Whenever I travel, food is always one of the things I look forward to the most. Before leaving, I read books, did some research on what looked delicious, asked friends who had recently visited Portugal for recommendations, and made sure to prepare well.
Umada Saori's book was one of them. She is a Japanese writer who writes about Portuguese food, culture and history. I got to know her book around 10 years ago. After that, she published some more books and I read her new ones.
One of her books, Conga – Casa das Bifanas, a restaurant famous for its bifana, a Portuguese pork sandwich was mentioned. I had also seen the Francesinha, another well-known sandwich from Porto, we saw on a German TV program, so we decided that Conga would be our first lunch spot in Porto.
In Portugal, my German mobile carrier’s SIM card works without any extra charges, so I had no trouble finding our way to the restaurant. What a convenient era we live in! The restaurant is about a ten-minute walk from the touristy riverfront area toward the city center.
Inside, the ground floor is a casual standing-eating space. At lunchtime, many men, both older and younger, were there for a quick bite. It looked promising. We were asked to take seats on third floor. Yes, there are plenty of tables!
The menu looked quite reasonable compared to prices in Germany. We ordered a bifana, which consists of ultra-thin, fluffy pork slices soaked in a special sauce and sandwiched in a bun, along with a Francesinha, Porto’s famous mega sandwich. We also got some fries for my daughter.
Even before tasting it, I could tell that the bifana would pair perfectly with beer. So, despite being on a family lunch time outing, I couldn't resist ordering one. With Porto’s temperature at 19°C and having walked quite a bit to get here, an ice cold beer felt like the perfect refreshment.
Since this is a no-frills eatery, plating and presentation are not a priority. The food arrived dripping with sauce, and I actually liked that casual touch. First up – the Bifana.
The bread had a crisp crust and a soft inside, a typical style in Portugal. The pork was incredibly tender, just as the book described, and the generous amount of sauce added to its street-food appeal. For €3.7, it was filling, served almost instantly, and felt like Portugal’s version of a döner kebab or perhaps a Japanese Gyudon.
The second dish was the Francesinha, a mega sandwich. The name means “little French woman,” and when I saw it introduced on a German TV show, it seemed like a compliment... The name is said to have originated from France’s croque-monsieur, which was later adapted in Portugal.
Since I had a light breakfast at the hotel and went for a swim before lunch to be ready for Conga, I was able to finish my meal easily. But in truth, I wanted to try even more dishes 😁
Outside the restaurant, I caught a glimpse of how they prepare the thinly sliced pork in the sauce, something that was also described in the book. The sauce is red, and the menu does mark the bifana with chili symbols, but it’s not overwhelmingly spicy. Even my partner, who doesn’t handle spicy food well, enjoyed it.
The staff at Conga were very friendly, and I’d recommend this place to anyone who wants to experience the authentic flavors of Porto surrounded by locals. Make sure you arrive hungry 😉
旅行でもやっぱり一番気になるのは食べ物！ということで、出発前からおいしそうな食べ物を調べたり、最近ポルトガルを旅行した友人におすすめを聞いたり、しっかり予習をしていました。
ポルトガルの食文化についてエッセイやレシピを書かれている馬田草織さんの本に10年ほど前に出会ってポルトガルを旅して、今回も彼女の本を読んでポルトガルに来ました。馬田さんについては、noteに詳しく書いたので、よかったら。
ポルトガルの文化と歴史をお腹から楽しむ ー 馬田草織さんとその著作
前回は『ようこそポルトガル食堂へ』を片手に、今回はプラス『ムイト・ボン！ポルトガルを食べる旅』（2019年刊）も読んでポルトガルにやってきました。なんならおいしかった料理をドイツに戻ってから作るために『ポルトガルのごはんとおつまみ』も旅をしながら読んでいます 😉
『ムイト・ボン！ポルトガルを食べる旅』のポルトについて書かれた部分で紹介されていた中で、最も行ってみたかったのがビファーナというポルトガルのポークサンドイッチで有名な「コンガ」です。フランチェシーナというドイツのテレビ番組で見たポルト名物のサンドイッチもあるとのことで、ポルト初日のお昼はコンガに決定。
ポルトガルではドイツの携帯電話会社のSIMと契約が追加料金なくそのまま使えて、お店まですんなりたどり着けました。なんて便利な時代なんだ。お店は観光地の川沿いから市内中心部に向かって10分ほど歩いたところにあります。
お店に入ると、一回はカジュアルな立ち食いスペースです。お昼時、おっちゃんやおにいちゃんがたくさん空腹を満たしに来ていました。期待を持てそうです。
メニューはこんな感じで、ドイツと比べると値段は良心的な気がします。極極々薄切りのふわっふわの豚肉を秘伝のタレに通してパンにはさんだビファーナと、ポルト発のボリューム大爆発のサンドイッチのフランチェシーニャ、子供用にフライドポテトを注文しました。
食べる前から「絶対ビールと合う味だ！！」ということでお昼の散歩中、家族の見守る中でしたが、ビールを頼まずにはいられませんでした 😉 ポルトの気温は19度でかなり歩いてお店まで来たこともあり、ビールがキンキンのうちにまず乾杯 🍻
大衆食堂ということで、インスタ映えなどまったく気にしていなさそうでドドンとソースを撒き散らしながら出てきました。そんなカジュアルなところも個人的には好きです。まずはビファーナから。
外はクラストがカリッとして、中は柔らかいポルトガルの典型的なパン。中身の豚肉は、本に書かれていた通りのやわらかさで、感動的にほろほろでした。がっつりソースに浸っているストリートフード感もたまりません。お値段3.7ユーロでボリュームタップリですぐ出てきて、まさにポルトガル版のケバブ、もしくは牛丼なのでは！？と。
もう一皿は、メガサンドイッチのフランチェシーナ。フランス女性という意味で、ドイツのテレビで紹介されていた感じでは褒め言葉のようでしたが、私には意味がわかりません 😅 メガアレンジ寿司に大和撫子って名前がついていたらビビる・・・そんな感じです。フランスのクロックムッシュにインスパイアされてポルトガルアレンジが加えられて、フランチェシーナと呼ばれるようになったなど、名前の由来には諸説あるようです。
今日はホテルの朝ご飯を控えめにして、お昼ご飯の前にプールで泳いでいたこともあり、ボリュームランチをぺろっと食べられてしまいました。・・・が、実はもっとあれこれ食べたかったんですけどね。ポルトにはすでにまた来たくなっていて次回のお楽しみです。
お店を出たところでは、これまた『ムイト・ボン！ポルトガルを食べる旅』で紹介されていた薄切り肉をソースに絡めるところを見られました。ソースは真っ赤でメニューにもビファーナにはチリマークがついていましたが、暴力的な辛さではないのでご安心を。辛いのがそこまで得意でない相方もおいしく食べていました。
お店の人たちはとても感じがよくて、ポルトの地元の味わいを楽しみたいという人にはおすすめです。お腹をこれでもかというくらい空かして挑んでください 😁 💪
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The way you described the food was really captivating. Also it really looks very delicious even if it was a photo.
Photos but they make me hungry when I look them back 😉
the first sentence is correct. I am even willing to spend money to buy a ticket to a country that I think has delicious food. seriously :D
I think it's a great motivation for traveling 😊
Very beautiful place, very nice to relax with friends ❤️
It was a nice casual atmosphere :)
Absolutely right my friend have a nice day ❤️
You finished the whole francesinha by yourself? It was a massive portion, I could barely get through half of mine when I was in Porto.
Definitely no. I shared the two with my partner. But after swimming it was easy to finish them up 😁
Yum! Bifana although this quiet new to me the way you describes it makes me wanna taste it! Conga looks like an amazing spot to enjoy it among locals, soaking up the authentic Portuguese vibe! I love trying new food spots, and this one is definitely going on my bucket list. Thanks for sharing your experience and making me crave a delicious bifana sandwich!
They are nice casual options during walk and sight seeing. I like them too 😊
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