Sticky fingers on Happiness Street
Sticky fingers on Happiness Street
Naughty Nuri’s, 7 Rua Felicidade
Macau SAR
+853 2853 0425
Rua Felicidade means Happiness Street, but it wasn’t always that way. The street was laid out during a period of urban renewal that took place during the middle to latter end of the nineteenth century. Prior to that, it was a very sad place indeed.
During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the area was mostly swamp. There was a cemetery for exiled Portuguese sailors and settlers who had succumbed to disease and hardship. There were also long barracoons where indentured labourers, or coolies were processed before being shipped overseas.
But then the area was cleared, the land was reclaimed, and new streets were laid out. Rua Felicidade was lined with two-story, Chinese-style shophouses with green, Portuguese-style shutters. Happiness Street quickly lived up to its name by becoming Macau’s premier entertainment district. In its heyday, the little road boasted brothels, opium dens, gambling parlours, restaurants, and a theatre, as well as more traditional goods such as medicines and groceries.
The brothels and opium dens have gone now, of course, and the gambling has moved elsewhere, but there are still some fine eateries, both Portuguese and Macanese.
On the menu
Naughty Nuri’s is neither. It is actually the Macau branch of a group based in Ubud, Bali. But it is extremely popular. It serves a range of Indonesian dishes such as Satays, beef rendang, lamb chops in gulai sauce, and Balinese roast dirty duck leg. All of them sound pretty enticing, but it is their signature Naughty Pork Ribs that most people go for.
Naughty Nuri’s barbecue pork ribs and evening on Rua Felicidade
They taste as good as they look. The ribs are served in three portion sizes: a full rack, half rack, and, if you go for an afternoon set, you can have just a few ribs with fries and a drink. Whatever you choose you won’t be disappointed. The meat falls from the bone easily, and the smoky barbecue sauce is both messy and marvelous. Disposable gloves are provided, but a bit too clinical for me. There is no joy in licking sticky fingers that are covered in polythene. Wet wipes, after the job is done, are a better alternative. The fries and salad I’d ordered alongside the ribs were both fairly routine, but after I had demolished it all, I was fit to burst.
The place itself is boisterous and fun, though part of that may have been because on the evening I went, a large section of its two floors had been booked out by an all-women tour group from South Korea. I paid my bill and slipped out into the night. The pandan pudding encore will just have to wait until next time.
Reservations for dinner are highly recommended.
Sign up for The Mango Road newsletter
Exploring Hong Kong, Macau, and the Greater Bay Area
Hotel Suggestion
Artyzen Grand Lapa, Macau
