The trademark flavours of IFT’s culinary delicacies are now available on the waterfront of Nam Van Lake. Since June, the Institute has been running a café there, on a temporary basis. It is part of an effort by the Macao SAR Government to revitalise the Nam Van Lake area and turn it into a new leisure and tourism hub.
The revitalised waterfront includes recreational facilities, shops selling cultural and creative products, a book market, and a weekend craft market. The area will additionally have regular outdoor performances. At the lake, pedal boats are also available for visitors to enjoy.
The new IFT Café not only serves IFT’s famously appetising food; but it also provides training to IFT students. The outlet additionally operates as a venue to promote culture, and will regularly host exhibitions featuring local artwork, says Executive Assistant Manager of Food and Beverage at IFT, Mr. David Wong.
Visual artist Mr. Fortes Pakeong Sequeira was the first to have his work featured on the Café’s walls.
“People can come, have a quick coffee and a quick bite, and even a glass of wine if they want,” explains Mr. Wong.
Other Government bodies involved in the overall revitalisation project for the area – a zone that has been named ‘Anim’Arte Nam Van’ – include: the Cultural Affairs Bureau; the Sports Bureau; and the Macao Government Tourism Office. The project has a budget of MOP4 million.
Facelift for Nam Van
IFT President Dr. Fanny Vong says: “For IFT, we are honoured to be part of this [Nam Van] project. We are running temporarily this Café to help kick off the project: later on, most of the venues in the whole site will be handed over to private entities through an open bidding process.”
“During the time IFT is temporarily managing the Café, it will provide a lot of opportunities for our students to practise: we have a kitchen area, and we have the culture and arts part [at the Café seating area]. As IFT also offers courses related to cultural and creative industries, this is a win-win for us,” Dr. Vong states.
She adds: “We run this place temporarily to kick off the whole project, and at the same time it also gives students a picture of how to conceptualise a tourism idea and then to bring it to fruition.”
Despite being away from the IFT Main Campus at Mong-Há Hill, the IFT Café “upholds very high standards” – similar to those at its sister venue, the IFT Educational Restaurant – explains Dr. Vong.
“The difference is that at the IFT Main Campus, students have equipment ready, and [have] the entire team of staff and teachers that can be approached to ask questions,” she says. “Here [at Nam Van], there may be last-minute issues that students haven’t thought about. This is good learning practice for them.”
The temporary operation of the IFT Café will last for about “6 to 9 months”, according to the IFT President. “I believe after the shops are handed over to private entities, the shop concessionaires will still be able to engage IFT students, namely for internships,” notes Dr. Vong.
The facelift of the Nam Van Lake area was one of the tourism development projects outlined in the Government’s Policy Address for 2016.
“We hope that after half a year of operation, we will be able to see whether the project is successful,” Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Dr. Alexis Tam Chon Weng, told reporters during the official launch of Anime’Arte Nam Van.
He added that, in the future, the Government could extend the concept to the neighbouring Sai Van Lake area.
