Wineshark Mystery Restaurant - Casa Lisboa

Although we are so close to Macau, where there are many Portuguese restaurants stemming from its colonial history, we cannot find that many in HK. Hearing some people giving good reviews of Casa Lisboa, today we came to Wyndham Street to try it out.

The restaurant is not big, with a bar on one side occupying a fair bit of space, while the tables on the window side can look out to street-level activities below. The tiles with intricate patterns draw our attention, as well as their colourful wall decors. Comfortable.

I ordered a bottle of Pera-Manca Vinho Branco 2022 ($1,180). This Alentejo white is a blend of Antao Vaz and Arinto, with beautiful lemon colour, peachy aromas and nice mineral touches, well-balanced and integrated. A great wine to go with the food on the night.

We started with Garlic Octopus ($185). Sizzling hot on the tray, the octopus tentacles were sliced and baked with chili, Vinho Verde, extra virgin olive oil and coriander, very fragrant and delicious, and not rubbery at all. No wonder it is a signature of the restaurant.

“Santos Populares” Smoked Sardine ($168) is another tasty snack. On the crunchy sourdough were the roasted garlic puree, together with peppers, finishing with the tasty sardines on top. On the side the capers which provided balance with its acidity.

The third starter we had is Codfish Cakes ($35 per piece). Freshly prepared and deep-fried, the fish cake was searing hot in temperature, appealing with its golden-brown crust. On the side were some parsley and garlic mayonnaise to add to the flavours.

Next, we had Caldo Verde ($88 each), which is a traditional potato soup with chorizo and kale. The green soup was very tasty, served with sausage which offers a bit of spiciness along with savoury. The soup had very little seasoning though.

For the main course, we had chosen Half Piri-Piri Chicken ($310). Prepared using local organic chicken, the portion is quite big and enough for two. The chicken was rubbed with the spices before grilling, with a crisp skin and juicy flesh. The sauce on the side provided further spiciness to those who prefer. A nice one for sharing.

For dessert, I had picked Serradura ($80), the famous Portuguese saw dust pudding. Soft and light, with the fine crumbs giving a buttery taste to the whipped cream. There were also some fresh strawberries and figs to complement. Appropriate in sweetness, it brought back good memories when I visited Macau at a young age.

My wife had Pastels de Nata ($90), another famous Portuguese dessert. The mini egg tarts were baked nicely, with some burnt marks on the surface, which caramelized and gave more flavours. On the side was raspberry sorbet with a balance of sweet and acidity to freshen the palate.

Service is very good, with the staff friendly and they also gave me a shot of ruby port to finish my dinner. We were happy to see the restaurant was packed and they could have multiple tables serving a second round of customers. The bill on the night is $2,545 which was reasonable. A good place to enjoy some nice Portuguese food.