Restaurateur
Saveliy Libkin

Porto – traditional and rather not restored architecture… Many buildings are in the untouched state already 150 years. The special charm is added by the facing of some facades with ceramics and ornate and always different mini balconies. The cast-iron and steel wickerwork has marked Moroccan motifs, as ornaments on ceramics. There is a lot of ultramarine in the colors of ceramics. The impact of colonial possessions of Portugal in past is felt.

The first restaurant Salsa e Loureiro was recommended by the manager from the company Ramos Pinto. The cuisine of the restaurant the chef Hélio Loureiro described as a gastronomic and typical for north of Portugal. He recommended the course from pork Rozoes, which is served with salsa Papas de Sarrabulho made from pork blood, pork, chicken and bread. The taste is very expressive but unpleasant for me. The pork itself was cooked in the lard. The taste is also impressive enough and a little rough because of the lard. The basic work of Hélio Loureiro is to cook for Portuguese football team when they have away matches. And exactly Hélio recommended us the restaurant with simplest and typical food in Porto, Casa Aleixo. The restaurant is situated in the most not tourist part of the city and it doesn’t advertise itself in the hotels and guides, but the taxi drivers know it and it has certain image. The room is hanged all over with diplomas and press cuttings where this restaurant is mentioned. There are 5 main courses and 10 appetizers which aren’t changing from the moment of opening in the menu. The family works at the restaurant. The food is cooked at the kitchen which area is 6-7 metres, it can be seen in full from the table. It is difficult to talk about special taste because the hake and the octopus were fried in flour and eggs within 5 minutes and resembled very much home Odessan food. The rice with pieces of octopuses was cooked beforehand and it was cold in the plate. Everything is cheap, vapid and rather tasteless.

The morning of the second day started from the visit to company Sandeman. Next to Porto, in the small town Villa da Gaia, are situated all another producers of porto wine, beginning from the oldest one Сruz up to ten companies which age is no more then 30 years old. Only during the correspondence with director responsible for our region it was understood that they don’t experience the lack of visitors and that is why we didn’t count on some special hospitality. In the result, in the cold and dark room, among tuns with logos we were told about differences of wines from the Douro valley and about the history of company’s logo which was drawn by George Massiot Brown as far back as 200 year ago. Then they showed us 10 minutes movie in Russian and then was short tasting of three porto wines and one table wine Galabriga 2007. The wine Barca Velha recommended us as local great one we are expect to taste already at the restaurants.

Empty and furnished like coffee house restaurant Bacalhoeiro which was recommended by Sandeman was ignored by us in the favor of neighboring one with very long name «Adega e presuntaria trasmontana II». Short menu and excellent atmosphere were noticed at once, and we had a luck with choice as it turned out later. All the guest of the restaurant get at once on their tables mini set of appetizers: anchovies marinated in special way, olives with garlic and oil, then small boar covered by parchment  with a few types of local sausage and jamón. A few minutes later we were served hot appetizer from local frankfurters Alheira and a pie with filling from the same frankfurters. The special feature of these frankfurters is that except the pork and local spices it contains a sort of local bread. We chose the main course by ourselves as we wanted the octopus initially. The waiter specified that their octopus is served with potatoes and pepper. It was very delicious. The amount of the 50 Euros for two persons only highlighted the success of the choice. In the result we had dinner there again but only we have ordered additionally Belhota — the verity of jamón with huge term of aging.

The third day’s morning began from the visit to Ramos Pinto.  We were met very benevolently by Ana Perina from the guest relation service and she told us about how one of the employers who was involved in marketing at Sandeman left the company and organized his own company in 1820. Аndre, it was the name of this employer, have chosen the provocation in visual communications and the quality in the products as the points of difference. As opposed to Sandeman the portfolio of the company contained and contains now 50% of dry wines and 50% of porto wines. One more difference of the company Ramos Pinto was in very beautiful decorated office located near the Sandeman. However the globalization have applied to both companies. Ramos Pinto was bought by Frenchmen from Louis Roederer and Sandeman became one of the purchases of one Spanish bank. Today 80% of local wines market are controlled by 5 companies. In fact this information and many other things about Ramos Pinto wines we heard from the second Ana, export manager, who already 20 years is involved in the company’s issues.

According to Ana Rato word the market of porto wines looks like this:

• Symigton Group: Graham`s, Dow`s, Warre`s;
• Taylor`s: Taylor, Fonsecca, Romariz — all the brands produce only porto;
• Sogevinus: Calem, Barros, Kopke, Burmester;
• Sogrape: Sandeman, Offley, Ferreira;
• Cruz: one brand which produces only porto.

The next Ana Rozas  from Ramos Pinto, the member of the family and great granddaughter of the company’s founder, is involved in blending of wines. It was she who held the rtasting of porto. The tastes of 10-20 and 30-year-old porto differ not much, but they are much more interesting and impressive then ordinary porto. The color of old ports is rather cognac then dark red like ordinary ruby and tawny.

The gastronomic restaurant Sessenta Setenta recommended by the second Ana turned out to be a delicious one. There were the owner, the chef and his guests and we in the restaurant. The pupil Jose Pedro Corvalho cooks. The boy has very eccentric appearance and his uniform is not very clean but nevertheless he cooks very carefully and precise. All the tastes selected very delicately and they have been perceived excellently in spite of too gastronomic serving. The amount of check 70 Euros for two tasting sets consisited from five courses seemed for us to be funny, especially on the background of Kiev or Dnepropetrovsk for example. In the daytime one waiter works in the restaurant and in the kitchen the chef cooks and his pupil washes the plates.

In the afternoon we visited one more restaurant recommended by Ana. This time it was fish restaurant Lusiadas. A huge selection of very fresh fish and seafood… I failed to find  only small octopuses, calamari and scallops. All the rest in the form of small portions was hardly placed on the table and cost 70 Euros with tips. We refused from thee hot plate as the dinner was late. This time there were guests but no more then 20 persons in the room intended for 130-140 persons.

Restaurant  Salsa & Loureiro   Av. Da Boavista, 1277, piso -1  Porto

Restaurant Casa Aleixo   Rua da Estação 216 Porto

Restaurant Bacalhoeiro Av. Diogo Leite, 74 Vila Nova de Gaia

Restaurant  Adega e presuntaria trasmontana II  Avenida Diogo Leite 80 Vila Nova de Gaia

Restaurant Sessenta Setenta  Rua Sobre o Douro 1 A Porto

Restaurant Lusiadas   Rua Tomás Ribeiro, 552  Porto

Having shared my considerations about selection of the restaurants abroad, I though of my meeting with one of well-to-do compatriot in Ireland. Due to understandable reasons I will replace his name by common — Nikolay Nikolaevich, hereinafter referred to as NN.

So, we have met by accident in the hotel, and when we decided where to have a dinner NN have recollected at once that he heard it is difficult to get to the restaurant Chapter One in Dublin. Besides, this restaurant is marked by a star. Just to make sure I have asked the concierge what he can say about this restaurant. He stopped short in confusion and tried to recommend another restaurant but after three minutes and 20 Euros he have spoken more eagerly and strongly recommended to refuse from this restaurant in favor of more delicious and less popular among the tourists restaurant under the name Patrick Guilbaud.

In the result we have decided we have decided to see both of them and to choose just at place.

Recommended Chapter One turned out to be half occupied by the tourists. Also the menu was not interesting for me, as the name and the description of each course have taken 3 and even 4 lines. Besides, all the awards of the restaurant were displayed in the foyer. Additionally I have walked along the hall examining the interior and I noticed that things which were in the gust’s plates resembled rather competitive course in Ukrainian provinces then delicious and interesting food at expensive enough restaurant. NN has stood his ground and almost has taken a seat…

All further things were the lesson for me. First of all it was primitively tasteless. Secondly NN liked everything. And especially NN has paid my attention on that there are a lot forks and knives on the table and everything looks like very expensive. And a huge vase with flowers which has stood on the central table not given a moment’s peace to the NN’s spouse. After the visiting of the toilet his souse praised that fact that there is cologne on the shelf… To cut it short NN and his spouse have eat the food with pleasureе. The bill was ordinary and my moo was cheerful because I have picked by the fork the peculiar shapes and drops I still was hungry. Then we have gone to the restaurant Patrick Guilbaud.

We have been offered a seat in the bar and offered an aperitif while they will prepare a table. NN and his spouse were satisfied already but nevertheless they decided to bear company. Maybe the specification of the fact that I will pay for the dinner at the second restaurant helped to take this decision. The average age of the guest in this restaurant was more then 50. The staff was of the same age approximately. The wine list resembled rather one of the volumes of the Great Soviet Encyclopedia. There are 15 items in the menu and also two menus with selection from 4 courses for dinner. The waiter has recommended us one of the courses having specified that it is a hit among the regular guests. Then the chef come to us and made inquires about the versions of serving and side dish of this course. The matter was the Bresse chicken. All the rest was absolutely incomprehensible to the NN’s family and I felt a pure rapture.

So, the main question which stands before the reading/observance of similar rules is who are the judges?

We travel… spend our time for small discoveries… look at  different cultures… We tell our relatives about things which we have stayed in our memory.  But people also come to us and look and keep and mind… Аnd then tell about their impressions… If everything is arranged foresightedly, if the vector doesn’t changes every five years, if the word culture doesn’t associate only with Bylan, then we keep in mind exactly those small and the most important differences which exists exactly so that the tourists can easily distinguish and memorize where they were and what things made them glad. But everything arranged in this way in those places where we are absent, and that is why we want to be there. What do we have: Egyptian three-stars hotel at the place where were Privoz and a half-skating-rink, half-hotel at Deribasovskaya. And also in the very center of the city. One can spend money and invite the best experts in tourism, but  as long as the culture is reflected only in the books and movies people don’t have many motives to come here. The residents of Brooklyn and Israel come here because of nostalgia… But it isn’t big quanity of them so that it will be enough for city. But  the devil is in the shades.

Сhеz Louisette

So I recollect after two years not the Eiffel Tower and Montmartre in Paris but flea market  Saint-Ouen, by the way it is the biggest one in Europe…  Exactly from this market have appeared the word flea and also traditions and fashion for spontaneous street trading. There people sell antiques, china, designer things, second-hand books, musical records, home utensils and various ethnic things. In addition there are 40 restaurants at this market. One of these restaurants and this market I consider as «Мy Paris.  I am talking about the restaurant Сhеz Louisette. The food is extremely average in the restaurant. The waitresses resemble procuresses from bus terminal, the tables are untidy and the interior in the local sense is absent. The local star Manuela sing songs of eternal Édith Piaf in the restaurant already thirty years. All the rest  one should see, hear, touch, breathe in, feel… There is no sense just to retell.

Аddress of the restaurant: Chez Louisette Marche auz Puces de St-Ouen 18th Arrondisement Metro: Porte de Clignancourt

What observations do you have about creating of tourist corporation in Odessa, which will include city authority and businessmen who are interested directly in the development of tourism in the city?

The offer was voiced by Мihail Freidlin  within the framework of the project The strategies of sustainable development of Odessa. The author’s direct speech: «There is a unique opportunity to consolidate society, authority and business»

Mihail Freidlin is known as a organizer of annual Jazz carnival in Odessa and by many other initiatives and projects.

I give the recipe from the process list of the restaurant.

The chef  of the restaurant Sergio Mei Tomasi has told how to cook and cleared up all the nuances.

I have cooked it at home, it came out excellent, but it is very laborious and it is rather difficult to buy the product of proper quality.

I do not recommend to cook with substitutes, it will be alike but with huge tolerance.

Ingredients for 4 persons

• 400 grams of rice carnaroli (Isola della Scala)
• 10 grams of salt butter
• 50 grams of white wine Sauvignon
• 1 bay leaf (1/2 gram)
• 1 whole pilled shallot (40 grams)
• 1,200 l of chiken and vegetable broth
• 10 grams of cold buttre
• 2 grams of  saffron powder
• 1 gram of saffron pistils from San Gavino

For filling

• 100 grams o cold salt butter 
• 10 grams of oil extra QB
• 50 grams of grated Parmigiano Reggiano 24 months age

For decoration

• 4 ½   of fried bay leaf (2 grams)
• 40 grams of poured out chicken seasoning

The process of cooking:

To put into the pan rice with 10 grams of butter, shallot, bay leaf. To roast  it at small heat, to pour with white wine and to pour out the bubling broth till it will cover the rice, add saffron powder diluted in the small quantity of broth. To boil it 8 minutes, it must be dry. To put it into the rice cooker, to sprinkle by the bubling broth and to  add more 10 grams of cold butter and saffron pistils diluted in the small quantity of warm broth and white wine when it will be ready for  ¾. To whip it thoroughly by the turner.  To remove rice from the heat and to beat into it oil and 70 grams of salt butter, add Parmesan and to finish mixing.

Reference: in the restaurat of hotel 1 portion of this risotto costs 24 Euro.

We have decided to spend the last hour before the flight to Italy in the restaurant Kampa Park.
The restaurant is already more then ten years. The owner of the restaurant is Norwegian, very successful Prague businessman. The restaurant has been changed considerably within last 5-6 years. And even earlier it have impressed as a place where the owner spend all his time and respectively his attention extends to all the details of the restaurant then now I have the impression that the restaurant  turned out into the sinecure for the staff. The external gloss is still presents but this is all. The staff has become too choosy and rather cynical. The food  is with the signs of dolce vita but now only in its name and in the way of service. You still can meet here the decent tableware but now it is thin with Czech economic offers. The main thing, in the menu is buratta and on the plate is cheap mozzarella. And the staff knows about this thing and they look aside slily after the question… The manager is more agile but he wasn’t be conspicuous also… In  short: I recall my recommendation from the previous post because it is irrelevant!