By the time our group of twenty-three hungry guests descends upon his private kitchen, Red House, it’s already been a long day for Benny Fong. He’s been sweating it out in a hot kitchen, cooking at his day job. After work, instead of going home to put his feet up, he heads to the local wet market to stock up on fresh vegetables. Benny dedicates evenings to his true passion: more cooking. The difference is that at night Chef Benny cooks in his own kitchen, where he has total control.

Owner and sole chef of Red House, Benny runs the kitchen almost single-handedly, aided by just two assistants who help plate the meals—no mean feat considering he serves up to ten courses each night to as many as thirty people. After cooking all day long, how does he have the energy? “My true motivation is my girlfriend,” says Benny. “I want to save enough money for us to get married and live a good life.”

Benny began his career as a teppanyaki chef at a restaurant in Hong Kong, where he spent twelve years mastering the art of Japanese cuisine. To create dishes tailored to his guests’ tastes, Benny draws on his Japanese training, his Macanese upbringing, and his love of Western cuisine. His advertising is all word of mouth, and it’s working. To get a seat, you have to book weeks in advance.

The long, beautifully polished red wooden table in Benny’s dining room accommodates all twenty-three of us. I’m a bit surprised to find myself seated across from Napoleon Bonaparte. Staring out at me from Jacques-Louis David’s famous oil painting, the French emperor, looking dashing in a red cape, is crossing the Alps to launch a surprise attack on the Austrians, who, looking at things from a purely culinary point of view, must have felt a great sense of relief at finally being conquered by the French.

Benny starts us off with seared Hokkaido scallops, a broccoli, bacon and blue cheese soup, and a Caesar salad. I’ve eaten Caesar salads all over the world. It’s one of those universal menu items that seems so simple, yet is often so disappointing. Benny’s salad is simple and extraordinary—the crispness of the fresh romaine lettuce contrasts perfectly with his deliciously creamy, slightly tangy homemade dressing.

Before long, the table is cluttered with dishes and the feast is on. Big bowls of saffron-colored Spanish seafood rice seem barely able to contain a riot of red crab claws, blue and green mussels, red and green bell peppers, squid, shrimp, and juicy chunks of onion. Yes! There is grilled cod with garlic mash (perfectly moist and flaky), slow-cooked leg of lamb studded with garlic and lavender (luscious) and Black Angus rib eye steak (charred to perfection).

An unexpected scent suddenly carries me away, back to my childhood in Alsace. The wonderful aroma is coming from a wild Mallard duck breast, sliced open to reveal the fresh figs stuffed inside. My father used to cook duck just like this. If you sauté a duck breast just right, the skin fries crispy on the outside as the fat under the skin melts into the meat. As far as I’m concerned, this combination of moist, earthy meat and crispy fat is pretty much unbeatable. Every successful dish is all about balance: each ingredient must enhance, but not overshadow, the flavor of every other ingredient. Benny has got it just right: the flavors of the duck and the figs sing together in perfect harmony.

After so much eating, nobody looks to be in any kind of shape to try the Nintendo Wii on offer in the living room. I’m even wondering whether I’ll be able to handle dessert—that is, until it appears: it’s a plate of warm chocolate lava cake with a scoop of homemade banana sorbet. When I split the cake open with my spoon, the warm runny insides spill out and blend with the cold melting sorbet. Lava cake is a relatively recent invention; as I’m savoring mine, I meet Napoleon’s gaze and pity him for never having had the chance to enjoy one.

Before we leave, I ask Benny about the painting. He answers with a simple explanation: “My idol.” Benny definitely has the Emperor’s famous, fantastic energy. And although his empire so far is only the size of a single kitchen, Benny controls things there with the great verve and confidence of a Napoleon of chefs.

For reservations, please call (853) 6283 3310 or email redhousemacau.blogspot@gmail.com.  

We recommend making reservations at least one week in advance.

By Jean Alberti

Photo by David Hartung and Carmo Correia