Macau can certainly overwhelm the senses. From the relentless stream of people, casinos, entertainment options and bright lights, the island begs the question, where do I start? There may be little time to see and do it all, but there is time to delve into the heart of Macau. And everyone knows the surest way to the heart is through the stomach.

The Chinese lent Macau to Portugal as a trading post in the 16th century. Macau remained under Chinese rule and a colony of Portugal until the European country took over and occupied the island in the 19th century. As a result of the Chinese and Portuguese influences in Macau, the island’s traditional cuisine is an interesting blend of the two. After spending the morning exploring the lasting remnants of the Portuguese occupation, the Old Christian City — a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2005, including the Ruins of St. Paul, Senado Square and Saint Dominic Church — begin your afternoon with a traditional Macanese dining experience at Litoral Restaurant. Manuela Ferreira opened the restaurant, bringing the tradition of Macanese food into a public sphere. The restaurant is today lauded as one of the best. Admittedly, enjoying the cuisine is one of my favorite aspects to exploring a new destination, and my feast of baked duck rice, baked crabmeat and African chicken at Litoral was a tasty, tempting introduction. Finish with the biscuit mousse before setting out again.

In 1999, the Sino-Portuguese government handed over Macau to China, officially ending the area’s history of colonization. Today Macau is a Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China. To celebrate the momentous event, the 56 ethnic groups of the Chinese nation crafted gifts representative of their regionalism to Macau. Those gifts are displayed at The Handover Gifts Museum, a truly unique spot one must discover. Browsing the elaborate, beautiful gifts is an hour’s time well spent in your afternoon. Also nearby is the Macau Art Center.

For dinner, visitors can easily choose from authentic Chinese or Portuguese cuisine, or perhaps opt for international cuisine at any of the endless fine-dining restaurants in Macau. But every day off in Macau deserves a sweet ending. And the sweetest ending of them all can be found at Lord Stow’s Bakery in the Coloane section. Since 1989, Andrew, Lord Stow has been perfecting his Portuguese egg tart recipe, awarded the Macau Government’s Medal of Merit for Services to Tourism in 2006. The cherry on top of a perfect day spent in Macau.