Xin, Sheraton Macau Hotel, Cotai Central, Macau

The first visit I made to Xin, Sheraton Macau’s Asian restaurant, was a spectacle celebrating the opening of the Sheraton Macau Hotel. An amazing quartet of women performing on traditional Chinese instruments serenaded us, and a talented performer adept in the art of Chinese face-changing, or “biàn liǎn,” enthralled us. The restaurant, housed nearby in the connected Shoppes at Cotai Central, has been open for a few months and looks to be enjoying a brisk business.

The food at Xin was very tasty. I sampled the “rich” cut iberico pork char sui, which was mouth-wateringly good, tender and juicy with every bite. I also enjoyed roasting ducks and mandarin with betel leaves.  The crunch of the leaves mixed with the sweet, spicy and moist duck for a rich and textured experience. I have to give special mention to the beverage, a fantastic blend of mango juice, lychee puree, grapefruit juice, and soda called Oriental Pearl. During my next visit, I was sure to sample more drinks, including the Saipan Island, a mixture of crushed lychees, strawberry juice, passion fruit syrup, cranberry and apple juice. Delicious! I added black pearls (tapioca) to my drink – other options include grass jellies or aloe vera.

The buffet for the hot pot ingredients included an impressive array of very fresh seafood like abalone, clams, oysters, mussels and more, along with raw and precooked meats. I enjoyed the pre-cooked sausage and the choices of already-mixed dishes, including a tasty roasted sweet potato dish, braised beef cheeks and several chicken and vegetable combinations.

Service at Xin was generally good; our broth was kept topped up, and requests were immediately attended to. Drinks were a bit slow, and the alcohol content was questioned (the mojitos were very watery), but complaints were rectified quickly with a friendly attitude.

The atmosphere of Xin is muted, blending with the rest of the Sheraton design aesthetic, which I find rather corporate and businesslike for a fun night out. I think rather it was the steam of the hot pots and the liveliness of the company that really gave Xin its self-described “festive” atmosphere. But the food is good and overall experience left me wanting to come back for more.