Vasco da Gama: Portuguese Food in Rural Japan

Today I’ve decided to post something a little different: my review of a Japanese restaurant.  Not just any restaurant, but a Portuguese Restaurant in Fukui!  Crazy!  It’s called Vasco da Gama, which is one of the only Portuguese people that is covered in pretty much every high school history class (he’s the first guy to navigate around Africa to trade with India – yeah, that’s our big contribution to history).

Now, given that I’m 100% Portuguese-American, a bit of a foodie, and was raised in a family of fantastic cooks, I was a little cautious about the Japanese interpretation of Portuguese food (anyone who has been to Japan and eaten at Sizeria, their version of “Italian” food, knows exactly what I mean).  I have to say, though, I was pleasantly surprised at my dinner.

First, it’s a good sign when the chef speaks the language (I didn’t actually have a chance to speak to him to see if he was Portuguese or Brazilian, which is common in Fukui prefecture, so I’ll have to update next time I go).  Also a good sign: when the only non-Japanese writing on the menu is Portuguese, and, from what I could tell, there weren’t any weird spelling/translation mistakes (OK, so my Portuguese reading skills are pretty terrible, but I am pretty much fluent in Portuguese menu reading).  Oh, and every table had a galo napkin holder from Portugal (these roosters are called o Galo de Barcelos and no Portuguese household or restaurant is complete without at least one. 

 If you're ever in a Portuguese kitchen, please play "Spot the Galo" - Trust me. It's there.

So, we were off to a good start.

Now, since it’s Japan (which has a zero tolerance for drinking and driving) and I had drive myself home after dinner, I could not try any wines, which usually complete the Portuguese dinner, but I was excited to see TWO varieties of Portuguese vinho verde (the young, dry white wines which are a Portuguese specialty).  They had both Avaleda, my family’s go-to wine, and Casal Garcia, my sister’s favorite brand.  I’m looking forward to going again with a DD to sample how these wines compare to my usual American imported ones. 

For dinner, I ordered Bacalhau com Nata, a gratin of dried and salted codfish, potatoes, and onions in a cream sauce.  For those who have never eaten bacalhau or its Spanish or Italian equivalent, it doesn’t actually taste salty, since it’s soaked to rehydrate and remove the saltiness.  The salting concentrates the cod flavor and creates a firmer texture.  There’s a reason why it’s the national food of Portugal.  And my bacalhau was wonderful!  The only critique I have is that I would have liked more fish, but then again, they could have handed me a platter of plain bacalhau and I would have been happy.

 Bacalhau, potatoes, onions, cream, and cheese - What's not to like? (Oh, and there was originally also an olive on there, but that didn't last long enough for a picture - sorry)

Dessert was an even better surprise for me.  I ordered the pastéis de nata, which is a custard pastry, and basically the most delicious thing on earth (and if you’ve ever had one freshly baked and warm from the oven, you’d completely agree).  And, once again, the pasties were delicious, with a great flaky and crispy crust and warm filling.  Since the dessert came with two pastries, I was originally planning on taking one home with me for breakfast the next day, but, for some reason, I completely forgot about that plan one bite into the first pastry.

Heaven in pastry form

My dinner at Vasco da Gama, was definitely memorable, and I will have to go back again.  (Next time, I think I’ll order what they call bouillabaisse, which is a French seafood soup from Provence, but I’m curious if they actually mean caldeirada, which is a similar stew from Portugal).  So I’ve learned that occasionally restaurants in rural Japan can have authentic western cuisine, even from a tiny country like Portugal.  At least I found some place to tide me over until I visit home later this spring!