We rolled the restaurant slot machine again in hopes of finding Joburg’s best Portuguese restaurant, and we think we’ve hit the JACKPOT with Nossa Casa Portugueses Restaurant & Grill in Little Falls!
To start things off, we must say we are very seldom left speechless, but Nossa Casa has left us speechless. Not because we have nothing to say, but because we can't get the words out of our mouths! We just can’t stop stuffing it full of their mouth-watering, mind-blowingly delicious food!
On arrival, we straight away realised that Nossa Casa was not the standard, dated Portuguese-style restaurant that we are all used to seeing. No plastic grape vines hanging everywhere. Not one cock ‘galo or galinha’ figurine or painting in sight. There was no overbearing and super cliché, cheap and nasty Portuguese décor cluttering everything! I am not saying that’s a bad thing, it’s just nice to see a fresh take on what a Portuguese restaurant can be.
At Nossa Casa, the décor, design, architecture, style and finishes are super clean, sharp and modern. Having said that, the restaurant is still warm and welcoming. Their stunning Mediterranean-style tiled feature wall adds a great pop of colour and is a great conversation piece.
Don’t be fooled by their modern design. They are serving up amazing traditional Portuguese dishes, including the likes of Espetada, Caldo Verde, Chouriço Assado, Rissoles, an assortment of Chicken and Steak dishes and of course, DIVINE seafood such as Prawns, Calamari, Lobster and Crayfish tails. It would not be traditional Portuguese cuisine without Bacalhau! That's not even mentioning their daily specials or off-menu specialities!
Before jumping into the food side of things, I must point out one last awesome feature of the restaurant. At Nossa Casa, they have an open-style kitchen. Meaning that guests can see what's happening at all times. This is super cool and shows confidence from their side. And boy oh boy is that confidence well deserved.
Now let's get into the good stuff, THEIR FOOD!
As always, we made proper pigs of ourselves. Well, at least I did! The wife has more self-discipline than I, haha.
STARTERS
Trinchado à Nossa Casa
What can I say, I am a creature of habit, but at least this way I can compare apples with apples or in this case Trinchado with Trinchado. They not only hit this out of the ballpark, but I would also say they re-invented the entire game and are on a different level from anyone else! The balance of flavour was exceptional. Not one ingredient overpowered another. It was a marriage of perfection! The steak was so tender it could be cut with a teaspoon, and the sauce was silky, rich and made with LOVE. Or at least that is how it tasted! Yes, it TASTED LIKE LOVE!!!!!!!!!!!
If I were a death row inmate, I would choose their Trinchado â Nassa Casa as my last meal!
Caldo Verde
My wife opted for the Caldo Verde (as she always does) and said it was one of the BEST she has had to date! I tried it, and I can also say it is the best that I have had! We could not fault a single thing!
Prawn Rissoles
As mentioned, being the piggie that I am, I also had their Prawn Rissoles starter. Don’t judge! With so many tantalising dishes on the menu, I could not help myself, and I am glad I did not! The Rissoles were fried to perfect crispiness and had a golden glow to them. These pockets of perfection were also packed solid with a filling of creamy and spicy Prawn goodness. I don’t even know how they got so much Prawn into those Rissoles! It is worth noting that these are not your mass-produced supermarket Rissoles that some restaurants try to pass as homemade. THESE ARE THE REAL DEAL!
MAINS
Before telling you all about the mains that we devoured, we must shine the light on their bar and drinks menu. Nossa Casa offers Super Bock on tap. YES, you can get Super Bock on tap. Which I most definitely did (a few times). Claudia had a handcrafted, picture-perfect, Instagram-worthy Gin cocktail. It not only looked the part but tasted beyond incredible as well! The bar is not only stunning, but it is also well stocked with a HUGE selection of your standard drinks. In addition to some speciality drinks like Aliança Aguardente Vínica Velha XO, Licor Ginja Cherry Liqueur and Licor De Aniz Escarchado.
Espetada (Esh-pe-tada)
I smashed their 200g rump option. This was served with the creamiest mashed potatoes. I also chose their Milho Frito as a side for my main meal! They marinade the rump in olive oil, bay leaves and rub it with coarse salt! Sometimes the simplest things in life are the best! What took this dish to a special place is the way it was cooked. In their open-view kitchen, they have a specially designed open flame wood-burning section on the cooker that they use to cook various dishes, including the Espetada. It added an indescribable smoky open fire taste! The rump cubes themselves were cooked to perfection, flavoursome and tender beyond belief.
What is Milho Frito, you ask?
If you have not tried Milho Frito yet, you have not lived! Milho Frito is one of the signature and most traditional dishes in Madeiran cuisine. They are cubes of deep-fried cornmeal goodness! Picture a roast potato cube… now imagine that a 100 x better. That is what Milho Frito is! Make sure to get some with your meal at Nossa Casa, you won’t be disappointed.
Seafood Rice (It was one of their daily speciality dishes)
If was not enjoying my Espetada so much, I would have been jealous of Claudia’s choice. Lucky for me, she was kind enough to share. While the Spanish have paella, the Portuguese have arroz de marisco or Seafood Rice. This dish was smothered in a rich, slow-cooked sauce and chock-full of plenty of shellfish, including Prawns, Muscles, Clams, Crab (REAL CRAB, NOT THAT FAKE RUBISH) and Calamari. If I had to best describe this dish, I would say “it is the epitome of Portuguese comfort seafood”. Just be sure to have plenty of napkins on hand because this dish can become a little messy to eat (especially when cracking open the crab legs). But maybe that was me just being a savage again.
DESSERT
You have got to be kidding me! I could hardly breathe after this FEAST, let alone put another thing in my mouth! So we skipped dessert and opted to end our meal with a 1920 and an espresso!
But don’t worry, we will be back for dessert!
On an ending note, we can say with confidence that the entire staff accompaniment at Nossa Casa Portugueses Restaurant & Grill was the happiest and friendliest people we have had the pleasure of dealing with in a long time. We must also say that we don’t think we have seen a cleaner restaurant and kitchen (and bathroom) either!
If you want to indulge in Portuguese cuisine at its best, visit Nossa Casa Restaurant in Little Falls!
Website | portuguese@nossacasa.co.za | 010 600-2055 / 081 024 5031 | Shop 5, Kwena Square, Little Falls. Cnr Hendrik Potgieter & Johan Road.
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