Lord Stow’s vs. Margaret’s: The real story of Macau’s egg tarts

The egg tart is a Portuguese cake that originated in the 1800s and is very popular in Macau. However, the history of the current iteration of the egg tarts in Macau is quite twisted. It is not a direct import from Portugal as you might expect given the Portuguese legacy in the former colony.

Based on the pasteis de nata from Portugal, the tarts in their current form were introduced to Macau by a British pharmacist-turned-baker, Andrew Stow in the late 1980s. After tasting the tarts in Portugal, Stow returned to Macau and started experimenting with the recipe to create his own ‘Macau’ version. He opened his first bakery in 1989. He passed away in 2006, but his bakery continues to bake over 10,000 tarts a day. BBC wrote a feature about him. The business is now managed by the sister and the daughter.

Adding twist to the twist, after their separation, his wife Margaret Wong opened her own bakery and started to compete with the ex-husband.

Lord Stow’s Bakery and Margaret’s Cafe e Nata are the two most famous places where to find egg tarts in Macau today, but other local bakeries have them as well. The Hong Kong version, by the way, is quite different and has a different story.

Lord Stow’s Bakery

Lord Stow’s Bakery original shop is located in Coloane village, in the Southern part of Macau.

I bought a set of six for 50 MOP (a little over 6 USD). The individual price was 10 MOP. Unfortunately the bakery in Coloane has no place where to seat. The cakes are best tasted hot. They were firm and the cream brulee cover added flavor to the mix.

Their handmade chocolate pie was another item that attracted my attention, but I did not try it.

They have several outlets in Macau, including some cafes: check their web site for addresses. Finally, two small franchisees are present in Osaka (Dotobori) and in Manila.

Margaret’s Café e Nata

Margaret’s cafe is located near the central Senate Square (17B R. do Cmte. Mata e Oliveira). During the weekend expect long queues. I visited it on a Monday morning and there was no waiting time. They also have some benches in front of the store that is nice.

They have sandwiches and drinks as well. Right in front of the entrance there is a DYI station where to choose the ingredients for a sandwich. But it did not look particularly attractive.

Frankly, the egg tart was pretty similar to Lord Stow’s. Probably the pastry was more flaky and the cream had a stronger flavor. But I would not queue for it.

One tart was 10 MOP (1.24 USD), the standard price around town. Also tried a pizza that was forgettable.