Understatement is not usually the first idea that comes to mind in Macau, a place where bigger is better and less is only more if you’re counting your losses at the casino. And yet, Zi Yat Heen, the superb Chinese restaurant in the Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Four Seasons Hotel Macao, Cotai Strip, seems to understand that luxury lives in the little details.
Of course, there’s no shortage of grandeur here. Arriving at the restaurant requires a trip through the ornate Italianate lobby of the hotel.
Still, dining here feels like a welcome retreat from the hubbub. Greetings are warm, and service is anticipatory and personalized. Guests’ names are remembered, tea never goes cold and messy plates are replaced unobtrusively.
Well-spaced tables are organized around a glass case that breaks up the room into more intimate sections while drawing attention to one of the restaurants proudest features: a wine list with over 1,000 references.
Of course, there’s no shortage of grandeur here. Arriving at the restaurant requires a trip through the ornate Italianate lobby of the hotel.
Still, dining here feels like a welcome retreat from the hubbub. Greetings are warm, and service is anticipatory and personalized. Guests’ names are remembered, tea never goes cold and messy plates are replaced unobtrusively.
Well-spaced tables are organized around a glass case that breaks up the room into more intimate sections while drawing attention to one of the restaurants proudest features: a wine list with over 1,000 references.
Our Inspector's Highlights
- The dining room is done in shades of gold and ivory, evoking opulence if not ostentation. Tables are set with white linens and silver tipped chopsticks.
- Deeply polished wood trip contrasts with the pale hues, the walls are paneled with Chinese landscape scenes and lanterns cast a warm glow on the space.
- The food is Cantonese through and through (the Peking duck notwithstanding), with an enticing selection of barbecue items, loads of seafood, delicate soups and traditional prestige products such as abalone and bird’s nest.
- The menu is copious – consider choosing one of the seasonal specialties, or focusing on signature dishes (noted with an icon on the menu) such as crispy crab claw with shrimp mousse, a trademark crispy chicken or lamb chops with an unusual coffee sauce.
- For a grand occasion, tasting menus are offered, and the aforementioned wine list can be counted on to impress. If vino is not your thing – or even if it is — something from the menu of fine teas will certainly do.
Things to Know
- Zi Yat Heen, the Cantonese fine-dining restaurant inside Four Seasons Hotel Macao, Cotai Strip, is open every day for lunch and dinner.
- Lunch service runs from noon to 2:30 p.m. from Monday to Saturday and from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sundays. Dinner is served from 6 to 10:30 p.m. seven days a week.
- The official dress code at Zi Yat Heen is smart casual. Women have some leeway to interpret that as they wish, but men are advised to avoid sleeveless shirts, shorts, slippers and open shoes.
- Reservations at this Macau eatery are highly recommended, whether for lunch or dinner, as the Cantonese restaurant is popular with locals and travelers alike.
The Food
- Stop in for traditional dim sum and enjoy classics like steamed shrimp dumplings and barbecued pork buns prepared masterfully and presented on carts for you to pick and choose at your leisure.
- The à la carte menu includes extravagant delicacies like bird’s nest, roasted Peking duck, and sautéed pigeon fillet.
- End your meal with the dessert sampler to savor equally delicious and extravagant treats. Chilled mango pudding and bird’s nest with rock sugar are just a couple of the unique sweets you’ll find on this menu.
The Design
- Delicate orchid centerpieces are proudly displayed on the tables. Throughout the restaurant, other native plants might catch your eye, reminding you of your beautiful Macau surroundings.
- Subtle gold detailing can be found around the restaurant, from the cutlery and china to the drapes hanging from the floor-to-ceiling windows. It sets a tone of elegance from the moment you walk in.
- Large circular tables are perfect for sharing a meal and a bit of conversation, while attentive waitstaff caters to whatever you may need.
Getting There
Estrada da BaÍa de N. Senhora da Esperança, S/N, Taipa, Macau
TEL853-2881-8818
Zi Yat Heen
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