The catering sector is making the most of Macao, known as "showcase of gourmet paradise", to add to the jubilant atmosphere for Macao's return to China on December 20, 1999.

"Return and Millennium Banquet" is among the most favorite. The 12-dish banquet, available at Nam Yue Hotel at 1,999 Macao patacas, for example, is a good collection of Chinese cuisine, and reads as "warmly welcome Macao's return to the motherland" when the first Chinese square character for each dish is put together.

The Portuguese-style cuisine is also joining in the fashion. The Pinocchio's Restaurant serves courses relating to "farewell", such as boiled bacalhau (Norwegian cod salted in Portugal).

And the Great Fortune B.B.Q. Portuguese Restaurant will offer a buffet dinner on the eve of Macao's return to China, as well as souvenirs for each dinner.

Macao, a pocket area of only 23.5 square kilometers, is home to some 1,000 restaurants and teahouses, a mixture of East-West cultures.