Lisbon - food, the heart to happiness.
Travelling through Lisbon, my boyfriend and I were on a food mission to find Ponto Final after seeing it in a documentary called "Somebody Feed Phil". We were dying to eat the sea food, particularly a dish called Arroz de Marisco. Arroz de Marisco is similar to Paella but more soupy. Those who haven't tried this, it’s a mixture of rice, broth and seafood served in a ricotta coloured clay pot.
Ponto Final is one of those restaurants that you would usually only know about if you know someone who knows about it who knows someone who knows about it...you get me. To get there we took a short boat ride across the river for only $2.60 return and after 10 minutes of walking along the river, we turned a corner and arrived at a homely picturesque restaurant with elegant tables outside that went up a little peer. It reminded me of a mixture between San Fransisco, Italy, Amsterdam and Brazil. The tables filled up quickly and we could hear the sound of mainly Portuguese speakers and the soft sound of the sea beside our table. We looked at each other with that baffled look of gratitude that without words said "how did we even get here?".
Without exaggerating, the flavours of Arroz de Marisco took us to a beautiful place. There was a vivid and inviting taste of tomato, garlic and red wine broth. The seafood was clearly fresh and it was the perfect warm dish to have as a chilly wind passed by. There is nothing as gratifying as watching the person you’re with smile with each bite they take. Before we ordered this dish we were going to order grilled sardines as well but the waiter shared that it would be too much food and that sardine season starts in May and since it's February now, it's not the best time. We were grateful for his simple honesty. If the service is special, it can make the experience one to remember and a destination that is well worth coming back to.
After our main course, my boyfriend told the restaurant that it was my birthday, so out came a piece of cake with a little candle. This was a cake like none I've ever tried, called Serica. If I was to relate Serica to any other sweet food I'd say it was a mixture between a Créme brûlée, Pastéis de nata or a more sophisticated cake like pancake, but more dense. It had a dark brown base made from caramelised sweet egg. The inside is soft, melts in your mouth and you can taste the layers of sweet custard, egg and the cinnamon which is lightly sprinkled on top. On the side was a caramelised plum coated in sugar, which was perhaps a bit too sweet for someone with sensitive tastebuds. The waiter told us that Serica is a speciality from the South of Portugal, fairly hard to find in Lisbon. My boyfriend who denies having a sweet tooth, stated with a big grin on his face that he could happily eat this cake every day... So, we went back the next day just to eat Serica.
Ponto Final is a must go to restaurant not only for its beautifully homely feel and honest service, but because of the food, the fresh, simple and delicious food. To top it off we had an espresso, with a cinnamon stick, a great way to finish the meal. The coffee lead me to have a discussion with myself about which clothes to not bring back with me so I can stuff my suitcase with fresh coffee beans from Lisbon. I don't even drink coffee...
To end this post, I gotta give thanks to Phil Rosenthal for inspiring me to let go, talk to people, try new food and...keep trying new food because food in my food fanatic opinion is the heart to happiness.
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