Delish Eats: Five Foot Road, One Michelin Star Sichuanese Restaurant Review

Restaurant history: Newly awarded One Michelin Star in the 2023 Michelin Guide Hong Kong & Macau, Five Foot Road takes an 80-year-old exploration into the depths of Sichuanese cuisine. It is a multisensory experience in the fine MGM Cotai restaurant that pairs historical Chengdu culinary craft with a modern fine-dining approach.

Chef story: Chef de Cuisine Yang Dengquan hails from Asia’s first UNESCO City of Gastronomy of Chengdu, imparting familial traditions and recipes to Macau, the 2017-accredited City of Gastronomy. His nearly 40 years of experience in service of haute-cuisine dining for individuals and societies in Asia grants Chef his first Star in the April 2023 Michelin Guide ceremony.

What’s the vibe and venue like: Nothing like you could expect in the city of Chengdu or the province of Sichuan. Elegant mountain-scapes don the undulating and sky-high walls, blocking off energy and noise from neighbouring tables. The lighting and adorned chandeliers above aim to further the luxurious space that this Sichuan experience lies within.

What is the menu about: The tasting menu highlights a range of Sichuan’s manifold 24 flavours, ranging from cooling umami, numbing sizzle, to fiery spice. Each dish we sampled was paired with either a Sichuanese-imported tea or wine. Expect bite size creations plated beautifully. We ate a combination of highlighted dishes from the a-la-carte menu.

What did we eat: Appetizer combination (shredded bamboo shoots, crispy mullet carpaccio, diced pigeon with peppercorn, chilled sunflower chicken with sweet sesame sauce, fresh mushrooms), Stewed bird’s nest with minced chicken and egg white in bouillon, Braised A5 Wagyu with tofu, Wok-fried filled of giant garoupa with dried chilli and peppercorn, Pan-fired tofu with minced chicken paste and work-fried string beans with matsutake mushrooms and minced pork, Dan Dan Noodles. 

Appetizer combination: Each dish served in the five-quadrant ornate China plate tempts the tongue with the flavours in play later in the meal. The pigeon drizzled in lime was sumptuous and left a hanging buttery richness on my tongue. The chicken was paired with a saliva-warranting sweet sauce that sizzles the mouth. I loved the crispy mullet that embodied a rich umami undertone throughout.

Stewed bird’s nest with minced chicken and egg white in bouillon: Brewed with the deconstruction of a chicken breast to leach the strong salty odours and flavours, the bouillon soup is delicate, compared to richer chicken soup recipes. The bird’s nest dances on your tongue, adding silky texture to the clear soup.

Braised A5 Wagyu with tofu: On the opposite spectrum to the following main courses, the wagyu and tofu chunks embraced the umami side of Sichuanese flavours, driving home a fulsome salty taste oozing onto the palate with each bite.

Wok-fried filled with giant garoupa with dried chilli and peppercorn: The highlight of the meal for me and where the la comes out! Tossed in a wok and served alongside its friends, the garoupa fillets are flaky and light to bite, but release a sizzling spice that alights your tongue with a numbing that brings back the beefy flavours from the wagyu.

Pan-fired tofu with minced chicken paste and work-fried string beans with matsutake mushrooms and minced pork: One of the more art-forward dishes presented at the tasting meal, shared with pan-fried tofu bites and a vigorous string bean stir fry that highlights light umami with a streak of grinded pepper that furthers the sizzle feeling from the previous course.

What we liked: Service was impeccable, with English, Mandarin Chinese and Cantonese details provided throughout, alongside insight into the complex flavour combinations and how they work. The appetiser combination was supreme in foreshadowing flavours savoured in the main course, whilst the ground fire of the garoupa and pan-fried tofu bring serotonin to new heights with a spice that trickles down your spine and lights your brain.

What we didn’t like: Whilst not a strict criticism, I wish the dishes that held a 辣 (lah meaning spice) component that would blow me away with a fire. However, this is simply but a desire on my journey to explore the rich depths of Sichuanese food, where Five Foot Roads shines bright in the wake of their Michelin Star award

Location: Five Foot Road, MGM Cotai, Av. da Nave Desportiva, Macao

Contact details: +853 8806 2358

This food review is based on a complimentary media tasting provided by MGM Cotai in exchange for a truthful review and no compensation. The opinions expressed within represent the views of the author.

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