Macau is a gourmand's paradise. The tiny settlement has long been a point of contact between disparate cultures, and it's no surprise that its cuisine—to the world's great fortune—reflects this. Former colonial ruler, Portugal, contributes a Mediterranean love of olive oil and savory herbs as well as the seafaring nation's beloved bacalhau (dried salt cod). Guangdong and the Pearl River Delta provide the local ingredients—namely, lots of fresh seafood, rice and local spices. Former Portuguese colonial trading grounds in Africa and India, especially Goa, contribute ingredients such as coconut, curry and chili peppers. And Southeast Asian and Indonesian flavors have also found their ways into the delightful Macanese mix.

Favorite Mecanese foods include baked, grilled, stewed or boiled bacalhau; caldo verde, a vegetable and olive oil soup with pork sausage; juicy prawns grilled with chili; pasteis de nata (custard tarts); the spicy hot Galinha Africana (African chicken); and European-style breads. A good bottle of wine often accompanies dinner. Of course, you're in southern China, and the influence of nearby Guangzhou means that delicious dim sum can be easily found for breakfast or dinner. And you're in one of the world's biggest casino cities, so international fare of all kinds is not only readily available, but is often available around the clock.