I am categorically not a foodie, but I was excited to holiday in Lisbon and Porto recently. I’d heard a well-respected chef once say that the two best cities in the world for excellent cuisine were Lisbon and Copenhagen. Having sampled Portuguese food over a couple of weeks at a great variety of establishments, I would heartily recommend it and am already sorely missing it.
Simply perfect
I’m sure there’s no shortage of high-end cuisine in the top restaurants. But what I enjoyed was simple food, cooked to perfection and served with genuine warmth and a strong desire to make the meal an experience to value and remember. It would be insulting to describe the Portuguese cuisine as comfort food, but I really liked the use of simple ingredients and the emphasis placed on the enjoyment of the food experience – rather than fussy presentation and the often-pretentious ways that go with it.
We saw the perfect incarnation of what I’m trying to convey here in our favourite restaurant in Porto, where we were lucky enough to eat on a few occasions during our holiday. The surroundings were very plain, almost stark. The restaurant had only about 10 tables and no website for fancy online booking. Relying on word of mouth, people find this place by recommendation and no doubt like us, spread the word thereafter.
The server got down on his haunches to every table and talked to customers eyeball to eyeball. A discussion followed as to what sort of meal was sought and detailed recommendations flowed naturally and sincerely, to match your mood and inclination. The food was absolutely delicious, with much use of Portuguese artisan bread and sea fish, as is very common in dishes such as torricado. After the meal, you were ushered out politely, feeling that there was a very genuine desire to serve the next customers and make the best use of what they had to offer, out of genuine altruism.
Calm connection
I’m writing this piece, as I want to share with you how mindful this whole experience was – the latter restaurant being close to a perfect example, in my opinion. By helping customers to focus on the food and not be distracted by extraneous issues, this restaurant summed up the Portuguese welcome to tourists such as us.
I am not surprised the national economy is growing thanks to a burgeoning tourism industry. I have eaten in many places around the world, but never have I been so welcomed and involved in the dining experience that I felt nourished on a spiritual level too. That is a very rare thing, it seems to me, and all the more valuable and enjoyable for it. We would all do well in our business lives to treat our clients to the occasional mindful experience. The feeling of calm and connection with deep values is something your client will continue to enjoy much longer than any commercial gambit, or sales device – however well-intentioned.
Btw, the restaurant mentioned in this piece is https://www.tabernafoliasdebaco.com