A Hidden Industry

Today, I will take you into a part of Lisbon that is one of its best kept secrets. Hence the title of this post, clandestino, which (if it isn’t obvious enough) means secret in Portuguese. But, it is in fact a necessity that this secret remain so. If this secret were to get out, it would no longer be able to be enjoyed by locals and tourists alike. This secret is that of the numerous illegal Chinese restaurants dotting the Mouraria neighborhood of Lisbon, about a 20 minute walk from my apartment. They have an amazing back story, and even better food. This post is going to be short; I’m not one to tattle too much…

A Brief Bit of History

The bairro of Mouraria (once the Moorish quarter), located below the looming magnificence of Castelo São Jorge, is a neighborhood of diversity. It is home to much of the Asian immigrant population of Lisbon, especially ethnic Chinese. It is not a bairro that draws in tourists. Tourists focus rather on the castle above, or nearby Rossio, the gateway to Avenida da Liberdade and luxury shopping. But, Mouraria, while unassuming, houses the illegal Chinese restaurant industry that has rapidly gained acclaim. Acclaim that is both desired and unwanted. These restaurants, tax-free and regulation-free, always have their head turned over the shoulders, knowing that it wasn’t that long ago that the Lisbon police shut down 40% of the existing restaurants. In this poorer neighborhood, these restaurants are their livelihoods and money-makers; without being able to dodge taxes in this way, their life would get much harder. It is a dilemma for many immigrants in many countries. Are they right or wrong for doing so? I am not one to judge.

Scrumptious

My German friend and classmate, Julius, had invited me, along with two of my American flatmates (Ella and Lexie) to come along to one of these restaurants. If we could find it. We walked by it, before finding the staircase featured in my cover photo for this post. We were followed by a stampede of residents of the apartment, herding us into the generic red door of the restaurant. We were unsure if this was the right place, but we quickly saw a full house of diners chowing down. We were lead to the back room, which probably was intended to be a bathroom, and seated at a table covered in a paper tablecloth. We were handed a menu, and a pad of paper, and instructed to write down the numbers of what we wanted. As we were only given two menus, I took a moment to take in my surroundings while we waited. Behind me were commercial size freezers stuffed with seafood and meat, with the two accompanying fridges overloaded with alcohol. Shoved in the room with us were an odd assortment of characters: A couple on a date; a group of heavily pierced and tattooed individuals passing around a blunt while eating. No matter the different reasons we were there, we were all united in our desire to eat delicious, cheap Chinese food. Did it live up to standard? Oh boy it did. I ordered shrimps in garlic sauce that came out sizzling on a cast-iron (or something similar) plate. The shrimp was cooked to perfection, and the garlic sauce was some of the best I have ever had. The appetizers we shared (spring rolls and pot-stickers) were also delicious. Everyone at our table enjoyed the culinary skills in front of us, and feasted on what amounted to 13 euros of food for each of us. I definitely felt I got my money’s worth and more. We left very happy and full, excited at another opportunity to return to this amazing hidden industry.

Well, this was an unique experience, and some of the cheapest and most delicious food I’ve had in Lisbon so far. I hope that this restaurant in particular won’t be busted anytime soon. If any of y’all want to learn more, all you have to do is Google “illegal Chinese restaurants in Lisbon” and you will be guided to a plethora of blog and magazine articles about this industry. They are interesting reads; I recommend reading one or two if you have time. Next up? This weekend, API takes us to Porto, Portugal’s second city, and home to the Douro River valley (home to Port wine) and once home to JK Rowling, who supposedly took inspiration from the city whilst writing Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Should be a fun and informative trip. Until next time,

Jeremy Caldeira