Piggy lunch

Fat Donkey had recently gained access to Club Lusitano and has been trying to introduce me to their Portuguese cuisine. We couldn't get ourselves a last-minute booking a couple of weeks ago, but given the current widespread fear among the general public regarding the pandemic situation, restaurants and clubs are suddently pretty empty. So I found myself in the Sala Leal Senado, the club's fine dining room.

A half-portion of the roast suckling pig had already been pre-ordered, so we decided to order just two starters. We also made the decision to order only the dishes which are exclusive to the fine dining room, as some of the other favorites are available in the Pastelaria Lusitano in a more casual setting.

Choquinhos à algarvia - can't go wrong with ordering seafood like this, and I really enjoyed these. Kinda surprised at the liberal use of coriander but I like it. The squid ink was so tasty that I happily used the bread to soak up some of it.

Croquetes de carne - there seemed to be some tougher, chewy chunks inside other than minced beef. Chouriço, perhaps?

Leitão Português assado "metade" - here we go... half a suckling pig, just for the two of us. Looks a little daunting...

Chopped up and served with some of the same sauce that one finds in Cantonese restaurants for the same dish. This was pretty decent, but I was hoping for a little more of that milky flavor. I guess this little piggy wasn't so little...

My friend felt like drinking a little, as we were both feeling a little down with how things are going. We decided to open a bottle even though we knew we wouldn't be able to finish it.

2015 Boa-Vista Reserva - very minty, sweet and ripe on the nose. Very fragrant after opening up a little, with lots of cedar and potpourri notes and some spices.

Pretty good first nibble. Looking forward to more visits to try out their other offerings.