Last week, I visited Lisbon for the first time to attend SteemFest.
Portugal is an amazing country for vacations - great weather, friendly people and good food!
As Mr. Gourmet, of course I always like to try the local cuisine of whatever country I'm traveling to. This gives you a feeling for the vibe in the country as well as the local people and popular dishes.
The first day I arrived in Lisbon with 
When walking around the city center, you will quickly notices the countless restaurants and waiters trying to lure you in.
Of course I wanted to try some authentic portuguese food, so I went for a small restaurant somewhere away from the tourist hot spots.
When in Portugal, there is one thing you definitely need to try: the Seafood!
(and the Pasteis de Nata of course š)
I was in the mood for some freshly grilled fish, so we chose this small restaurant that offered grilled specialities.
Portuguese delicacy: Bacalhau
Bacalhau is probably the most famous Portuguese seafood dish ever.
It is cod fish, either fresh or salted and dried, cooked to a tender consistency and served with veggies.
The taste itself is very nice - the fish is very flavourful and juicy if paired with the sauce and vegetables.
It's a unique dish that you definitely have to try if you're in Portugal!
Freshly grilled seabream
I enjoy seafood dishes in general - but eating some freshly grilled fish is always something different.
The grilled seabream was absolutely delicious, it didn't taste "fishy" at all because it was so fresh.
And the charcoal grill adds a slightly smokey note to the whole dish!
Freshly grilled salmon
Salmon is of course an all-time favorite for seafood lovers.
But the quality of the dish really depends on the freshness of the fish, and the way it is prepared.
In this case, the salmon was again very fresh and tasty - only a little squeeze of lemon and nothing else was needed to complement the taste!
Grilled Chicken
Although trying the seafood is a must in portugal, they also offer some excellent meat-based dishes.
For anyone who doesn't like to eat fish, this grilled chicken was a great alternative.
The meat was tender and the skin slightly crispy from the outside - a delight!
Portuguese Pork & Potatoes
This portuguese dish consisted of marinated pork and crispy potato cubes.
The pork was tender and had a subtle but yet distinct paprika flavor, and the potato pieces were much more delicious than regular fries!
The whole dish was then topped with veggies and a homemade sauce.
Portuguese eggs and fries
If you've been following my Mr. Gourmet series for a while, you will know that I found out about the most delicious Tapas dish this year in Barcelona: Huevos Cabreados ("Broken Eggs" With Crispy Potato).
Since leaving Barcelona, I've not had any dish even come close!
So when I saw "eggs and fries" on the menu, I had hoped that it could be similar to the spanish Tapas dish.
It wasn't quite the same - the fries were too thick and the dish was missing the special aioli and hot sauce, but still the combination of molten egg yolk and potato was delicious!
We had a delicious lunch and a great first experience with the local Portuguese cuisine.
It is true that you definitely have to try the seafood - it is so fresh and flavourful!
But the meat-based dishes are also very nice. You definitely have to try the "bife da casa" (portuguese steak) if you see it on the menu.
After all of these hearty dishes, we were in the mood for something sweet - and what would be better than the creamy & delicious pasteis de Nata? But those will be shared in another post!
Bon Appetit!
Ā© Sirwinchester