Almeja

How to start my first dinner in Porto? There was no question: Port Tonico.

The place? A stylish downtown bistro called Almeja.

The food? A delicious tasting menu that had me at "hello"...

That "hello" came in the form of Gordal Olives stuffed with anchovies, served with a scoop of intense Lemon Sorbet.

Well, hello!

A series of spectacular tastes followed, including a rich chicken broth, accompanied by bite-sized Chicken Pies. Then there was Toasted Pig's Head Terrine with escabeche and apple...

Bread was served with fermented butter and an olive oil that I was tempted to drink from a glass. A twirl of Green Beans came with a pumpkin puree, fried egg, and fragrant green curry...

A pristine piece of Yellowtail was served with shucked cockles, atop cuscos, bathed in a saffron-citrus sauce...

A melt-in-your-mouth piece of Alejento Pork came with an almond cream and salsify. And, then there was a very curious dessert of Sweet Curry with Coconut Sorbet...

And, to gild the lily, a riff on a Banoffee with frozen white chocolate yogurt and a drizzle of warm toffee sauce finished things off with a glass of Tawny Port.

It was quite the greeting to Lisbon's sister to the North. Talk about a howdy!