Portugal 2008 (Part 3)

Desktop holiday for you... European Edition - Portugal (Part 3)....

Yes.
No doubt about it - The grand church in Lisbon is beautiful.....
Outside the church on a sunny day ...
... but I have to admit: The highlight for me was visiting the almost legendary Café Pastéis de Belém.
Lots of people lining up ...
Go to Portugal and not eat Portugese egg tarts? How can, right? ;)

Anyway, that day it was super packed in the front area, with lots of people lining up for takeaway as well as dining in....
(According to some websites, it's packed almost everyday!)
Just inside ...
Thankfully, we found an empty area as we walked further and further into this surprisingly cavernous cafe:
(It looks so small from the outside....)
Much further inside...
The recipe for this (reputedly divine) pastry is said to have originated from monks in the nearby monastery, remaining unchanged till today.... and has been sold in this cafe since 1837 (WOW).

Even with being such a famous (and kinda touristy) place, the prices were very reasonable - only Euro 0.85 per egg tart. At first, I thought "Eeyer. Doesn't look so great wat. Malaysia also got - some more the one here looks a bit burnt!"
Our egg tarts ...
But after biting into it, I was sold.
:D

Sweet yet savoury, rich and creamy without being sickening, encased in a fluffy, crumbly, fragrant pastry.
(I still remember it very fondly, even after 2 years)

Anyway, here's a closer look:
It disappeared quickly soon after ...
We also had some coffees, which tasted pretty good (Euro 0.60 to 1.90 - depending on type):
Long black, Cappuccino and expresso...
If you want, wander over to the mini egg tart factory side of the cafe - there, you can view the team of bakers busy whipping out batch after batch of these yummy pastries for the hungry hordes:
Bake, bake, bake...
While I'm not sure if it's worth travelling to the other side of the world just to eat this, it is definitely a "must eat" if you are in the area.
(Mind you, it may be a bit more expensive now since I went there about 2 years ago!)

Don't just take my word for it, here's what other people think:
- Lots of good feedback on Tripadvisor.com
- World Foodie Guide gave it 8.5 out of 10

Well, that's it for this round - hope you'll have a beautiful, yummy Friday and weekend.
:)


HUGS,
J

(Also, here's an approximate map, just in case):

View Larger Map

Summary Information:
Café Pastéis de Belém @ Lisbon, Portugal

Opening Hours: 8am till 11pm (approx. - slightly different during winter/ summer)
Phone: +351 21 363 74 23
Address: Rua de Belem No 83 - 92, 1300 - 085 Lisboa, Portugal
Website: Café Pastéis de Belém

NOT SURE IF HALAL

TAGS: Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, KL, Kuala Lumpur, Personal