venetian Macao has always been Bollywood’s favourite— it has hosted two IIFA shows already. For me, the Venetian Macao—conveniently connected with The Parisian Macao via walkways—was all about the gondola rides while rejoicing some delectable ice cream, and then hopping over to enjoy my favourite pastime a.k.a. shopping at the Grand Canal
Street. Shoppes at Venetian is a 93,000-square-metre indoor mall that features the best of global brands and is connected with Shoppes at Four Seasons, Shoppes at Cotai Central, and Shoppes at Parisian.
Inspired by the legendary Las Vegas Strip, when The Venetian Macao opened its doors in 2007, it became the largest integrated resort in Asia. From replicas of the famous canals to the signature architecture of Venice, The Venetian Macao is inspired by the Venetian Resort-Hotel-Casino in Las Vegas. And while The Venetian Macao inevitably sees “repeat guests,” as Tanpure confirmed, The Parisian Macao is where the nextgen flocks. With over 350 stores at Shoppes at Venetian and over 30 restaurants, it’s the perfect family getaway. As I waded through what seemed like an unending shopping paradise, I finally managed to catch up with the PR manager, Posy Kuok, to experience a slice of India in Macao.
Welcome to Sands Macao’s one Michelin-star Indian restaurant, the Golden Peacock. Chef Justin Paul, from Trichi, Kerala, is the man behind the Michelin star. Extremely affable, he greeted me with some kadak chai. “I was part of the opening team at Sands Macao in 2007,” he smiled. “Then IIFA happened in 2009, and suddenly there was a rush of Indian clients,” he revealed, adding that his restaurant served no beef and pork, and only halal meat. After spending five years in Hong Kong, Chef Paul shifted base to Macao because it was “quiet and safe.” When the restaurant opened in 2013, his challenge was to make it one of the best eateries in Macao and Hong Kong—one that he has successfully delivered—and the proof was in the pudding, as I tried a meal there later that night. The kandari murgh tikka
was one of the best I’d ever had. The chef told us that there was a special Jain menu for conservative vegetarians. Would you expect that from the ‘Vegas of the East’? Besides the Golden Peacock, The Venetian Macao has several options for fine dining. These include Cantonese delicacies at the Canton, and Italian food at Portofino, among others.
I spent 72 hours in Macao. Experienced luxury at its best, savoured fabulous delicacies, kept adulting at bay as I Instagrammed the Eiffel Tower from a carousel, soaked in the energy of the casinos, and realised that there was indeed a ‘Europe in Asia’—one that’s easily accessible and where my family would love to spend their summers.