Portugal | Dinner with a Sense of Humor at Sao Gabriel in Almancil
My delightful evening at Sao Gabriel was filled with whimsical touches on the plate and jokes between courses. It was a relaxed, memorable Michelin star meal.
Alongside his more family-style Thai Garden restaurant sits Sao Gabriel, Chef Leo Pereira's Michelin star restaurant. Not far from his hometown in the Algarve. Chef Pereira brings Portuguese favorites and local ingredients into his menu options ("creative", "contemporary" or "a la carte").
Though I loved some of the leaps on the "creative" menu, I opted for the "contemporary" because there were a few items I had yet to try in the region, including lamb and mackerel, and a few I wanted to try again, including the caldeirada fish stew and fois gras.
The meal, like many of my favorites in Portugal, began with homemade breads (5 different kinds here) and several spread options. In this case there were three; salted butter made in house, shrimp butter made in house and local olive oil. The shrimp butter stole the show.
The first course was an amusing dried shrimp from the riverbed with cuttlefish and cured squid. It was like starting with a few chips to salted up the palate and make it crave more.
Next was the marinated mackerel adorned with vegetables and topped with a thick watercress puree. Two types of quince were in the dish, a paste and puree, which added a nice sweetness to balance the watercress.
Another fish course followed in the form of the caldeirada fish stew. I could subsist on this stew alone. Though I adored the more homey and rustic caldeirada I had in Evora, this version was on another level. The flavors were clean and bright and I'm delighted I had a chance to taste Sao Gabriel's version of the Portugal favorite. I was told the broth develops for a full 48 hours before being served.
The fois gras was next and didn't disappoint. It was perfectly seared with a bit of sweetness added. A cubed orange marmalade-type and berry compote were my favorite accouterments.
The savory part of the meal ended with a beautifully prepared lamb alongside mushrooms, artichoke and cauliflower. It's juices and garnishes were rich and it felt like the meal had been building towards this dish.
As a pre-dessert (but what I would squarely count as dessert) I was brought a basil sorbet alongside a sweet and creamy meringue. It was served in a large bowl on a cold stone surrounded by fresh basil. The smell was overwhelming in a good way.
Up next were three desserts; cheese with egg and cream, a traditional Portuguese convent dessert, a local holiday dessert with sweet potato and rice pudding ice cream.
As a bonus, there was another dessert of dark ice cream and sweet cheese.
Finally, the meal ended with petit fours. At this point I barely had room to sample them!
Throughout the meal the servers were attentive and engaging. Before each course the server theatrically explained each dish and once I finished the plate was immediately picked up. The wine pairings were superb and if I was ever dry someone was there to add a splash more to my glass.
To the delight of many patrons, the chef came out at the end of the evening to introduce himself and chat. It was a warm example that clearly lent itself to how the rest of the staff treated guests. This was one of the pricier meals I enjoyed in Portugal but the experience made it worthwhile.
