I can’t write about travel without including a post about Portuguese cuisine.
First and for most, is the infamous Pastie de Nata, sometimes called Portuguese tarts. Even though this was the first time I was in Portugal, I was extremely familiar with Pastie de Nata. I practically grew up eating this. Due to Portuguese occupation of Macau, Portuguese cuisine were spread through Southern China. So it was very easy to find Portuguese tarts from where I came from.
I made breakfast most mornings at our Airbnb. Our host’s patio overlook Sintra. It was so relaxing and peaceful eating breakfast there. I also loved their dining table. The table top was made out of individual tile. It had such a vacation feel. If I had a vacation home, this table had to be in my dining room.
Every morning, we would also stop at local pastry shops to have pastries and coffee, even though we had breakfast at our place. The orange piece was my favorite. It was lemony and orangy. The bottom had a thin layer of crust. I only discovered this the second last day in Sintra. Otherwise, I would’ve been eating this everyday!
One thing I got kind of annoyed in Portugal was that the restaurants will bring you non-complimentary appetizers without you requesting them. Though they were very good, you would have eaten 10 euro before you know it. You can respectfully declined or just not consume, then they won’t charge you.
Though this was a super touristy restaurant, I did like this dish I had and the fresh juice from a tall glass. And sitting outside was so relaxing. I tried the replicate this when I got home, it just didn’t have the taste of vacation.
Sintra, or maybe Portugal in general, is famous for their cod, Bacalhau. There was a restaurant in town called Bacalhau na Vila and every dish contained cod. Restaurants in Portugal don’t open till 7pm. We were waiting outside before it was open. I ran into a Chinese lady who sat just a table next to us. We were so busy talking I forgot to take pictures of the food. The only picture I got was this cod stew.
We accidentally came across this dish while we were in Azenhas do Mar. A restaurant right above the ocean. When I read the menu, it indicated that clams, squid, shrimp, and sweet potato, and it was for two. I had no idea it was a seafood stew. This was a pleasant surprise. I love discovering new dishes. The sweetness of the sweet potato and peppers. It was perfect with rice. The only regret I had with this place was we didn’t sit outside. Next time, we’ll sit outside and I’ll order Cataplana with lobster instead of squid.
This dish is called Cataplana.
There were many shops will let you have a shot of this cherry liquor with a chocolate cup for 1 euro. It was quite sweet. It would be a good gift to bring home.
1 Euro cherry liquor with tiny chocolate cup
That’s all the highlights of our trip to Portugal. Hope you enjoy reading them.
