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Daniel Vidal

"Fuck art, let's eat," is the quote emphasized by the red neon light of the counter at the entrance of the Office. The first word is scratched, because in this space no one truly wants art to "screw itself". Otherwise, Oficina (name of the restaurant that in a literal translation means workshop) wouldn’t be situated at the artistic center of the city, the Manuel Bombarda street The lighting is the first of many hidden doings in the city's new restaurant. Among them, of course, there are also the creations of chef Marco Gomes.

The building is property of gallery owner Fernando Santos, who bought it in 2001, when an automobile repair shop was still operating there. He arrived at Bombarda for the first time 22 years ago, at a time when art wasn’t a part of the daily life of the neighborhood. It was on that street that he founded his own gallery, which is still running.

The workshop was first an extension to the exhibitions organized by Fernando. Then, the desire to make another dream come true came: open a restaurant to satisfy the passion for food. But the dream was bigger than just a kitchen.

"I want more than a restaurant, I want something completely different, a cultural and gastronomic project. I want the Oficina to be a new icon of the city. "

It was through the contact list that he recruited friends and acquaintances to fulfill the project. Decorating was in charge of Paulo Lobo, interior designer known for his work in numerous restaurants in the city. The food was up to Marco Gomes - former chef of Foz Velha, and whose cooking Fernando Santos claims to be an unconditional fan of and would eventually become a partner in the project. And, finally, artists like Pedro Cabrita Reis, Filipe Marques or Jorge Perianes, were invited to leave a mark in the restaurant too.

In the menu, the meat occupies the majority. The explanation is simple and it is given by the chef himself: "I am from trás-dos-montes (Portuguese region)  and that’s why I always lean more towards the meat than for the fish."

A self-proclaimed supporter of traditional cuisine, Marco Gomes chose to follow a "comfort kitchen", always careful to lend a "personal touch" to traditional dishes. The menu invites you to start the meal with numerous entrees. There is salmon cured in spices, lime mousse and potato crispy (€ 9.5), fish and seafood stock in crusty puff pastry (€ 12), fresh scallops grilled with cauliflower cream, emulsion of parsley and Portuguese cabbage (12 €) or stowed broad beans with chorizo, poached egg, roasted tomatoes and Terrincha cheese (8 €).

In addition to the main dishes, such as the red partridge açorda (21 €) or the grilled octopus with creamy rice (22 €), the chef highlights one of the sections of the menu where the base of the dishes is sirloin matured at 30 days. Each piece is presented in five different versions and both appear to accompany a escalope of foie gras, covered with cheese from the Serra.

"It's one of the novelties of the letter, where we put these five plates of medallions, always with different garnishes and sauces," explains the chef of the Oficina.

In the desserts, tradition meets contemporary cuisine, with the traditional French toast served with caramel ice cream and Port wine, or sweet rice in three textures: ice cream, foam and the usual recipe.

The combination of art and gastronomy really begins to unfold in January, the month from which theme dinners will be organized, where personalities linked to culture will be invited to talk about their passion for food. And if you thought the art was just on the walls, think again. The artists will also give redesign the kitchen and help the chef create special dishes that will integrate the menu.

Click on the image above to know the space and some of the dishes you can taste.

The combination of art and gastronomy really begins to unfold in January, the month from which theme dinners will be organized, where personalities linked to culture will be invited to talk about their passion for food. And if you thought the art was just on the walls, think again. The artists will also give redesign the kitchen and help the chef create special dishes that will integrate the menu.


Original Source: https://goo.gl/OkLoHB
Chosen by: Badriah.
Translated by: Daniela.
Revised by: Luisa.

In this blog, we have talked about different genres of art such as, cinema, music and literature. We also talked about how such arts are related to Portuguese culture. However, gastronomy is a big part of Portuguese culture and eating-out wither it is in cafes or restaurants is a popular social activity. That is why I chose this article about Marco Gomes restaurant in Porto, called O Oficina. The place joins food with art, which I find to be a really intelligent move from the creator and it is a place that I want to visit and I am hoping that our readers would get a chance to know this incredible restaurant.