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My Escapes Portugal Another Lovely Trip to Portugal! Porto Exploring Vintage Porto Porto Munch 'n' Brunch

Porto Munch 'n' Brunch

September 11, 2014
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Although I didn't take sophisticated food tours while in Porto, I did try a few local delicacies, a number of simple budget-foods and I even went across to Vila Nova de Gaia for wine tasting.

During this Portuguese escape trip, I've learned that Portugal is a wonderful place for eating out. This came as a surprise, because I didn't know much about Portuguese cuisine.

Porto proved to be a food and drinks paradise - let's not forget about the famous Port wine. But there are a bunch of foods found in abundance at the restaurants here...

Sardinha assada, Francesinha, cod fish (bacalhau), tuna salads and many more are found in abundance at restaurants in Porto.




The Traveller Caffé



Fruity drink

Fruity drink, served ice-cold

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To my delight, just across the street from my hotel was the The Traveller Caffé.

You will find it on Rua Passos Manuel, 165.

There are many hotels and hostels in the area. I believe this is part of the reason why they settled on Rua Passos Manuel.

My hotel gave me no breakfast, so I just walked across the street to have mine.

The restaurant looks well on the inside, travel-themed. Travelers will love it...
But more about this on the lower photos...

Anyway, the bloke who served me was snail-slow sluggish slow-mo...

Although no-one was at the counter at that time, 15 minutes were needed for him to "notice" me, then an additional 15 to serve me.

Half an hour waiting time seemed like an eternity with a hungry stomach...

I ordered a Hawaii Salad with tuna and pineapple, a mixed toast (included ham, cheese and tomatoes) and a Traveller's Juice.
The entire meal was 10.90 EUR.

Well, I'm a traveller, so why not have my own sort of juice?

It cost me 3.20 EUR


Hawaii salad

My salad... the tuna was hidden beneath the fruits and carrots

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The salad was fresh, delicious and cost me 4.70 EUR.

I'd say the price is average, but considering the size and the rich ingredients, it's probably better than at most other cheap restaurants.


Mixed toast

My mixed toast

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My mixed toast was deliciously made. It wasn't burned, the cheese, ham and veggies were good.

Cost me 3 EUR.

The drink was a mix of fruits, but it was terribly cold. I struggled to drink it slowly.


Travel-themed decorations

Travel-themed decorations all around

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I admired the travel-themed decorations all around. Indeed, I find it a great idea to create such a restaurant - it's magnetic for travelers and it's also an alternative for fast food restaurants.

By looking at the menu, I concluded that foods sold at The Traveller Caffé were mostly healthy, containing a variety of fresh legumes and fruits.


The Traveller Caffé, Porto

The Traveller Caffé

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Tuna Salad



Then I stopped by at Praça da Ribeira and enjoyed a large tuna salad.

It was huge and the tuna was incredibly fresh - never before have I eaten such a clear, fresh, delicious tuna - I suppose it was recently caught in the ocean and not taken from a can.


Tuna Salad

My delicious tuna salad

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Mixed Salad with Ham and Cheese Toast



One of my regular meals in Porto - an alternative to breakfast was this ham and cheese warm toast with a mixed salad.

It cost me a mere 6 EUR.

This was at an obscure small restaurant on Avenida Vimara Peres, close to the Dom Luís Bridge.


Mixed salad

Mixed salad

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Only one thing bothered me: the way the salad was prepared. This has utterly disgusted me.
The lady at the bar - shamelessly emptied tin cans of corn and mushrooms with he own fingers.
In fact, she was literally scratching the bottom of a corn can... so I got the leftovers.

Don't ask me whether she washed her hands or not...

She didn't put too much work, nor brains into preparing this salad, just dug the cans with her fingers and then slammed the content onto the plate.

Hilarious... so much for "budget food".


Ham and cheese toast

Ham and cheese toast

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Francesinha



This is a actually a speciality that originates from Porto. Although its name means "Frenchie" or "Tiny French", if you translate it.

It is layered and covered with melted cheese.

It's generally based on a primary meat product, like: wet-cured ham, linguiça (Portuguese pork sausage) or similar sausage, steak or roast meat.


Francesinha

How it looks like...

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Bread is also added and the whole thing is covered with melted cheese.

The top is then poured with hot tomato-beer sauce.

Francesinha is generally served with fries.

The Francesinha was invented in the 1960's by Daniel Silva, Portuguese who had lived in France and Belgium.

Allegedly, he attempted to adapt the croque-monsieur to Portuguese taste.





Escape Hunter

About the Author:

Escape Hunter, the young solo traveler in his early 30's explores the World driven by curiosity, thirst for adventure, deep passion for beauty, love for freedom and diversity.
With a nuanced, even humorous approach to travel, an obsession for art and design, Escape Hunter prefers to travel slowly, in order to learn and "soak up" the local atmosphere...



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