Visitors work up appetite in SAR

Almond cookies

After savoring fine dining and street food, many tourists buy food souvenirs, such as handmade confectionery and snacks, to take home.

Macao's Koi Kei Bakery is a favorite among tourists. Starting as a single food stall in the 1990s, which made less than 2,000 Macao patacas (about $250) a day, Leong Chan Kuong has expanded his business to more than 30 shops in Macao and Hong Kong.

The bakery uses walnuts, peanuts and sesame seeds to prepare its offerings. Leong said his business stands out from competitors, and he thinks this is because its handmade food souvenirs are prepared in-house, unlike his rivals'. "We were also the first to give out free samples," he added.

Koi Kei's peanut candies and almond cookies are best-sellers.

Looking back over recent decades, Leong remembers the days when neighborhood crime was rampant in Macao.

"I was threatened by gangsters, who set my store on fire twice. I had never been attacked so badly. I couldn't sleep. They started fires in the middle of the night, and I was beaten up when I was walking on the street. During the holidays when business was good, the gangsters parked their cars to block my doorway, so I couldn't even open up the shop."

Two other restaurant and cafe owners said they had considered closing down before the handover, because of crime.