(Last updated: May 4, 2026)
I’d been going to Golden Peacock at the Venetian Macao for years without experiencing a bad visit. It was one of those places I recommended without hesitation, where the soups and curries weren’t just good, but pinpoint precise. When it closed during Covid, it felt like Macau lost something that couldn’t easily be replaced.
Truth be told, the only person who could probably fill that gap was Golden Peacock’s former Head Chef, Justin Paul, who thankfully resurfaced in 2024 with his newest venture, Justindia.
I wouldn’t characterize Justindia as a continuation of Golden Peacock. If anything, it aims even higher, using elaborate tasting menus to compete in the same space as Macau’s most acclaimed restaurants like Jade Dragon and Robuchon au Dôme, just through an Indian lens.
I tried the $598 tasting menu in August 2024, and it began with one of the most elaborate bread baskets I’ve ever seen.
Crisps and flatbreads sat in the middle of a huge brass tray, surrounded by small pots of chutney covering seemingly every possible direction: sweet, sour, spicy, cooling and several points in between. Half the fun was trying different combinations and immediately forgetting which one you liked best.
The opening plate of tikkas was even better.
The Kandari Murgh Tikka was ridiculously soft, barely holding together beneath its beetroot-red exterior. The Aam Ka Machi Tikka may have been better still, with the fish almost collapsing the moment I touched it. A crisp piece of lotus stem provided the necessary crunch and stopped the entire plate from turning into one long exercise in softness.
The Choosa Khaas Makhani is what butter chicken should be. The sauce is thick and rich, but doesn’t bury everything beneath sugar and cream. More importantly, the chicken remains incredibly tender rather than becoming an afterthought floating around in gravy. I could have eaten the sauce on its own with a spoon, although naan is the more socially acceptable option.
The Beef Kattappana went darker and stronger. The Wagyu broke apart without much resistance, while the garlic and spice came through with considerably more force than they did in the butter chicken. Two rich dishes in a row could have become exhausting, but they tasted completely different.
Best of all was the Konchu Kizhi.
Served inside a folded banana leaf, it opens to reveal prawns covered in a thick coconut sauce sharpened by kokum. That acidity is what makes the dish. Without it, the coconut might have become too heavy; with it, the whole thing comes alive.
Portobello with Jowar sounds like something prescribed by a nutritionist, but somehow became one of the most comforting dishes of the meal. The mushroom sits in a warm pool of jowar, giving it far more substance than its rather joyless name suggests.
The Goan Lobster looked the part, with a generous piece of lobster curled inside a wide pool of sauce. The seafood was fresh and properly cooked, although after the Konchu Kizhi, it didn’t make quite the same impression. Very good, just not the dish I was still thinking about the following morning.
Dessert arrived in a delicate white bowl surrounded by dried rose petals. Light, milky and scattered with pistachios, it was pleasant, although nowhere near as memorable as the earlier courses.
All told, the set ran just $598, and you can see where the money’s going. And when the Michelin star comes, don’t say we didn’t tell you.
***UPDATE***
I returned in January 2026 for the full degustation menu this time, which cost $888. The courses got stretched out to 10, giving Mr Paul more room and rope to show what he can do.
The meal began with four small bites: Pani Puri, Hopper, Samosa and Kuzhi Paniyaram. Rice and lentils, mango with caviar, wagyu and tamarind all made appearances, and there wasn’t a weak bite among them.  4.5 stars
The Kandari Murgh Tikka has been on the menu forever and for good reason. Marinated with beetroot and pomegranate, the chicken is impossibly soft, with a light smoky finish. It melts every time. 5 stars
That came alongside the Kiwi Jhinga. Kiwi, mint, coriander and yoghurt sounds like a traffic accident waiting to happen, but the prawn still comes through clearly. Somehow, the whole thing works. Another 5 stars.
The Chaliyam Abalone shifts things slightly. The XO sauce comes in louder, with a bit of heat, a bit of smoke, edging almost toward Sichuan-style spice. It’s interesting, maybe even a bit calculated for the local palate. 4 stars
The Bhutta Shorba with Langoustine was creamy, lightly spiced and gone in about two minutes. The corn gave it sweetness, while the langoustine made sure nobody mistook it for ordinary soup. 5 stars
The Karaikudi Eryngii combines three kinds of mushroom in a sauce strong enough to make them interesting without burying their texture. It finally gives mushrooms a reason to exist. 4 stars
Safed Maas was closer to a beautifully cooked steak than a lamb curry. Tender, meaty and softened by the yoghurt sauce, its only real problem was portion size. I wanted twice as much of it!  4.5 stars
The Goan Blue Lobster ended things on the highest of notes. The lobster was super fresh, sitting in a sauce that could easily have passed as a soup. There’s a bit of heat at the end, but it never pushes too far. Also big thumbs up to the small collection of vegetables on the side that functioned like a mini salad. 5 stars
The Ghevar and Peach was light, refreshing and nowhere near as sweet as expected. Slightly exotic for Western tastes, perhaps, but a good way to finish. 4 stars
The 2024, 2025 and 2026 Michelin guides came and went, still with no star for Justindia, only a Bib Gourmand mention. The inspectors must be wearing bibs if that’s all they’re giving it.
If someone said that Justindia is the best restaurant in Macau, I wouldn’t argue. According to my wife, it already is. The value is exceptional too, as the same meal would easily cost more than $2,000 in Cotai.
Run to Justindia. And thank me later.
