Text José Silva | Translation Jani Dunne

There’s a new place for Japanese food in Porto near Batalha, another restless area buzzing with all these new hotels and tapas restaurants, all very popular. Plus, the majestic beauty of Teatro Nacional S. João, equally busy with cultural affairs.

Well, further ahead, on the way to the upper tray of D. Luís bridge and the Guindais funicular tram, on Rua do Sol, a new space has opened, where chef Ruy Leão prepares and serves Japanese food. He called it “Shiko”.

Shiko – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

More Than Sushi or Sashimi – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

Japanese food that goes far beyond sushi and sashimi, including a number of very interesting cooked meals.

Ruy Leão, a Brazillian from Recife born in 1981 into a family of musicians, came to Portugal some time ago to a restaurant in Guimarães, where he started exhibiting his talent and good taste for this type of food, which has lately become so fashionable in this area. While he was young and still in Brazil, he was more interested in drawing and painting. However, he already loved sushi at the time, so he attended a course and then began teaching his friends at home. Given the invariably positive result, he was encouraged to make a career out of it. He naturally began working in restaurants and even contacted chef Carlos Faustino, who encouraged him to get the course in the first place. And so the adventure began, with his full dedication to this passion, which indeed turned into a career. Once in Portugal, from Guimarães, he moved on to Matosinhos with chef Pedro Nunes, in restaurant 44; he took control of the sushi counter, where he became very successful. After a spell in Rua do Sol, in Porto, with his Portuguese wife, they found a vacant space a few hundred yards away.

That was when they decided to take the leap and get their own space.

A Very Plain Décor but Very Attractive – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

The Chef’s Table – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

Sleeves rolled, a very plain décor but very attractive, a small but very cosy space. Tables for two run along the left wall of the long corridor and bigger tables are on the right. Down at the end, the chef’s table sits four; here, Ruy serves special menus of his own creation, and the client has no say in the matter.

On the left is the counter behind which Ruy and his assistant prepare the food before it’s served. In the table section, Alexandra Leão is the boss, spreading her friendliness about.

Fish Displayed on the Counter – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

Fish Displayed on the Counter – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

The counter includes a display, where the fish shines through, almost all of it from the Portuguese sea, always very fresh and put on display only after being very well cleaned. Some are not so common types: blackbelly rosefish, wrasse, sole, red mullet, horse mackerel, mackerel – on display, no tricks. It’s a pleasure to watch both prepare the well-presented pieces – two by two or in creative compositions.

Sushi – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

Nigiri and Gunkan – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

Some are pieces of sushi, urumaki, nigiri and gunkan, others are sashimi of very well sliced fish of various types off the Portuguese coast.

Sashimi – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

Tempura – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

Using different types of seasoning is the rule, as are marinades, different seeds and even tempura, which resemble the Portuguese panados (breaded food, generally stakes).

Breaded Shrimp – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

Breaded Crab – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

They can be made with shrimp, crab or chicken breasts.

Food served in Two-piece Canoes – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

Or in Dishes of All Sizes – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

The food is served in several containers, from small two-piece canoes to dishes of all sizes made in Portuguese china or glass, and can be served in a group atop a huge slate – what an excellent effect.

Out of a list of wines of original choices, on our last visit we tasted two wines: a white Azahar 2012, from Santo Tirso – very refreshing, good acidity, very pleasant dry notes, excellent company for this kind of food.

And also a Douro red – and why not?! – Mafarrico, also 2012, very elegant, delicate although with good volume, leaving a good impression and keeping good company to many of the pieces we tried. Before we left, we scheduled another visit to this Porto “Shiko”…

Contacts
SHIKO – Tasca Japonesa
Rua Sol, 238
Porto
Tel: (+351) 223 239 671
Facebook: facebook.com/SHIKOtascajaponesa