When Daniel Estriga set out to creat a dining experience within his local community all of five years ago, he stuck to some very simple concepts and these still hold true today, keeping it seasonal, local and simple.
These dishes are by no means fine dining nor do they claim to be. Instead what you can be assured of is great, honest simple food which has Michelin guide potential with a bit of refinement and some consistency with the plating from his junior chefs.
The locally sourced Portuguese bread accompanied by a fragrant pesto liked herbed butter and a baked olive oil brioche served with balsamic vinegar and olive oil go down a treat.
The first starter a very simple but well executed dish consisted of a silky textured confit hen egg yolk (in olive oil), combined with the delicate flavour of the burnt garlic and a garlic purée, textured with nuts, almond slivers and a fine cauliflower purée. Paired with the slightly bubbly yet crisp Mo Des Tu's Vinho Verde.
Next up another seasonal rustic dish of roastedTurnip,Radish, Carrot,Chestnut, Pumpkin, a Parsnip purée and curry foam, interesting flavours without the overpowering curry taste. Paired with a 2012 Chardonnay - Quinta Do Poco Do Lobo Bairrada.
The saltiness of the fish dish, a part cured Cod complimented by the chickpea purée, pumpkin, two textures of Mushroom, wild leaves and a light mushroom consume delicately balanced by the paring of 'Coleccao Privada' Moscatel Roxo Rose, whilst odd delivered on every level, robust almost floral notes and flavours which excited the palette without overpowering the delicate flavour of this dish.
Pineapple, basil and ginger who knew it could be such a pleasant palate cleanser, sadly the baby coriander detracted at the end but overall a hit.
Hearty, simplistic yet bold flavoured, this Oxtail has been taken to a new level with the complimentary textures of sweet potato purée and delicately grilled micro carrot paired with a 2012 Prazo de Roriz with its hints of delicate strawberry and crimson fruits proved to be a perfect accompaniment to this meat course
Decadent, sharp yet delightful, how else would I describe a chocolate brownie, chocolate ganache with lemon curd and tangerine, I paired this with a cheeky glass of fizz, a 2015 Chardonnay - espumante de Brito Quinta Do Poco Do Lobo Bairrada
His talent and creativity are boundless, what's important is that he stays true his art, putting the customer first and delivering plates of food that leave us wowed, big on flavour and at a price that makes it affordable.
If you do pop into Cascais spend €8 on an Uber and get yourself out to this awesome place. Great hostess, PR manager, cum sommelier Vanessa who's passion for food and shared pride in Daniels venture is very evident. Great value, quality seasonal produce and awesome food.
His latest venture Giogoa Food Lab on Praca De Algeria in Lisbon is equally bound to be a hit.
Get booking.
