Lobsters. I want Lobsters. My mind was swimming with steaming, freshly boiled, succulent lobsters. And incidentally, so were the buffet tables at the Belcancao Restaurant at the Four Seasons Macau. Yes, there were an abundance of other dishes around, but what I’m really craving for are lobsters! Lobsters!!!

NOODLE AND DIMSUM BASKETS AT BELCANCAO RESTAURANT

Walking aimlessly across Macau’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites and its sprawling side-streets can take its toll on you, especially if you’re in Scrooge-mode, hardly buying any food to save up for beer later. And so it was that one afternoon, after such a jaunt, we headed to the Cotai Strip from Metropole Hotel, our lodging of choice in Macau, to watch the acclaimed House of Dancing Water show.

But before that, a luscious dinner awaited us.

► SEE: MACAU FOOD FESTIVAL

MACAU’S AMIZADE BRIDGE

SAI VAN BRIDGE

Availing of the free bus rides the gargantuan casinos in Macau offer, we watched the sun paint the skies in pastels as our bus smoothly crossed the Governador Nobre de Carvalho Bridge across the waters of Baía da Praia Grande. I never thought this place can be beautiful, my impressions of the city being mostly of gaudy places to gamble in.

► DISCOUNTED MACAU TOWER DINNER BUFFET

ENTERING THE VENETIAN MACAO

THE FAMOUS SAN LUCA CANAL INSIDE VENETIAN MACAO

VENETIAN MACAO’S ORNATE HALLS

Right as the sun settled below the horizon, we arrived at the famed Venetian Macao, a colossal building (the biggest in Asia, in fact) housing the tourist favorite, the indoor San Luca Canal. Even with directions from the guard at the entrance, we promptly got lost inside its overstatedly elegant hallways, passing its faux Venice canals and with its almost life-like sky and taking a few snaps of the gondolas on the way while finding our way to our dinner buffet.

► CHECK FOR DISCOUNTED RATES FOR FOUR SEASONS MACAU

BELCANCAO RESTAURANT’S INTERIORS

CONTEMPORARY ELEGANCE

A MORE PRIVATE PART OF THE RESTAURANT

SHOULD YOU WISH TO DINE AL FRESCO

Eventually, after taking a few more wrong turns, we found the Belcancao Restaurant, one of Four Seasons’ four restaurants. We were a bit fazed with the hotel’s dapper interiors, but even the backpackers that we are, we came prepared in snappy clothes. We don’t want our shabby everyday backpacking wardrobes to get in the way of a fine dinner.

JAPANESE AND STEAK STATIONS

Belcancao or Belçancão, if you wanna get uptight about it, means… Well, I really don’t know what it means, so does Google its seems, but it does sound expensive. But forget about the name, what really matters were the spread of mouth-watering dishes throughout its food stations; Japanese, Western, Asian, sweets, and yes, seafood. Loads of them.

ONE PART OF THE BUFFET SPREAD

As with all things too good to be true, there is a catch. We only have an hour to fulfil our food fantasies before we go running to the City of Dreams where the House of Dancing Water is being regularly run.

Exactly the number of lobsters I ate. #lovester #fourseasonsmacau ©

A photo posted by Christian L. Sangoyo (@lakadpilipinas) on Nov 21, 2015 at 3:12am PST

I was literally trying to curb my excitement into stuffing myself silly with food; I wanted to really savor each and every bite. With three steaming lobsters and a butter dip staring you right in the face, it was so easy to fail miserably.

CUSTOMIZED NOODLE SOUP

THE FAMED MACANESE EGG TARTS, AMAZINGLY GOOD

But it was a good failure. I lost count of how many lobsters I’ve had while sneaking in a few bites of steaks, Macanese egg tarts, maki rolls, chocolate cakes, noodles, kebabs—everything consumed in no particular order. Gluttony is one of the seven deadly sins and I was very guilty of it.

ALA CARTE OFFERINGS

SMALLS PORTIONS FOR THE OTHER DISHES, BIG ONES FOR THE LOBSTERS

Belcancao’s buffet is legendary in Macau and my tummy was a testament to its reputation. In fact, I was still dreaming of lobsters as we ran across Macau’s wide avenues, dapper suits, dresses and all, Belcancao’s sweet bounty all sloshing inside our bellies. Remind us not to book a show just an hour after a buffet feast next time.

~ BIG THANKS TO FOUR SEASONS HOTEL FOR HOSTING OUR DINNER

Belcancao Restaurant at Four Seasons
Address: Four Seasons, Estrada da Baia de N. Senhora da Esperanca, Cotai Strip, Taipa, Macau
Contact Number: (+853) 2881-8888
Opening Hours: Breakfast 7AM-11AM | Lunch 12PM-2:30PM | Dinner 6PM-10PM
GPS Coordinates Map: 22.146461, 113.562443

• BOOK CHEAP TOURS IN MACAU •
• CHECK DISCOUNTED HOTELS IN MACAU •