Last year, Robuchon a Galera, Joël Robuchon’s French restaurant, moved from its location in Hotel Lisboa to the more modern Grand Lisboa. What moved into its place was Guincho a Galera. This fine dining Portuguese restaurant pretty much took over the space wholesale, not doing much to change the décor. Ornate with just a hint of kitsch, the ambience at Guincho a Galera denotes old-world fine dining at its most extravagant. However, we believe that most people will find it charming, and the Christofle cutlery and Riedel wine glasses signal that, kitschy or not, this is a place that is serious about its food.
When we visited Guincho a Galera last year, when it was still a brand new restaurant, chef Martinho Moniz was determined to keep the food Portuguese, not the Macanese curry crab and African chickens that litter other menus in Macau. This year though, we find that he has relented somewhat, serving up just one page of baked crab meat in shell; African chicken; and Portuguese chicken, though with the disclaimer (in bold) that these are “three favourite Portuguese dishes in Macau that you will not find in Portugal”. We take his warning and stick with the traditional Portuguese dishes. Our favourites include the fish soup Nazaré-style, a thick broth filled with the aromas of shellfish and fennel; as well as a hearty main course of royal duck rice. The rice, cooked with duck’s blood, is sticky and deeply flavourful, the scent not too gamey or pungent. This is accompanied by tender slices of duck breast and a rich jus. It was a shame that this was the one dish that was not served piping hot, though. Also slightly disappointing was the signature stewed seafood in “Cataplana” style. A mountain of expertly cooked clams, fish, prawns and lobster is always an impressive sight, but while individually tasty, the dish lacked a unifying factor. Perhaps a bit more herbs or acid would do the trick. Desserts, however, return us to a high: we loved both the Algarve clementine gratin with its delicious flaky and buttery pastry, as well as the cherry clafoutis, which is a cross between a flan and a soufflé. For those with a sweet tooth, the trolley of Portuguese desserts should make for a pleasantly agonising few minutes of decision-making.
Guincho a Galera shares the same impressive wine list as the rest of the Lisboa outlets and this handsome tome can occupy wine lovers for most of the meal. If less sure, ask the friendly sommelier for help and suggestions, as they will go to great lengths to help you choose a wine. Alternatively, the wines by the glass list features exclusively Portuguese wines, and we would highly recommend 2010 chardonnay from Cova da Ursa with seafood dishes, and the 2008 Quinta de Pancas Touriga Nacional Reserva for meatier options.
The staff at Guincho a Galera are highly trained and efficient, however there were a few blips: some of the staff’s English is rather thickly accented, making their introduction of the dishes a bit less than crystal clear. The wait between courses was also a bit uneven, with some arriving rapidly, and others taking much longer.
A filling three-course meal for two can be enjoyed for MOP2,000. Given the quality of the ambience and the food, we would say this is good bargain. What is even better value are its lunch menus, which are priced at MOP280 for two courses and MOP350 for three.
in Hong Kong Tatler
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