We researched ahead of the trip with the help of Ricci and Amy to make a reservation at a fine dining during our trip to Portugal.
We chose Euskalduna Studio, a one-Michelin star restaurant in Porto, because of the interesting menu and good reviews. It was pretty easy to make reservations during the low season.
The restaurant was only 5 minutes away from our apartment, which made it very convenient.
We ordered the chef's tasting menu, and Phil and Ricci added the non-alcoholic drink pairing, which turned out to be tea drinks rather than fruit juice or vegetable juice.
The food was delicious, and the most memorable dish was the French toast, which was perfectly caramelized like a crème brulée top, but somehow became so juicy and oozing of milky cream when we dug in with a fork. We have never had French toast like this before!
The staff was very friendly and very good at explaining what were being served. For example, we learned that the French toast took a couple days to make, which included flash freeze to keep the cream absorbed into the bread.
Chef Vasco Coelho Santos came to our table to talk to us and make jokes about his staff. At the end of dinner, he wanted to know where we have been dining, so he could make recommendations. He had recommendations for fine dining but we asked where to find the best Franceshina, it being a specialty sandwich from Porto. He looked surprised, then advised us to split a Franceshina, a Bifana, then go for a Portuguese hot dog called a cachorrinho (one each because they were small). Franceshina and Bifana at Conga, and cachorrinho at Gazela.
At the end of the meal, we asked Chef for a picture, and he brought us to his kitchen for a group picture.
RECOMMENDATIONS: We really enjoyed our meal at Euskalduna Studio, especially for the great service, the friendliness of the staff, and the interaction with Chef. We have never been to a fine dining where the chef came out and talked to us as much as Chef Santos. The food was very good too, but the chef and staff made it an especially memorable experience for us.
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