Let me start by saying this. I f*cking love Lisbon. I am flying that Portuguese flag, high. I’m considering wearing one on my back, like a cape. Lisbon has everything. EVERYTHING.
Now I love Lisbon so much that I will soon be writing one epic blog post on what/where to eat/drink/see/do. In the meantime I’m going to tell you very briefly about a burger I had there.
Here it is:
This burger can be found in Mercardo da Rebeira, an indoor market place that has recently been converted into a hub of trendy food kiosks offering everything from Portuguese ham and cheese, to tempura green beans (more on that later).
The menu here is extensive, and I didn’t understand much of it. I took a wild gamble and ordered a burger including something I assumed meant “onions”. As you will see from my mediocre picture, the base layer involved a sprinkling of watercress. Interesting! In a positive way. No cheap iceberg lettuce here. Then – randomly – another layer of bread, a BigMac-esque attempt at a burger. Fine – but not necessary – I think a bigger bun lid and base would do the job. Anyway, I’m being fussy. My patty was pleasingly stumpy, and served very rare. Slightly under seasoned, a shocker considering all other food in the city was crazy salty. It was however topped with a very rich salty cheese (I have no idea which one), the twang softened by a deliciously gooey and sweet onion relish (I was right – onions).
The setting of the market is a slightly odd – it’s almost a very nice, slightly luxurious food court. If you can, I’d opt for the restaurant experience for this burger. There’s a few around town. If not, this market place is handy because it’s open on Sundays (it’s hard to find places to eat on Sundays).
More on Lisbon later…expect excitement.