BEIRAS AND MOZAMBIQUE THROUGH FOUR HANDS IN ZAMBEZE’S KITCHEN

TWO STEPS AWAY FROM CASTLE SÃO JORGE THERE IS A RESTAURANT WHICH GATHERS, ABOVE ALL, THE RECIPES FROM BEIRAS [INTERIOR REGION OF PORTUGAL] AND THE INTENSE FLAVOURS FROM MOZAMBIQUE, TO ENJOY WITH THE EYES OVER THE CITY OF LISBON.

The stoneware pieces by Bordallo Pinheiro combine with one another in the decoration of Zambeze’s room, which marries the traditional cuisine from the Beira region with the Mozambican cuisine, thanks to João Paulo Varela, a chef from the Beira region who surrender himself to cooking 14 years ago and to the Mozambican sous-chef Alexandre Golaze, professional cook since 1982. Since 2012 they are in charge of the kitchen of the restaurant, where, on sunny days, you are invited to relax on the terrace savouring or nibbling a light and even more relaxed meal, or you may choose the room with the balcony with a view over Lisbon’s houses, Castelo São Jorge, Tejo River, the bridge, the other riverbank.

Because there are good news in the restaurant menu and the risotto is being emphasized (although the curry dishes and the Garlic sautéed prawns [camarão à Laurentina] - seasoned with the emblematic Mozambican beer - are mainly preferred), the meal, this time, should be in the windowed room, so the sun should be enjoyed in moderation.

Regarding the starters, there will probably be a sample of all the most tasteful dishes the Portuguese cuisine has to offer, including fried cuttlefish with garlic [choquinhos à Bulhão Pato] and the mouth-watering scrambled eggs with sausage and turnip greens [ovos mexidos com farinheira e grelos]. The winter flavours complemented by the good trilogy flavours of Nisa cheese with honey, apple and cinnamon or Portobello mushrooms stuffed with goat cheese and bacon.

But not before whetting your appetite with the chef’s starters consisting of Samosa (Indian specialty much appreciated in Mozambique and not only), fish with an onion and vinaigrette sauce [peixe em molho escabeche], mushroom filled with cream cheese [cogumelos recheados com queijo crème], Casa da Ínsua smoked ham and cheese [presunto e queijo da Casa da Ínsua]. The variety of bread is such that it is very difficult to choose from: olive oil and spices bread, olives bread, tiger bread, seeds bread, or corn bread.

Let us explore the variety of fish and seafood, where the main idea is the mouth-watering combination between the Beira region cuisine and Mozambique’s cuisine. The offer includes salty cod dishes and grilled fish – sea bass, gilt head bream, grouper and sole -, as well as the curry crab and shrimps risotto [risotto de caranguejo e camarão em caril], the much appreciated curry crab [caril de caranguejo], shrimps with lady fingers and coconut milk [camarão com quiabos e leite de coco], butter grilled tiger prawns [camarão tigre à Moçambicana] among other – 20, in total.

Keeping us company, under the protection of Bacchus, was the white Casa da Ínsua 2015, a wine from the Dão region produced from the grape varieties Encruzado, Malvasia-Fina and Semillon.

The choice of a meat dish reflects, again, indecision when facing a list of 14 dishes, most of them with flavours from, above all, the Beira region, by the hands of chef João Paulo Varela. The dishes include grilled kid goat [cabritinho da serra na grelha], rice with kid goat and chestnuts [arroz de cabrito com castanhas], veal with roasted potato and vegetables [vitelinha de leite com batata loira juliana de legumes] or grilled veal with grilled potato [posta de Lafões com batata na grelha]. On the other hand, Alexandre Golaze presents a curry, ginger and coconut chicken stew [chacuti de pato] - a legacy of the Goan cuisine in Mozambique, traditional made of chicken, kid goat or veal; peanut sauce chicken [frango em amendoim] and grilled chicken [frango à zambeziana].

Among the meat dishes, there is one which challenges curiosity, veal tournedo [tornedó de vitela], as there are three to choose from the five flavours from Portugal – with mashed vegetables, type of sausage with cabbage and corn bread [migas de alheira], roasted bell peppers, roasted jacked potatoes and chips – or from Mozambique, with mucapata (a mixture made of beans and shrimps), matapa (with shrimps and cassava leaves), xima (made with corn or sorghum flour, which is also a cereal), coconut rice and mango chutney – and they are all served is heated plates and served with the kindness required by a restaurant, in this case we have a team of people from the Beira region and from Mozambique.

For harmonising there was a Casa da Ínsua red wine from 2012 – the opening year of Zambeze – produced from the grape varieties Touriga Nacional, Alfrocheiro and Tinta Roriz, which joins a hand full of national wines under a list, in which two beers from Mozambique can be found, Laurentina and 2M.

Last but not least, the buffet with the sweet flavours from a country which still remains in the memory of many Portuguese people, such as the cassava cake [bolo de mandioca], bebinca [flour, sugar, ghee (clarified butter), egg yolk and coconut milk ] or gulabos com coco ralado [a milk deep fried dessert with grounded coconut]. The purpose is to show the authenticity of the Mozambican cuisine, along with our country’s desserts, such as the pão de ló de Ovar [a sort of sponge cake], pudding, puff pastry with custard [folhados com doce de ovos], among other delicacies arranged on a table, to choose the best dessert to finish your meal.

On Sunday, the lunch is a two Portuguese and two Mozambican dishes buffet and the service time is between 12.30 and 3p.m.; on the other days, the gastronomic experience is on the menu that links Portugal and Mozambique and it is advisable to book a table using the telephone number 218 877 056 or the e-mail address: zambezerestaurante@montebelohotels.com.

Finally, the terrace season has started, where cocktails and exotic drinks translate themselves into the moment’s mood at Calçada Marquês de Tancos, Mercado Chão do Loureiro [old market], very close to Largo do Caldas, in Lisbon. Enjoy your meal!

Source: Mutante (PT)

ZamBeZe Restaurant

MOZAMBIQUE IS REACHED FROM THE TOP OF LISBON

Nelson Jerónimo Rodrigues

Located on the top floor of the old Mercado do Chão do Loureiro, this restaurant as exceed all expectations in terms of views, being among the best of the capital city, as well as for the gastronomic level, which establishes a connection between Portuguese Beira region and Mozambique. The Tejo River and Zambeze River, Bordallo Pinheiro and Mia Couto, the lamb and the curry went up in the lift and they all met at Lisbon’s sky.

“As if the river was itself bridge. From both sides, the same ones: we, dreaming of another riverbank”. The words of the writer Mia Couto welcome the visitors at Zambeze’s lobby and works as prelude of the restaurant, a meeting point between Portugal and Mozambique. Not only on what gastronomy concerns, because the arts of both countries meet in this room, which opened in 2012,the year when the seventh floor of the old Mercado do Chão do Loureiro (between Largo do Caldas and Costa do Castelo) came alive.

This happens right away, next to the sentence of the Mozambican writer, where a wooden giraffe joins several swallows and sardines made of stoneware. Just a small sample of the many pieces by Bordallo Pinheiro on display, or wouldn’t this restaurant belong to Visabeira, the company from the Viseu that owns the emblematic brand from Caldas da Rainha. And this is how the choice for the fusion between the Beira region and the Mozambican cuisines is explained. But we will get back to that, because we will know the way around the place first.

LOOKING AT LISBON BEFORE TASTING MOZAMBIQUE

Beyond a lobby in earthly colours, the immense white that overpowers the main room stands out, from the roofs to the towels and the round columns, which, thanks to the creativity of the design, ended up in stylised trees. There are crabs of stoneware going up the trunk, while fishes of wood in many colours emerge between the branches, as if they were swimming in the crystal clear Pacific or in the calm Zambeze River, the largest river of Mozambique, which gives name to the restaurant. A surprising game between Portuguese and African characteristics, which repeats itself not too far away, next to a brown wall, decorated with swallows, flowers and crocodiles made of craftwork. Right next to it, is the fish on the display case which looks freshly caught.

Next to the main room is another one, sunnier, full of windows, from where one can get a glimpse of the capital city’s houses. In here there’s a big blue tiles panel, signed by the artist Paulo Ossião, who reveals the city with the same perspective offered by the view of the balcony. This balcony is a must see, whether it is raining or sunny, including for those ones who prefer to have lunch or dinner at the comfort of the interior rooms. In case you come by it, you should admire another blue tiles panel which reveals a new look of the same artist.

More than a balcony, you will be at an authentic viewpoint with Lisbon at your feet and Tejo River on the horizon. It seems like an illustrated postcard which delights not only Zambeze’s clients, but also the visitors that use a public access to get there. Many of these people cannot resist the terrace appealing, whether to have a drink or to have a meal. After seeing the views over Lisbon, it is not also easy to take the eyes of the dishes that arrive at the table. Our dish is already on its way.

TWO CONTINENTS, SO MANY FLAVOURS

As in relationships, in gastronomy, opposites do attract. The proof is the ZamBeZe menu, which was able to marry the gastronomy from the Beira region with Mozambican flavours, in a meeting organized by chef João Paulo Varela. This combination starts as being unnoticed, as the starters are all Portuguese - Fried cuttlefish with garlic [choquinhos à Bulhão Pato] (12€) and the scrambled eggs with sausage and turnip greens [ovos mexidos com farinheira e grelos] (8€) –, but is revealed soon after, with the fish dishes. Among these there’s salty cod over corn bread with chestnuts purée [bacalhau em crosta de broa com puré de castanha] (20€), octopus fillets with tomato rice [filetes de polvo com arroz de tomate] (20€), curry crab [caril de caranguejo desfiado] (25€) or butter grilled tiger prawns [camarão tigre à moçambicana] (35€; two units).

The same happens with the meat dishes, which starts in Portugal with dishes such as grilled kid goat [cabritinho da Serra da Gralheira] (31€, serves two) and grilled veal [posta de Lafões] (22€) and, soon after you’re already in Africa, thanks to grilled chicken [frango à zambeziana] (13€), or peanut sauce chicken [frango em amendoim] (16€). Two latitudes over the side dishes as well, proposed in the Mozambican version by – mucapata (a mixture made of beans and shrimps), matapa (with shrimps and cassava leaves), xima (made with corn or sorghum flour), or coconut rice – or in the Portuguese version by – chips, migas de alheira [type of sausage with cabbage and corn bread] or mashed vegetables. The desserts (quindim [egg-yolks, sugar and coconut cake], chocolate mousse, and pão de ló [a sort of sponge cake], for example), on the other hand, are served as buffet (6€) and the wine list presents around 100 references, focusing on the Casa da Ínsua wine (Casa da Ínsua which is also a luxury hotel and a farm at Penalva do Castelo, and is owned as well by Grupo Visabeira)

And so, in the twinkling of an eye, you travel from Portugal to Mozambique, from Tejo River to Zambeze River, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Indian Ocean. As if, this time, the gastronomy was itself a bridge.

Souce: Lifecooler (PT)

Restaurant Zambeze, Lisboa

I was invited by the Groupo Visabeira to get to know the restaurant Zambeze, located near Largo do Caldas, right in the historic centre of Lisbon, and I was amazed with the restaurant. Not only because of the extraordinary view, but also because of the friendliness in the service and, of course, the food’s quality.

The restaurant Zambeze is located on the top floor of the building EMEL (old Mercado Chão do Loureiro) and has a car parking in the building (free for two hours for the restaurant’s customers). After a quick upward travel in a panoramic lift, you arrive at the restaurant, where it is possible to admire the city of Lisbon and the Tejo River (especially on sunny days).

Divided in three rooms – a 300 m2 terrace with its own menu, a huge interior room and another smaller one, which makes the transition between interior and exterior – the restaurant has a modern decoration, light and relaxed, filled with pieces by Bordallo Pinheiro.

It is also possible to admire two blue tiles panels by the artist Paulo Ossião.

The menu presents a great variety of options from two different cuisines – the Beira region and the Mozambican – and the hard part is to choose when faced with so great options. That is why I accepted the suggestion and had the pleasure to try one of the dishes of the renewed menu, which will be presented within few days.

But before were served several starters (bread, butter, olive oil and olives).

Followed by more complex starters, such as stewed shrimps [camarões estufados], salty cod fritters ["bolinhos" de bacalhau], sautéed mushrooms [cogumelos salteados] and veal samosa [chamuça de Moçambique com vitela]. All very pleasant, especially the delicious samosa with the "Sacana" spicy

To drink, I tried the house wine, in the red and white versions.

Delicate flavours that complemented what was served with perfection.

Then it was time to try one of the new dishes from the new menu - crab risotto [Risotto de caranguejo] and prawns with fried tapioca [gambas com tapioca frita]. The risotto was just perfect (which is not easy to accomplish in a restaurant) and the overall flavours were very nice, resulting in a perfect harmony. Very good.

To complete with a sweet note, there is a table filled with desserts and fruit. Good variety and good flavours.

Score from 0 to 10
Kitchen (50%) – 7.5
Service (25%) – 8
Ambience (25%) – 8.5
Final score – 7.88

Final remark: the fact of having been invited by the Group Visabeira didn’t influence my analysis.

Source: Só Entre Nós (PT)

GOOD VIEW. GOOD FOOD. GOOD AMBIENCE. HAVE A NICE DINNER!

Lisbon is a city of viewpoints. By the way, it is a city full of spots with a wonderful view of itself and of Tejo River. It is within this context that we talk about Zambeze and you will understand why right away.

Zambeze is located in one of the most emblematic places of the city of Lisbon, a little below the Castelo São Jorge. Thus, the first impact is given by the amazing view over the city and the river. A large terrace, perfect to have a drink at the end of the day, in warmer days than these we have now. A large room, divided in two areas, and with a very sober and sophisticated decoration (there are some interesting details, like the fishes and crabs on the columns, which give that touch from Mozambique). Tasteful Bordallo Pinheiro tableware. Very friendly staff, quick and efficient service.

The restaurant is half Mozambican, half Portuguese (from the Beira region), therefore, the menu has a little of both worlds: it focuses on Mozambican dishes but not only, they have many alternative dishes which are “closer to us” (which is good for those who like to play safe). As starters, you can snack between croquettes and sausage puff pastry, as well as the great samosas and vegetables in tempura [peixinhos da horta]. If you don’t feel like choosing, the best thing is to ask for the chef’s starters, a combination of both cuisines: a quiche and an excellent goat cheese, on one hand, and four bread crumbed prawns and those excellent samosas. Perfect to start.

Afterwards, the main courses, where fish stands out: a great shrimp curry, generous on the shrimps, spicy enough, and another curry, this time crab curry, well served as well; a salty cod over corn bread with chestnuts purée [bacalhau em crosta de broa com puré de castanha], the fish melting in your month and one of the best chestnuts purée I have ever tasted! Another typical dish is fish on coconut milk [tranche de peixe em leite de coco], full of flavour and textures. Regarding the meat dishes, the pork fillets with chestnuts and mushrooms [lombinhos de porco com castanhas e cogumelos] are good, but I preferred another Mozambican dish, chacuti de pato [a curry, ginger and coconut chicken stew], the meat so soft separating from the bone, and the sauce so thick with very rich flavours. We feel the quality in every ingredient (in fact, the fish is exhibited near the counter) and much more than that, the carefully preparation to ensure that we can savour everything on the plate. Very good!

Dessert buffet with a great variety of fruit and Portuguese regional sweet desserts. There is a wide variety, but not so much from Mozambique, although this is not a country with rich typical desserts. Still, the buffet option allows us to taste a lot of different things.

To pair with all the dishes another surprise, the excellent house wine from the Dão region, soft and fruity, perfect to pair with this kind of dishes.

Perfect for group dinners, Zambeze is simultaneously a very romantic restaurant. In other words, at the end of the meal what we recall is a very good experience. Everything, from the service to the food and the place, make us want to come back in another time of the year, when it is warmer and sunnier. And to stay at a table by the window, of course!

Source: Onde Vamos Jantar? (PT)