Tuga

We made a reservation but arrived early and only two seats were taken so no wait time. The last time there was a short wait but was less than fifteen minutes.

Decor is minimalist and reminiscent of modern restaurants with an added Portuguese flair with several modern style artwork on the walls which is pleasing to the eye. You can also, as we were, be seated in the wine area where there is Portuguese jewelry displayed or wines from Portugal.

We were greeted & seated quickly. The menu is quite new & easy to read and lists selections in Chinese & English. There is a wide variety from seafood, rice dishes, pastas and meats. TUGA offers staple Portuguese fare from codfish, octopus and chorizo plus less well known & exotic plates like cow tongue, liver & woodpecker. We decided to stick with standard Portuguese dishes.

The first courses ordered was Portuguese codfish cakes & shrimp tempura. Main courses were octopus rice & codfish Lagareiro. Desserts were chocolate mousse & Portuguese milk custard (cream brûlée).

No wine menu but that doesn’t mean you can’t have wine here. There is plenty of wine on offer all around you. One whole section of the restaurant is lined with shelves showcasing a plethora of red, white, rose and dessert wines.

You can look around or ask for a list describing them. Staff is happy to assist. Wines you purchase are available to drink at restaurant. You can also buy wines by the glass. We were eating seafood so chose a nice bottle of affordable white wine from Portugal which proved to be a perfect choice.

The first course came about 10 minutes after ordering. The codfish cakes was light and fluffy and had a nice spice to it and a potato filling. There were five codfish cakes. Very delightful.

The shrimp dish was well cooked. Very lightly breaded and not dry. We had six large shrimp. The sauce was tart, complementing the shrimp perfectly.

The main course came about five minutes after we had finished the first course. The codfish Lagareiro was a large slice of cod with thinly sliced glazed onions resting on it seated atop two potatoes with olive oil and a few olives completing the plate. There is a trick with eating cod. Cod and salt generally go together so very often if you eat a piece of cod alone it will be quite salty. This wasn’t the case with this dish but it is always something to look out for when eating codfish. The trick is to eat each piece with a little potato and glazed onion to help it blend. A marvelous dish.

The octopus rice was very Portuguese style, a bit of a stew with a nice Chinese influence. The rice is soft and the dish as a whole is moist but not overly so. The spices used are very well thought out and the octopus was very well cooked adding a stable foundation to each spoonful. Another great dish.

The dessert came out quickly afterwards and both desserts were well presented & proved to be very flavorful. The mousse was dark chocolate while the creme brûlée offered the final touch to a very enjoyable meal.

The only flaws were being seated in the wine area meant people would walk pass you periodically looking at wine on the shelves. Thankfully they didn’t reach over for any bottles but it was uncomfortable at times. Lastly, staff need to be better informed to help novices in how to eat certain dishes. It helps make a dish go from mediocre to amazing, this personal touch gives the diner the feeling the restaurant cares deeply about your dining experience. Overall it was a wonderful dining experience.