From pastry to poker, Tatiana Lee’s passions have led her life in fascinating directions. 8 years ago she met and married Amit Patel, a specialist in computer systems for gaming products and services, and together they’ve made Macau their home
Born in Uzbekistan to a Korean family, Tatiana Li was raised and educated in Moscow. She began her university studies in journalism, specializing in criminology, before later switching to law. But life took an unexpected turn before she could complete her degree. At 18, she moved with her family to Asia — first to Singapore, then Thailand, and eventually to Malaysia, where she would spend the next decade. It was in Malaysia that she met her first husband, a Syrian textile businessman, and where her daughter, Dayana, now 12, was born.
“Originally, I had dreamed of becoming a chef, because I’ve always loved being in the kitchen. Cooking and baking have long been a big part of who I am, but it was pastry that truly captured my heart. I went on to complete a nine-month course at the Academy of Pastry Art and loved every moment of it.”
After her divorce, while still young, Tatiana moved to Bangkok and joined Carpets International, a Thai-based carpet producer, as a business development executive. Her fluency in Arabic and Russian proved a distinct advantage in an industry serving diverse international markets. With several of Macau’s major hotels among Carpets International’s clients, the role gave her valuable experience in regional business development and cross-cultural communication.
Quite by chance, Tatiana met her current husband, Amit Patel, in 2019. “We met through friends at a bar,” they laugh. Amit had recently moved to Macau. Holding a degree in Computer Systems from New Zealand, he was working in systems sales for the gaming products and services company then known as Scientific Games, now Light & Wonder. At the time, he was emerging from a divorce, and the move to Macau felt like the fresh start he needed. Although the first six months were challenging, as he adjusted to a new culture and living alone, the experience also opened up opportunities for extensive travel across the region and a deeper understanding of doing business in Asia.
As their relationship grew, Amit invited Tatiana to Macau several times so they could get to know each other better and experience the city together. On one such visit Covid restrictions led to the closure of Macau’s borders and Tatiana unexpectedly found herself staying for the next three years. The greatest challenge during that time was that Dayana was in Bangkok with her father, and the separation was deeply difficult.
As Amit explains, “At the time I was living in a two-bedroom apartment in One Oasis which I loved and made close friends there, but we needed more space so we moved home to 3-bedrooms in Buckingham. It had a wonderful big terrace.”
During Covid, Tatiana joined the International Ladies’ Club of Macau, which helped her integrate into the local community. With her warm and enthusiastic personality she quickly built a close circle of friends from many different countries and cultures. She also became involved in the club’s community service activities, supporting initiatives for elderly homes and orphanages. She especially enjoyed the Mahjong group, where members would play, chat, and have lunch together.
With travel restrictions eased in the last year of Covid, Tatiana went with Amit to Fiji to meet his parents and family. Originally from Gujarat, India, Amit’s parents had emigrated to Fiji to raise their family. “I’m first-generation Fijian Indian”, he explains. “Fiji is a melting pot of blended cultures. Even though we kept our traditions we are part of a big, global family; I’m one of five siblings with three sisters and a brother now scattered all over the world in the UK, US and New Zealand.”
Tatiana and Amit then travelled to Thailand together to spend time with Dayana. “Before long, Dayana was able to come and live with us in Macau. She now goes to the International School of Macau and absolutely loves it. Her confidence has grown tremendously, and she has made so many friends. She is probably Macau’s biggest fan and never wants to leave,” Amit explains. “I have a New Zealand passport, while Tatiana and Dayana have Russian passports, so my hope is to secure New Zealand citizenship for them as well, so that Dayana will have every opportunity available to her in terms of education and travel.”
Trained as a pastry chef, Tatiana had long hoped to open her own bakery. Her vision was to create pastries from a central production facility and distribute them to convenience stores and other food outlets. She made serious efforts to develop the business, but a number of legal and bureaucratic obstacles in Macau prevented the idea from getting off the ground.
With her boundless energy and a bright, enquiring mind she decided to spend her time studying and turned to a field that had always fascinated her – astrology and tarot cards readings. She learned to read natal charts and started working with clients both online and offline, although it was still quite difficult to work officially in Macau.
Gradually, Tatiana discovered poker. “My Korean family have always been keen game players, so from a young age I was playing bridge, chess and backgammon. During Covid I started playing poker, at first in casual home games just for fun, but I soon became very interested in the strategy, psychology and depth of the game and began to study it seriously. I attended online tutorials with Poker Ability and also worked with a personal coach, whom I met once a month to review my hands, analyze mistakes, discuss strategy and identify areas for improvement.”
In June 2025, Tatiana entered her first international live tournament at a PokerStars event in the Philippines and finished sixth out of 300 entries. “That experience was a major milestone for me, and since then I have been pursuing poker with the clear ambition of becoming a professional player.”
Today, Amit leads system sales for the Asia-Pacific region at Light & Wonder, traveling extensively across Asia to meet with suppliers and customers. “My role is to help casino executives bring their vision to life through technology that powers their operations. The systems I represent support everything from accounting, compliance, and regulatory requirements to player loyalty programs and rewards. My territory spans all of Asia, Australia, and New Zealand, and with emerging markets like Japan and Sri Lanka opening, there is always a new destination on the horizon.” Whenever possible, Tatiana joins Amit on these trips, combining his business travel with her tournament appearances and cash-game play.
And home life? The family now lives in Tower 6 of One Grantai. For the first year they were on the 28th floor facing the Grand Taipa Hill. “We then moved to a 32nd floor – Tatiana twisted my arm for the move and I’m so pleased that she did, we love this apartment.” It has four bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, a very useful storage room and three balconies. The impressive 180-degree view is over the bird sanctuary, old Taipa village and the high-rise skyline of Taipa to the right, the Galaxy ahead and the Venetian and Cotai strip to the left.
Practical and resourceful, Tatiana took the initiative to look beyond Macau when furnishing their home, making a trip to Shenzhen to personally select everything from the main furniture pieces to the rugs and artwork. The result is a home filled with thoughtful details that reflect the family’s multicultural identity, with touches inspired by both Orthodox Christianity and Hinduism.
For Tata, one of the best things about Macau is the quality of life it offers. “Compared with other places we’ve lived, Macau feels particularly safe, convenient, and easy to manage on a daily basis.”
On weekends, Tata enjoys cooking and spending quality time with the family. “We usually keep things relaxed, whether that means reading, practicing poker together, spending time by the pool, or taking short trips nearby. One of the things we appreciate about living in Macau is how easy it is to enjoy both local outings and short regional getaways.”
“For our family, this city feels comfortable, secure, and full of opportunity,” says Amit. “After eight years, I can truly say that Macau feels like home. It has been an incredible journey, and I wouldn’t change a thing.”
By Suzanne Watkinson of Ambiente Properties, for the Macau Closer magazine, July & August 2026
Photographs by Suzanne
