Al-Lusitano Portuguese Restaurant, ensconced within the Portuguese pavilion and directly overlooking the main stage, a 126-seater restaurant brought to Expo 2020 Dubai by Pedro Rodrigues CEO of PLM Global chef Chakal to offer its guests a genuine Portuguese culinary experience.
Pedro Rodrigues CEO of PLM Global and Cofounder of Al-Lusitano Restaurant: A taste of the traditional cuisine from Portugal, aunique experience of delightful food from my country which is huge in flavors, from the Mediterranean south cost to the north side of the Atlantic, passing throw the mountains without forgetting the beautiful island in the middle of the Atlantic. All this variety is present in Portuguese food, making it a truly gastronomic experience. All seasoned with spices and fresh herbs.
The team are also flying in their own products, including breads, coffee and spices; and hosts tastings of olive oil from different parts of Portugal. The menu features cod fish dishes, a staple part of Portuguese cuisine in addition to simple but authentic, well-plated but not overtly fancy to bring to Expo 2020 Dubai a real experience of the food served in Portugal.
Al Lusitano serves dishes such as cod fish dumplings, chicken piri piri, chickpeas puree, roasted lamb, beef and tempura (“tempura, which comes from the word tempora, is originally from Portugal, not Japan), plus Pastel de Nata (egg custard tart pastries), leite de creme (a kind of sweet rice creme brulee), chestnut pudding and dona amelia (a pudding from the Azores islands, made up with spices such as nutmeg and cinnamon).
The fifth of six siblings, Cheff Chakall was born in Argentina, but is a Portuguese citizen by choice. His parents come from Galician, Swiss-German,Basque-French, Italian and indigenous northern Argentinian origins; three of his four grandparents were in the food business, and Chakall says he grew up working in his mum’s restaurant.
“I grew up in a restaurant, which is the best education you can ever have. We served 400 meals in a factory, and only 100 over the weekends so, for me now, cooking for 10 or 20 people is not scary at all.” Said Chakall.
