Cafe Tai Lei Loi Kei (大利来记) @ Taipa

I must have driven my companions wonky with the incessant chanting of "豬扒包" the moment I step foot on Macau. Risking my life in a cab driver who drove to outrace an F1 driver and would only grunt or nod in response, I finally joined the snaking queue at 330pm, half an hour short of its reported closing time. Fans from near and far gather every day religiously slightly before the official selling time of 3pm to get a glimpse and taste of the pork chop buns.



By 4pm, these are usually sold out. I was in the queue for approximately 15 minutes but it was a bearable wait as it moved rather quickly. The plump lady over the counter entertained us quite abit whilst she tucked into her lunch heartily. From afar, I thought it was their famous buns...inching closer, it was Mcdonalds burger. We all thought she was inspired by the burger.



Everyone in the coffeeshop had the same outlook; munching heartily on the prized pork chop bun with a drink in a glass bottle and probably a bowl of curry fishballs. There would be an occasional diner tucking into pork chop instant noodles.



Clutching onto the prized piping hot pork chop bun (MOP18) , there was a flicker of victory in every patron's eye as they left the counter. I swear I almost broke out in a victorious chant or was so close to shrieking "eureka" when it was my turn. Dramatic it was indeed, it's perhaps the whole "what if it gets sold out before my very eyes" mentality.

Toasty crispy chewy buns snugly hugged around a thick juicy pork chop barbequed to such smokey perfect. I figure I've included too many adjectives in a single sentence...but it is certainly not overrated for a pork chop fan. The slab of tender pork chop with fats got me chomping nonstop, barely stopping to talk. No need for butter nor fanciful salad, it is as simple as it gets...and I get all the hype. Totally.

The bone that came with it....clearly it is not an overprocessed overmarinated patty. Best eaten straight off the oven, of course!


I could not resist reliving the past with a glass bottle of soyabean milk.
An afternoon well spent, well stuffed....well lived indeed.
大利来记 氹仔巴波沙總督街號地下