Guincho a Galera

20 Jan 2012:  As part of Richard's birthday present, I took him to try out a new restaurant - the newly opened Guincho a Galera in Hotel Lisboa, Macau.  It is in the same spot where Robuchon used to be, the latter having relocated to the top floor of the Grand Lisboa.  The only change the hotel did was the uniform for the waitresses, who all donned a cheerful-looking polka-dot patterned apron as part of the uniform and a smiley face!  Forteleza do Guincho is one of 10 Michelin-starred restaurants in Portugal and is the main restaurant of Hotel Forteleza do Guincho at Cascais (south of Lisbon), situated inside a 17th century fort overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.  Presiding over the kitchen is Antoine Westermann (Le Buerehiesel, Strasbourg) who has been with the restaurant since 1998.  The cuisine there is French with a Portuguese accent.  This offshoot in Macau opened on 9th January.  On this Friday night, there were not too many diners at the restaurant, which suited us very well, as we would get more attention from the kitchen!  The private room was occupied, as was another table for 2 next to us. 



Salt cod cakes

 As amuse-bouche, we were given 2 pieces of deep-fried salt cod cakes (bacalhau) with tomato chutney.  Very tasty and the cod fish mixture with potato was not heavy at all, covered with a light batter, which made it look a bit like a bird's nest, very similar to the one that Cantonese use for deep-fried taro dumplings.

Caldo Verde Soup

For first course, Richard took the Caldo Verde soup, a soup made with cabbage and potato, a Portuguese staple.  According to Richard, it was the best Caldo Verde he'd ever had!




Spring Vegetable Salad



Treasure hunt inside veggie salad

For first course, I had the spring vegetable salad.  I had very little expectation but what arrived was an artistic and colourful display of freshness and an impression of intense flavours.  It's an assembly of lightly dressed steamed baby carrots and turnips, courgette, onion, asparagus and fresh salad leaves, crowned with an intensely flavoured tomato, all of the above atop a caramelised thin crisp covering some delicious sauteed wild mushrooms inside a crouton ring. An absolutely delightful way to start the meal!

Slow-cooked pork loin

Richard's main course was a slow-cooked pork loin, with wild mushrooms and potato cake, accompanied by a few pieces of crispy skinned pork belly.  The pork was ever so tender and intensely flavoured.




Duck Rice

 I chose the traditional Portuguese dish -duck rice as my main course.  Probably the best duck rice I've had!  The duck breast was beautifully cooked, tender and full of flavours, served with a mire-poix of beans and vegetables, and some baked rice with a crispy top.  The dish came with a savoury and rich duck blood sauce. It really was a marvellous interpretation of a great classic!  So tasty that I ate all of it and felt rather full afterwards!




Petits fours - with Macanese egg tarts - Richard rather impatienty snatched his egg tart.........hence only one here!

Not sure if it's the case that the more stars the restaurant has, the daintier the portions get....but I certainly appreciate these healthy without being too generous portions.  Service was attentive and professional.

The wine list was presented in an ipad - it's the only practical way of presenting the wine list as the hardbacked version is more like an encyclopaedia!  (Richard could not resist asking for it and they dutifully brought it round, together with an extra stool to put it on!)  The Portuguese section is a relatively small one, compared with the pages and pages of high end Bordeaux and Burgundy.....but there are some real gems there and I cannot wait to go back to the restaurant to try the other Portuguese reds that I identified!

For the white wine, we had the 2009 Renoma Branco, Niepoort.  A blend of many grapes including Codega, Rabigato, Donzelinho, Viosinho and Arinto, with average age around 60 years old, planted at altitudes of 400 - 800 metres. Aged on lees for 8 months in French oak (228 litre and 500 litre casks). Straw colour.  Citrus, dried apricot, candied fruit and honey on the nose, with nuances of almond, eucalyptus, spice and mineral on the palate. Refreshing and savoury, showing great character, a rounded mouthfeel and a nice long finish.  Crafty balance between lovely ripe fruit and acidity. Entry level wine but did a perfect job for us as a first course wine. (Great value on the wine list at only MOP 250!)  Drink now and over next 1 - 2 years. 16/20

For the red, I took a long time to choose from the relatively smaller Portuguese section (as I was tempted by so many possibilities in the Douro section, which dominates at the moment) but in the end went for the 2007 Pintas, Wine and Soul. It came with an alarming 15% alcohol!  Deep ruby.  Black cherry, berries, lifted with notes of liquorice, herbal, tobacco, chocolate and violet.  Full-bodied, with firm acidity and ripe tannin.  Sweet entry, followed by an explosive mouthfeel, and a spicy and long aftertaste.  A powerful wine, as intensely flavoured as the food, all wrapped inside a velvety texture and robust structure with balance and elegance. Can be enjoyed now with 2 - 3 hours of aeration and over next 10 - 15 years. Fabulous wine!!! 17.5/20 

Husband and wife team behind Wine and Soul:  Jorge Serôdio Borges ( ex Niepoort and Passadouro) and Sandra Tavares (winemaker at Quinta do Vale D. Maria in the Douro, and also Chocopalha, her family’s property in Estramadura).  Pintas came from a 70 year old vineyard, with about 30 different grape varieties.  Fermentation took place in lagares at a controlled temperature. Grapes were foot-trodden for about 12 days.

If you're visiting Portugal soon, here's a very good article with tips for top restaurants: http://portugalconfidential.com/2010/12/2011-michelin-star-restaurants-in-portugal/

I am convinced that Portugal is an exciting place for wine discovery and I believe it has great potential for those seeking something different and indigenous! I just wish the alcohol management could be improved slightly to come under 14.5%!

As for the Guincho a Galera in Macau, definitey looking forward to returning to try out the other dishes and more exciting wines from the wine list!  Hopefully, we may see more wines from other Portuguese regions next time, such as Alentejo, Dao and Bairrada??!!