We continued to explore the area of Estrela. We went to a café that has been there since 1943 called Aloma. They offered a variety of pastries, including the famous pastel de nata and bolos de coco (coconut cake). The coconut cake was Kika’s favorite. We were lucky to get to try both.
The coconut cake was moist and fluffy. The toasted coconut on top added a little crunch. It would be great with an espresso or café latte.
The pastel de nata was similar to the other ones I had already enjoyed. The cream filling was cool, and the crust was crispy. With 2 bites I devoured this treat.
Continuing our walk through the neighborhoods of Estrela. The architecture of the buildings is amazing. There was a combination of classic and contemporary.
Soon we approached the building where we were going to enjoy our second lunch. The restaurant A Padaria do Povo was located in a building that also serves as a community center. This meal was going to center around the Indian influence from Goa that was a Portuguese colony until 1961.
Here we got to enjoy a different wine from the Douro Region of Portugal called Esteva. This red wine was bold but was smooth to taste. The lack of sulfites in the wine made it all that more enjoyable.
Our guide Kika also explained the different wine regions and drew us an extremely easy to understand map.
The appetizer that came out for us to enjoy with the wine was the Chamuca, which is the Portuguese equivalent of a Samosa. The shell was crispy. The inside filling of chickpeas had amazing flavor. It was salty and savory, but not overpowering.
The main dish was Pork Vindaloo. This Goan dish was intensely flavored with Indian spices including curry, garlic, and chilies. The pork pulled apart as soon as the fork touched it. It is almost like a stew because there are a few potatoes in the sauce.
They also served a yellow rice that had a hint of curry in it as well. The rice was good on it’s own however, I enjoyed putting the extra Vindaloo sauce on top. It made the dish very filling.
At this point of the tour you would think the group would be pretty full. But no way, we were ready for more. We headed to another café called Botica do Café.
This time we were not getting anything sweet. We were going for a savory snack, an Empada de Frango. This was a little chicken pie, very much like empanadas you would find in the Caribbean. It was the perfect little bite. The shell was slightly crispy, and the filling was flavorful. It went well with the café latte I ordered.
The cafe was cute inside. I could tell it was a neighborhood hang out, where the ladies go to share stories of the day.
Enjoy!
T
