It’s always a pleasure to visit Portuguese, a meat restaurant situated in Bat Chen, a small town between Hadera and Netanya. We’ve reported several times on this very popular eatery, but we had never been there for lunch, only dinner.
Going during the day meant driving through country lanes and enjoying the beauty of Israel on a warm winter day. The place is so laid back and relaxed that just walking in and sitting down at a table can relieve any pent-up tensions one might be feeling.
The staff are young and welcoming and can’t do enough to make your visit a pleasant one. The food is plentiful, and the menu offers a huge variety of choices. Vegans are also catered to at Portuguese.
What's on the menu at Portuguese?
To begin our meal, we chose a starter of shwarma in a baguette – there was more than enough for two (NIS 42). There was a very large helping of thinly sliced meat, highly seasoned and dressed with tehina. This was served with several salads and dips on the side, such as red cabbage salad with piquant dressing; Argentinian chimichurri; pickled vegetables; and spicy mayonnaise.
My companion had a draught beer (NIS 28), and I ordered a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon. For about the third or fourth time on recent outings, the red wine was served very cold yet again. Am I detecting a trend or a kind of concession to our tropical climate? Or is it just a coincidence? We were always taught to serve red wine at room temperature, and it seems this is no longer the golden rule.
For the main course, we ordered the Smoker for Two meal (NIS 149), which consists of sliced smoked asado and brisket served on a selection of roasted vegetables (antipasti in Hebrew). On the side was Bora Bora rice (basmati with roasted garlic).
The meat was very tender, and there was a large amount of it. The roasted vegetables added to the dish, and there was quite a variety – garlic, zucchini, sweet potato, green and red pepper, and small new potatoes. The garlic was so good that even the thought of being a pariah for a day made it worthwhile. Also, cooked garlic is said to be very healthy.
Finally, we reached dessert (all desserts are NIS 42). We chose something called Cremino, which is a chocolate mousse on a chocolate base topped with salted caramel sauce, with vanilla ice cream on the side. As parve desserts go, this was very acceptable.
By the time we left, there was barely an empty table in the restaurant. Portuguese has kept up the high standard we have become used to over the years. Well worth a visit.
- Portuguese
- 6 Te’ena St., Bat Chen
- Phone: (09) 953-1549
- Sunday – Thursday, 11:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.
- Friday, 11:15 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
- Kashrut: Rabbinate Emek Hefer
- Wheelchair accessible
The writer was a guest of the restaurant.