It’s hardly a secret that when it comes to Portuguese cuisine, our Macanese cousins may have a slight edge over our fair city. But all that may just change, thanks to Casa Lisboa, which recently opened doors at a new location on Wyndham Street in Central.
While Casa Lisboa’s traditional menu has been redolent of everything that is authentically Portuguese, the restaurant seems to have found a new direction in contemporary Portuguese cuisine, thanks to the able stewardship of Executive Chef Fábio Pombo. Drawing from his vast knowledge of Portuguese ingredients and culinary techniques, Chef Pombo has curated eight new courses that explore the more modern aspects of Portuguese fare.
Our curiosity was piqued by the first course itself – an appetiser of Kenyan beans & green asparagus tempura. While someone with even a passing interest in food would know that tempura is a signature Japanese dish, few are actually aware that it passed on to Japan after originating in Portugal at the other end of the Eurasian continent. What sets apart the tempura at Casa Lisboa is, however, the fact that its crunchiness doesn’t compromise its garden flavours in any way. However, the appetiser that really won our heart was the oxtail pie with whipped meat sauce. Unpretentious to look at and packed to the brim with meaty goodness, this is the one dish that we’d be sure to re-order the next time we find ourselves at Casa Lisboa.
Moving on to the mains then, the course that stayed with us was the lamb chops a mods da Quinta grilled lamb with roasted tomato, pumpkin and baby onion. Succulent, juicy and melting-in-the-mouth is just how we like our proteins to be! For guests looking to go light on red meats, the oven-baked sea bream Assada is a reliable choice. Sea bream, a popular fish in Portugal, evokes just the right amount of maritime flavours that are balanced perfectly by the accompanying grilled veggies.
Those looking for some carbs can try the octopus rice with spring onion, green asparagus & octopus tempura, but if you are full – and you are likely to be as the portions at Casa Lisboa are quite on the generous side – give it a miss altogether and head straight for the desserts. In keeping with the tradition of baked fruits, ever so popular in Portugal, Casa Lisboa offers a sumptuous dessert of roasted peach with Moscatel and yoghurt chantilly. The tender and creamy peach provides a perfect conclusion to a thoroughly satisfying meal.
It’s easy to understand, then, just why this restaurant was so packed when we visited. In a city thronging with ‘must-go-to’ eateries, we can safely say that Casa Lisboa is our ‘must-go-to-again’ destination.
Address: 2/F, Parekh House, 63 Wyndham Street, Central
Reservation: 2905 1168 or http://www.casalisboa.com.hk/
Text: Suchetana Mukhopadhyay