Have not had Portuguese food for a while so I made a maiden visit to Chiado . This is the first international outpost of 2 Michelin star chef Henrique Sa Pessoa .
There are two tasting menus as well as a la carte options and the menu is 90% seafood .
I chose the “entry level” tasting menu which showcases the chef’s signature dishes from early in his career . I won’t lie the dishes did appear a bit dated but one can hardly gripe about this when ordering a “historical” menu .
Kicking off was Tuna tataki with carrot escebeche and tomato concasse . Eating in Japan has spoilt me for Tuna quality but if you look past that this was a nice balanced dish .
Lobster was served with different textures of corn and almonds , this needed stronger seasoning imo .
Suckling pig confit was a triumph , paired with turnip top greens , pickled onions and lighter jus . This dish was all about the tender and smoky Iberian acorn fed pork . Will definitely order this a la carte in a future visit .
Wagyu strip loin came with intriguing garnishes , banana jam , parsnips and BBQ jus . Have to admit i loved the banana.
Razor clam rice was topped with barely set scallops and green curry oil . Having just cooked risotto the night before , I did come to the realisation that I do enjoy the starch in risotto more than the Portuguese rice which has very seperate grains .
Pre dessert was a fun combination of sea fennel , dashi and honeydew .
Finally an excellent Chocolate and caramel bomba with hazelnut sorbet , this looked super rich but delivered in flavour without murdering your stomach .