Bacalhau your way: Culto Ao Bacalhau, Porto

Culto Ao Bacalhau, Porto

We had been quite fortunate to treat ourselves to a few nice meals in Porto and Arcade. Hubby and I went to Michelin-guide restaurants to savour local specialties.

In Porto, the first place we went to was Culto Ao Bacalhau at Mercado Bolhao.

We got an early seating for dinner and were greeted warmly by the host/server. It was quite a task to choose how we wanted our bacalhau, but we decided on dishes which we both enjoyed.

Bread basket with tapinades at Culto Ao Bacalhau

We started with Bolinho de Bacalhao com Salada de Feijao Frade (salted codfish fritters with black eyed peas salad). It set us up nicely for the other bacalhau dishes to come! We were encouraged to spoon the peas onto the fritters and the result was lovely. The black eyed peas tossed in vinaigrette paired very well, giving some heartiness and acidity to the crispy fritters. 

Bacalhau fritters with black eyed peas salad at Culto ao Bacalhau

I chose the Bacalhau à Zé do Pipo, which had the cod boiled in milk then oven-baked with onions, mashed potatoes, and mayonnaise. According to AI, this dish is named after its creator, known as Zé do Pipo, who owned a restaurant in Porto in the ‘60s and won a national cooking contest with this recipe. It was presented table-side and plated beautifully. And it was delicious, warming my belly like a fancy home-cooked meal. The cod was flaky and less salty, after being boiled in milk. The baked mashed potatoes had a slight crunch on the edges and the onions and olives balanced the flavours very well. If this recipe was true to Zé do Pipo’s original recipe, then it really was a winner!

Table-side service at Culto ao Bacalhau

Bacalhau Ze do Pipo at Culto ao Bacalhau

Hubby chose Filetes de Bacalhau com Arroz de Tomate e Coentros (now that was quite a mouthful!). They also served the dish table side with the rice in a cast iron pot. Of course, I had to try hubby’s dish too! The cod fillets were nicely cooked and matched perfectly with the tomatoes and coriander rice. 

Table-side service at Culto ao Bacalhau

Bacalhau fillet with Tomato and Coriander rice at Culto ao Bacalhau

Crunchy churros with cinnamon sugar, on the house, ended our meal 

We couldn’t have chosen a better place to try these traditional bacalhau dishes. Service and presentation were great and the food was just divine. 

Sweet Spanish treats

Churros from La Quinta

Of course, my account would not be complete without a few sweet treats! Hubby and I enjoyed these for both dessert and snack. In Galicia (and specially in Santiago), we had to try the Tarta de Santiago (almond cake or Tarta Almendra). The moist cake is made with ground almonds, sugar, eggs, lemon zest, and liquor. It is usually designed with the cross of St. James. We tried this in a couple of bakeries (instead of the ones sold in souvenir stores) and we immediately loved them. They were moist and the nutty flavour was complemented well with a hint of lemon zest. I will definitely try to make this at home!

Tarta de Santiago

Another favourite, which unfortunately, I do not think I am capable to make at home, is chocolate con churros. Growing up, I have always enjoyed this fried choux pastry dough treat, dipped in rich, thick, hot chocolate. Yummmmm....So, I definitely indulge whenever I get the chance. Churros were available in food truck churrerias and even in a table along the path of the Camino! In Santiago, however, we did a back to back visit to La Quinta, where the chocolate con churros was very good! Deep-fried yumminess dipped into good-quality chocolate was worth coming back for! Can they not open a location in Canada?! Theirs was definitely one of the best churros I have had and I know will crave going forward.

Churros from La Quinta

We were also able to try other treats, all due to lucky timing!

We were fortunate to be able to try the fish-shaped almond biscuits sold by the nuns at the Convento das Clarisas in Tui. They were chewy yet delicate and the nuttiness was perfectly balanced with the sweet-- a sprinkling of sugar on top. The "store" is based on the convent's hours and as well, has to be timed when goodies are still available at the time you are passing through. (I know timing is key because I missed some almond cakes from one of Santiago's monasteries, which were sold out by the time I got there!) 

Fish-shaped almond cookies from Convento das Clarisas in Tui

We also made it to the Festas do Cristo in O Porriño (held for a week in September) where we were able to enjoy watching a parade and a marching band, and get some Confiteria Ancla Hojaldre/Hojaldrita from a street stall. This festival staple of crispy puff pastry covered in syrup has become a new favourite of mine. It was quite difficult to eat just one in every sitting. My only regret was getting just one pack!

Confiteria Ancla Hojaldre

Regional dishes to try in Minho and Galicia

Zamburiñas in Galicia

Even a pilgrim has to eat! While some of our meals were humble (read: protein bars or cold empanadas, outside of menú del día/set meal of the day), we did try some regional dishes along our Camino.

In Ponte de Lima, we tried Arroz de Sarrabulho, a traditional Portuguese dish made with pig's blood and pork, cooked like a stew in a rich broth. While it was unappetizing to look at, being brown-black, this thick rice dish with intense flavours, was one of the best meals we've had. Originating from the Minho region, the Sarrabulho we had was served in two parts: the sarrabulho rice itself, which was a saucier, risotto-like dish, and "Papas de Sarrabulho," which had pork and blood sausage pieces served with potatoes. When it was served, Hubby and I thought we will never be able to finish the dish. Maybe we had ordered too much. But with the first taste of the hearty, homey, arroz, we knew we chose well. Soon enough, we were scraping the end of the bowl. It was such a treat to have a warm meal that you can actually feel hitting your stomach and with each bite, there was a deliciousness that made you want to go back for more. 

Arroz de Sarrabulho in Ponte de Lima

In Padrón, we had to try these Spanish small, green peppers, which originated in the area. This popular tapa is prepared simply by blistering the peppers in hot oil with sea salt. Padrón peppers known for their unpredictable heat, where some are mild and others are surprisingly hot. It was like having a "Spanish roulette" with each bite. The mild ones had a slight sweetness and the surprise, hotter ones were not really tongue-burning. I was so happy to have caught them in season.  They were so easy to eat, and actually fun not knowing if the next bite will be hot! I am not usually fond of peppers but these Padrón peppers have become one of my favourite tapas.

Padrón peppers

As a seafood-lovers, we needed no convincing to try Pulpo a la Gallega (Galician-style octopus). Served in a wooden plate, the fork-tender octopus was just slightly seasoned with salt, pepper, and paprika, cooked in olive oil. I can actually finish a full ration (usually tapas for two) without trouble. 

Pulpo a la Gallega

The symbol of the Camino, scallop, was something we had to try, of course! The Galician Scallops, also known as Zamburiñas, will have a hard time disappointing me, in any preparation! A smaller variety, this sweet, tender mollusk, prepared in a tomato and paprika sauce (salsa gallega), originates from Galicia and is a most delicious tapa! It is perfect with sangria :)

Galician Scallops, also known as Zamburiñas

Cheers to Portugal and Spain--drinks we enjoyed

Port wine barrels at the cellars of Real Companhia Velha

Hubby and I are not really beer-drinkers, but I am known to enjoy a glass of wine (or two). However, as many folks know, wine and beer are usual drinks to have with your meal, especially in Europe. Even pilgrim meals include wine or beer, so when in Rome (or Spain or Portugal)...

In Porto, before we set out on our Camino, we booked a Port winery tour at Real Companhia Velha at the Vila Nova de Gaia side. It is the oldest wine company in Portugal (over 265 years) so with all the choices for places to do wine tours, we decided to come here. And we really enjoyed this tour! We saw the cellars, got more info about the different types of port wine, got a bit of history and saw some centuries old bottles, which were actually covered in some sort of "safe" fungi. The tour was good and the tasting was even better! Hubby and I decided we liked the Tawny. Though we did not get a chance yet to try anything beyond 10 years, this will, of course, be the new goal!

quite the aged wines at Real Companhia Velha

Port Wine Tasting at Real Companhia Velha

In Portugal, along with cacchorrinhos (Portuguese hotdog sandwiches which were SOOO good!) that we enjoyed at Cervejaria Gazela, we discovered Super Bock for the first time. We had been seeing this brand logo all over the place and when we finally tried it, it made us converts! Maybe we acquired the taste of beer (finally), but we really liked the light, crisp taste of the draught. Now we understand why some folks enjoy a glass or two during meals or at the end of the day. 

Cacchorrinhos with Super Bock draught at Cervejaria Gazela

In Ponte de Lima, we tried a red Vinho Verde and the more famous white version in Rubiaes. This Portuguese wine originated in the Minho province and has a DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) or Controlled Destination of Origin. So, of course, we had to try it in the actual area! We really enjoyed the light, crisp, "young wine" which had vibrant, fruity notes. Those we have tried had a subtle fizz, which was wonderfully refreshing. 

red Vinho Verde at Ponte de Lima

white Vinho Verde at Rubiaes

And, as we were in the spirit :) of trying out food and drinks usually only available in the area we were in, we had to try the Queimada in Santiago. Queimada is a punch from Galicia, Spain, made with aguardiente, sugar, citrus peel, and coffee beans, set ablaze in a ceremony with incantations to ward off evil spirits. We booked a Queimada experience to cap our trip. Without taking to heart the words of the ritual, and especially after a religious pilgrimage, it was a unique experience and the drink was quite good! I am wondering if I can make this drink at home, without having to set things on fire to reduce the alcohol and without having to recite spells.

Queimada at Santiago

So, naturally, one of the first things I searched while waiting for our flight home was to check out LCBO if we have access to these drinks! I am hoping the ones we have available will bring back all the wonderful memories of the trip. Cheers!

A most wonderful meal in Arcade: Restaurante Veiramar at Arcade

Restaurante Veiramar at Arcade

 We decided to take off the pilgrim hat for lunch while we were in Arcade. After all the walking we had been doing, we allowed ourselves a treat since I found in my research that there was a Michelin-guide restaurant in Arcade. 

And since they were open earlier than most lunch places, we considered it a sign to go (wink wink!). 

We arrived a little after 11am and were seated at a table by the window, with the nice view of Rio Verdugo, by Matilde beach. We went straight for the mains as we really did not have the time to have a long lunch. We got Arroz con Mariscos (seafood rice), which was good for two. 

Dining with a view, Restaurante Veiramar at Arcade

The Arroz came in a big clay pot with a generous servings of mussels,shrimp, scallops and clam. The seasoning was balanced, not too salty. Hubby actually prefers this to paella as the dish is more saucy, more stew-like. This delicious dish warmed our bellies and delighted our taste buds. I would definitely come back to try the other seafood dishes (especially those coming from the live tank by the entrance), if we ever find ourselves back in the area.

Arroz con Mariscos, Restaurante Veiramar at Arcade

Located before crossing the Medieval bridge of Pontesampaio, Veiramar does not take you far off the path and actually allows for a different view of the bridge and the river when you go to rejoin the route. It was a beautiful (and delicious!) side-trip in Arcade. Well worth the extra time we took for lunch. 

Porto fine dining: Real by Casa da Calçada

Real by Casa da Calçada

Being used to early dinners at home, we were again one of the first few diners, with dinner reservations at the first seating at another Michelin-guide restaurant, Real by Casa da Calçada.

For starters, we chose their Starter of the Day, not in the menu – ham and cheese croquettes. They were nicely crisp on the outside and smooth and pillowy as we cut into the croquette with a fork. The croquettes were so delicious, we were excited with what was to come! It was so hard to make sure not to get too full before the mains arrived but along with the starter, we had a warm bread basket (sourdough wheat bread and corn bread) with Marinhas butter topped with truffle paste that was too good to resist. 

Bread basket with truffle butter at Real by Casa da Calçada

Ham and cheese croquettes at Real by Casa da Calçada

But, of course, we had space for the mains! The dishes came in nice, copper pans, suggesting each dish was cooked individually. Hubby chose another rice dish, Arroz de marisco com corvina –Seafood rice with grilled croaker and scallop tartare. It was hearty and very flavourful. The scallop tartare provided a unique texture, elevating the homey dish.

Arroz de marisco com corvina at Real by Casa da Calçada

I chose the Black pork cheek with sweet potatoes, roasted chestnuts and caramelized onions. The pork cheek was so tender and made more moist with the sauce. The pureed sweet potatoes and soft, roasted chestnuts were topped with crisp caramelized onions. It definitely hit the spot. I really enjoyed this dish. 

Black Pork Cheek at Real by Casa da Calçada

We ended our dinner with a couple of mini pastéis de nata, on the house. They were warm (just the way I like them!), the tart was crisp, and they were just as yummy as the ones we had been having daily on the trip! It was a perfect way to end our perfect dinner! 

Winner Winner, Chicken & Waffles!

 

Chicken & Waffles @Inspire

Hubby and I enjoy Chicken & Waffles whether it is for brunch, lunch or dinner. A perfect combo of sweet and savoury, Chicken & Waffles will hit the spot for us, every time. As we find ourselves becoming empty-nesters more often, we have been checking out different brunch places. And while Eggs Benny, in various iterations, catches our attention, we almost always gravitate toward Chicken & Waffles. Here are three versions, ending with my favourite so far!

Evviva – nothing really to call home about. They used chicken tenders, which, although easier to eat, lacks the flavour and depth of bone-in chicken. They served this with BBQ sauce, which was nothing special. The waffles were also on the ordinary side. I could have thrown this together myself at home. There are better things to order here.

Chicken & Waffles @Evviva

Inspire – their version had been our favourite for the longest time. The presentation is big and impressive and the flavours are bold! The fried chicken, while boneless, is crispy and juicy. It went perfectly with slices of chili and blueberry sauce. The syrup, waffle and mac sauce balance the dish out. We trek to the heart of Markham just for this dish!

Chicken & Waffles @Inspire

And our latest discovery…and this still makes me hungry as I think about it…

Glass Kitchen—Chef Keith Pears has brought it home with their version of Chicken & Waffles! The double-fried chicken was so crispy, like Korean Fried Chicken. The deboned chicken was marinated with delightful spices, coated with honey butter and garnished with a scallion salad. Then, it was layered on top of black sesame flavoured egg waffles, which are always a delight to eat—even as is. The chili-maple syrup was absolutely delicious and it took some effort not to pour everything over the dish (I was afraid it might get soggy). This is hands-down my new favourite version of Chicken & Waffles.

Chicken & Waffles @Glass Kitchen

I cannot wait to try more brunch places, to see if anything can top our new fave!

Tableside service at Black+Blue

 Hubby took me to dinner at Black+Blue at the Exchange Tower in King St. one snowy evening. It was a rescheduled date, but he did keep the surprise until we walked up to the place, with pictures of bulls. Oooh, we were having steak!

Black+Blue Toronto

The place was vibrant as we entered with the bar and a huge wall of wine greeted us. While the wine wall had a ladder, I wondered how the bartender can possibly get the drinks from the top of the shelf. The drinks must be good, too, for all that effort! To get to our table, we walked past the meat locker with the glass allowing us to see all sorts of premium cuts of meat, which included Kobe, Wagyu and Canada and USDA Prime. Their website indicated that the beef is dry-aged for 28-45 days in a one-of-a-kind Himalayan salt-lined meat locker. I could not wait to see the menu!

Meatlocker @Black+Blue

It was so easy to get lost in the menu. I wanted to try everything! The Raw Bar offerings (which included Seafood towers!) seemed as enticing as the other signature entrees (where I was eyeing the Mushroom Risotto). However, we came for the meat and so I had to focus.

We started with tableside Caesar salad. Hubby and I really enjoy Caesar salad prepared tableside. I guess knowing that my dressing did not come from a bottle, makes it even more delicious. And the dressing was good! It was garlicky and cheesy and got our appetites ready for the main course. However, we noticed they did not have bacon bits. Maybe it wasn’t their style but I do love a good sprinkle of bacon bits in my Caesar salad. They also serve Tableside Steak Tartare and surely that would have been good. But we had to get some greens, right? Now, lest you think it, not all meals were prepared tableside. We were out for something special so we wanted to try their tableside service.

Caesar Salad @Black+Blue

Our main course was Beef Wellington which was a beautifully cooked tenderloin wrapped in mushroom duxelles (finely chopped mushrooms) and pastry. It also came with truffle jus, baby heirloom carrots, pommes purée (which is just a fancier way of calling mashed potatoes).

Tableside Beef Wellington @Black+Blue

The Beef Wellington was also presented tableside. It was carved very nicely and plated beautifully before it was served. The meat was just melt in your mouth and the duxelles was so full of flavor! I detected some wine in there 😊 The pastry was buttery and flaky and the sides were just the right complements. The heirloom carrots were a bit tough, though, but tasty nonetheless.

Tableside Beef Wellington @Black+Blue

pommes purée for our Beef Wellington

Beef Wellington @Black+Blue

Hubby and I wanted to try yet another tableside offering—for dessert this time. The Tableside Crepe Suzette seemed so enticing (though we were advised their signature was the Buttercake) but we were both stuffed! I would not be able to comfortably walk out of there if I still had some dessert. We decided to come back here just for dessert next time. Maybe then, we can try both the Crepe Suzette and Buttercake!

It was a beautiful meal. The ambience was great and the service was very attentive. The food, of course, was spectacular. I would not hesitate to go back!

New Favourite: Southern Thai dining at Koh Lipe

 

Koh Lipe Scarborough

I love love love Thai Food. I am always in search of some good Thai restaurants especially since my previous favourite, Pai, is such a pain to make reservations (for our group) and get to. Chiang Rai has replaced Pai’s spot in my heart (and stomach) for a while now, but it looks like we have a contender! The fam and I checked out the Michelin Guide’s Koh Lipe in the Scarborough/Markham location! I have heard good things about the Chinatown location but am so glad there’s one a tad bit closer! And we are soooo glad to have discovered this! Now, I understand that Pai specializes on Northern Thai and that Koh Lipe specializes in Southern Thai, but it is Thai to me and I love all of it 😊!

 It took a while to choose what we wanted to try since everything on the menu looked so good! We finally settled on a couple of specials and some classics.  

The staff was friendly and the service was fast. It did not take long to get all of our dishes served!

 To start, we got the Crispy fried smelt which was so yummy! It got us excited about all the other dishes to come! The smelt was topped with crispy garlic and it was delightfully tasty! The green chili dipping sauce gave the perfect sweet and sour taste to balance out some of the oil.

Crispy Smelt @Koh Lipe

 We then got Tom Yum hot pot which was pork bone in Tom Yum soup. The serving was generous and while broth was good, I could use a bit more kick. After a while, we had to ask them to turn off the flame so that the boiling broth does not all evaporate.

Tom Yum Hot Pot @Koh Lipe

 We also got the Chef’s Special Luok Jhim platter which featured steamed mussels, shrimp, squid and fish, rice noodles flavoured with fried garlic, chili-lime sauce and lettuce wraps. We were thinking, after some very good (junk) eating the previous days, maybe we should go for some steamed food. We reminded ourselves later, to make no pretentions going forward! While it was still delicious (seafood tends to always delight this family), this was our least favourite dish. It was just, well, steamed seafood with lettuce wrap and dipping sauce. What did I really expect? Anyway, we vowed to try the Prik Pao Talay (Stir-Fried smoked chilli platter, shrimps, mussels, squid, and clams) next time!

Luok Jhim platter @Koh Lipe

We all definitely enjoyed Mas Sa Man which was a tamarind coconut red curry with peanuts and potato. We got Braised Beef (instead of the Veggies/Tofu version—see why we felt we needed to have the steamed seafood?).  It was just an explosion of flavours in our mouths! Curry with tamarind was something we don’t usually get to try and we really enjoyed the sweet, sour, mildly spicy sauce with the very tender braised beef. It will be a challenge not to order again even if we want to try so many other dishes when we come back.

Mas Sa Man @Koh Lipe

 Of course, we got our usual Pad Thai (with chicken) and it while it was not the best, it still had all the elements we love about this dish--chewy noodles, good sauce (not too much tamarind to make it sour and not too sweet). They didn’t scrimp on the chicken and did not drown the dish with bean sprouts. Will try their Pad See Ew or Pad Kee Mao on our next visit.

Pad Thai (with chicken) @Koh Lipe

 We also got a Honey Longan drink and Thai milk tea which were good to balance out the rich flavours in between bites—and allowed us to eat some more!

drinks @Koh Lipe

 We ended the meal with the mango sticky rice dessert. It came with half a mango atop wonderfully chewy sticky rice and coconut cream. The mango jelly topping was cute but doesn’t really do much to add to the already delightful dessert. It was a wonderful way to end our meal!

Mango Sticky Rice @Koh Lipe

There were Southern Thai specialties we have not tried so we would definitely go back. We think this will now become our new favourite Thai place!