Senhor Rooster's experience

[jtcookie]

Portuguese omakase, eh? 

Cheers!

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You bet!

Many thanks again for the lead back to Daniel and his food, vancouver.

John

[snacky_cat]

I couldn't stay away! Mr. Cat picked me up from work today and I convinced him to swing by Senhor Roosters for my second dinner there in three days. I popped Mr Cat's piri-piri cherry - needless to say, we now have another devout worshipper in the church of Daniel's sauces and spices.

This time I went for the pork medallions in garlic sauce (fantastic, but Mr. Cat doesn't want to come within a few feet of my mouth), and Mr. Cat had the half Cornish game hen. Both were outstanding - the garlic sauce was so good I could lick it off the plate, and the game hen was extarordinary - crisp outside, tender and rich inside, with wonderful flavours.

We had to jet pretty quickly and get some shopping out of the way so we couldn't stay for dessert, but we did by a bottle of their awesome piri-piri suace for takeaway. $5 for about 200ml or so. I can't wait to cook with it at home! Yum!

Doubtless we shall return there shortly. A coworker of mine stopped by on Tuesday night and in chatting with Daniel, heard that they're doing a roast pig next week. Mmmm, pig!

[Vancouver]

We were there tonight too! I think I know who snacky_cat is now - that is if you were started off with a crab bisque in a martini glass from Daniel!

We were also started off with the crab bisque with tarragon served in a martini glass. The bisque was rich and flavourful and got our appetites ready for the main course.

Daniel suggested a seafood platter, and I'm glad we took his suggestion. The platter included an entire dungeness crab prepared in a tomato, pepper, and garlic sauce; clams and mussels prepared in a jalapeño and corriander sauce; grilled squid; piri-piri prawns; grilled bacon wrapped scallops; safron rice; and kale dog (mashed potato with kale piped into the shape of a dog (ears and everything)). Daniel brought the live crab to the table prior to preparing it, similar to the experience at a Chinese seafood restaurant. The crab was juicy and absorbed the flavours of the sauce nicely. The clams and mussels were extremely fresh and the sauce was an adaptation of the jalapeño sauce served in the sauce jars which highlighted the seafood. The grilled squid was perfectly tender and had a nice charred flavour. The piri-piri prawns were just as good as canucklehead mentioned upthread. The scallops paired with bacon perfectly. The "kale dog" was a cute, creative presentation with an interesting texture created by the kale being mixed into the fluffy potatos.

Dessert was blueberry flambé prepared tableside. His flambé is truly a notch above others I have had. Frequently flambés end up tasting a bit too syrupy for my taste. But this one had a perfect balance of sweetness and tartness. It was served in a martini glass over a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The warm flambé paired nicely with the cold ice cream, creating a pleasant mixture.

Another fabulous meal!

And yes, he did mention he is doing a lechon (roast suckling pig) on Boxing Day. Sounds like a fabulous treat!

Cheers!

[snacky_cat]

Heh heh - next time we cross paths chez Daniel we must say hello to each other! That seafood platter looked extraordinary (perhaps you noticed me making google eyes at it when it arrived!). And the crab bisque was fantastic. Mr Cat claims not to be a big fan of crab, but he LOVED it. I've discovered over the years that when I trick him into eating something he claims not to like, he invariably ends up enjoying it.

Seriously people, you must venture into the wilds of Rupert St. to check this place out. We had the bisque, two big entrees, refreshments, and bought a bottle of piri-piri to take home and our bill was $30 after tax. $30!

It's worth is just to see the mashed potato artistry. Daniel turns the humble tuber into a menagerie of animal shapes. I, on the other hand, could probably only ever hpe to put together a potato amoeba, or perhaps a potato Jabba the Hut. Next time I go I'm going to see if he can make a cat.

[mamacat]

And yes, he did mention he is doing a lechon (roast suckling pig) on Boxing Day.  Sounds like a fabulous treat!

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Sounds like an e-gullet event waiting to happen!

[inanimate]

I dropped in for the suckling pig tonight and was disappointed not to see any other diners in the place.

The roasting pig was amazing. Moist, flavorful, and delicious. He said it was a 22lb pig, brined and roasted. Beautiful crackling, tender meat. I'm hoping to round up a large enough group to dine on an entire pig there.

3 orders of roast pork, appetizers, a few drinks and espresso to finish for $85. A great meal and many of you missed out

Edited December 27, 2005 by inanimate (log)

[snacky_cat]

Finally had a chance to go back (I like how I use "finally" to describe an interval of a whopping eight days) the other night - Mr. Cat's visiting Mom took us out for dinner. We all had the half side rack of pork ribs, which were delicious and were picked completely clean. Daniel brought out extra BBQ sauce which we slathered on with relish - I gather that some of the sweetness of the BBQ sauce is lost over the flame grill, so adding the extra fresh sauce at the table really expands the flavour of the dish. We also stuffed ourselves silly with an order of the bbqed mushrooms, and the several Portugese rolls we used to mop up all that sauce (we do our part to help with the dishwashing ). Daniel brought by some shrimp rolls as an aumse, and showed off his flambé skills with a little treat at the end of the meal!

[Vancouver]

Were the ribs from the suckling pig? Or his regular ones that are always on the menu?

Cheers!

[snacky_cat]

Were the ribs from the suckling pig?  Or his regular ones that are always on the menu?

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Just the regular menu ribs. Mind you, there's nothing "regular" about the usual menu. It's all so good! And I like the starch lottery - you're never quite sure whether you'll end up with spicy potatoes, fried, a mashed potato animal or yummy saffron rice.

[~cayenne~]

I dropped in for the suckling pig tonight and was disappointed not to see any other diners in the place.

The roasting pig was amazing. Moist, flavorful, and delicious. He said it was a 22lb pig, brined and roasted. Beautiful crackling, tender meat. I'm hoping to round up a large enough group to dine on an entire pig there.

3 orders of roast pork, appetizers, a few drinks and espresso to finish for $85. A great meal and many of you missed out

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I really wanted to try that, as I had read about it, but I wasn't sure what day it was. I was trying to find the place a couple of nights ago, took us a bit, but, I saw it, such a cute little place, which made me even more endeared.

Now that I know that it is actually there, I'm dying to try it.

Edited January 2, 2006 by ~cayenne~ (log)

[11son]

Daniel brought out extra BBQ sauce which we slathered on with relish -

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Really? I wouldn't have thought BBQ sauce and relish would go well together.

OK, I'm sorry.

[Ducky]

Well I was beginning to think some of the previous posters had shares in this place - until we stopped by there for lunch today. What a brilliant little restaurant! Very simple family run atmosphere - with Daniel the perfect host. I had Clams with Jalapeno sauce - my guest the Prawns Piri Piri - and both were outstanding. Fresh food and rich, flavourful sauces - both lovingly prepared. What more can one ask?

The chef was raised in Angola (then a Portugese colony) and that may explain the interesting pairing of food and sauces. Portugese colonial fare?

Yes - the food takes a while - but I always find this a rather good sign. There are quite enough places in this town for fast food.

I gather that insiders at this place simply tip up at the bar, order a bottle of vinho verde and ask Daniel to make them "something good". Menu's are dispensed with. That is a fine thing in my view and is certainly what we shall do on our next visit.

Well worth a trip to the far east!

[Ling]

I'm heading there for dinner tomorrow night...can't wait!!!

Any last minute recommendations--I gather the cornish hen is a winner, and I hope they have rack of lamb on the menu too...

Edited January 7, 2006 by Ling (log)

[mamacat]

Any last minute recommendations--I gather the cornish hen is a winner, and I hope they have rack of lamb on the menu too...

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The lamb is, indeed, yummy. Also, anything with pork. What the hang....EVERYTHING is fantastic. Enjoy, Lorna! Can't wait to hear what you think of your meal.

[Vancouver]

Call ahead and ask for the rack of lamb! If you give him enough time he usually can arrange it.

Cheers!

[Ling]

^Are you serious? Thanks for the insider's tip! I'll call now.

[snacky_cat]

If there's no rack of lamb, just ask him for an assortment of meat things or the seafood platter.

And please eat all the desserts! We've always been so full after dinner that we can never order even a single one, so we need your help to find out what's good. If there's anybody that can do it, it's you. Help us, Lorna, you're our only hope!

[canucklehead]

Call ahead and ask for the rack of lamb!  If you give him enough time he usually can arrange it. 

Cheers!

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If you get the rack of lamb - it is a RACK of lamb. Very generous portions. He will also probably give you a sample of his kumquat grappa - which is pretty potent. He never seems to have the cod cakes - which I am curious to try. The caldo verde soup was very soothing and warming.

It is a nice neighbourhood place - so the decor is basic but clean.

Have fun.

[Ling]

If there's no rack of lamb, just ask him for an assortment of meat things or the seafood platter.

And please eat all the desserts! We've always been so full after dinner that we can never order even a single one, so we need your help to find out what's good. If there's anybody that can do it, it's you. Help us, Lorna, you're our only hope! 

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I just ate a huge container of take-out dimsum and a plate of cookies. I'm soooo full! I'll see how I feel when 7pm rolls around. Maybe I'll just make my friend order dessert and I'll taste it.

[Vancouver]

The rack of lamb the time I had it had 8 chops.

For dessert ask for his blueberry flambe if he has the ingredients.

His deep friend banana and apples were a nice treat last time, they were served with a caramel sauce and an apple cinnamon sauce.

Cheers!

[Ling]

Dropped into Senhor Rooster as planned, and ran into quattroporte and her lovely family tonight! (BTW--this is the third time I've been recognized by someone on Egullet while in the company of my friend K; he is beginning to think I am some sort of celebrity. )

The food was as good as reported elsewhere in this thread, so I thought I'd post a few pictures to go along with a few comments.

Here are the much lauded sauces--from L-R, we have Mango-Ginger, Jalapeno, Piri-Piri, Extra-Hot, Tangi-Fruit, and BBQ.

The sauces were phenomenal--complex, with quite a bit of heat. My favourite was definitely the Piri-Piri, followed by the Tangi-fruit (contains pineapple, apple, and banana.) K and the chef both like the Piri-Piri best, and the chef told me his gf eats the Jalapeno sauce by the spoonful! The Jalapeno was surprisingly the most mild of the sauces as its heat is tempered by the buttery avocado.

Both K and I apparenly had really big, late lunches, but we had no trouble polishing off two generously-sized mains and two desserts. Here's the lamb rack. Vancouver mentioned in his first post that it's the best lamb dish that he's had in the city, and I'll have to second that opinion. The flavour was remarkable, and the meat incredibly tender. This dish blows any lamb dish I've had in recent memory clear out of the water. It was, however, a little pricier than the other items on the menu (which avg $10-15). The lamb rack was $35. It came with pressed potatoes, braised red cabbage, and grilled vegetables.

Here's a half order of the cornish game hen. The meat was juicy, and the skin crisp and seasoned. The taste of the chicken on its own came through--this was no bland-tasting, supermarket chicken. The entrees came with a richly flavoured coconut rice.

Blueberries and ice-cream! The chef prepared the blueberry flambe (butter in the pan, then sugar, a tiny dash of black pepper, and a liqueur he makes himself containing Portuguese brandy, caramel, orange, and lemon juice. Another squeeze of fresh citrus finishes the sauce, and then it's poured over the ice-cream.) My friend really liked this dessert.

Here's the caramel flan. The flan was fine...but perhaps not as smooth as I would've liked. I also prefer a darker caramel on my caramel flan--this caramel was a bit one-dimensional for me. I tasted a bit of citrus used to brighten up the caramel, though.

I think Senhor Rooster is offering excellent food at prices that are cheaper than your average chain restaurant. From this visit, I think their strength lies in the piquant sauces and the meats. The desserts were OK, but I could've done without. I enjoyed the little taste of the liqueur he offered us at the end of the meal a lot--it was the same liqueur he uses in the blueberry ice-cream dish.

After our meal, the chef came by our table and we talked about food for over half an hour. He clearly loves what he's doing, and kept us laughing with a bunch of stories about escaping wild boars, a suckling pig that incinerated in an oven in only a few minutes, Portuguese pastries (I told him I love to bake), and his own difficulties with his oven right now. (The oven is to be repaired by Tuesday, and then he's going to do another suckling pig!)

I'll definitely go back. I'm eager to try the more traditional dishes on the menu, like the pork and clams!

ETA: The chef also mentioned that he does his creme brulee on the stovetop. I do mine the regular way--bain marie, in the oven. I have no idea how the custard sets on the stovetop (he was making the whisking motion?), but I'll have to try the creme brulee at Senhor's next time b/c he likes it better when it's done with this method.

Edited January 8, 2006 by Ling (log)

[snacky_cat]

I *knew* there was avocado in that jalapeno sauce. It explains why I, too, have developed a fondness for eating it by the spoonful. The piri-piri is probably my favourite, though. We keep a bottle of it at home now and I've had a few dinners in the last week which involved thawing half a bag of frozen prawns, coating them in piri-piri, and transferring them to my mouth in heaping spoonfulls.

I decided after our last visit that I was going to bake Daniel some treats - I found a great Portugese custard tart recipe that I want to try out.

Man, I bet he loves all the business the internet is bringing him. First a steady stream of eGulleters, and now it's going to be pretty girls bringing him pastries. Lucky, lucky Daniel.

[quattroporte]

It was great to finally meet my first eGulleter: Ling! (the camera gave you away!) And your friend was correct - I think you are somewhat of a celebrity in this Forum!

We decided, rather last moment, to try out Senhor Rooster last night, kids and all. I had the grilled cornish game hen (whole), as did Mr. Q. and the kids split a rack of BBQ ribs and fries. All of the food was delicious, especially the hens: these were some serious-seasoned, juicy and LARGE birds. We thoroughly enjoyed them, although I couldn't finish even half of mine. The ribs, on the other hand, were a little well-done, but the kids enjoyed them nonetheless.

We split an order of patatas bravas as our side - they were nothing like the ones I've had before at La Bodega - these were potato wedges, tossed in a tangle of sauteed onions and a sweet/spicy bbq-flavoured sauce. One word: Addictive.

The only negative of the evening was the rather long wait for the entrees. Perhaps that was because we were really hungry when we arrived, but we clocked it at close to 45 minutes. The Chef apologized and explained that the delay was because of the size of the hens - these ones were extraordinarily large!! Once we dug in, though, we decided it was worth the wait - and we would definitely order the game hens again. We saw other people trying the lamb, and it looked delicious. Sadly, we were too full to tackle dessert.

I agree with Snacky - this site is probably bringing him tons of business! Good food, very reasonable prices (2 whole hens, 1 rack of ribs, (both came with potatoes and salads) 2 glasses of wine, 1 pop - $58.00!) Good food, good value - gotta like that!

[Zucchini Mama]

After our meal, the chef came by our table and we talked about food for over half an hour. He clearly loves what he's doing, and kept us laughing with a bunch of stories about escaping wild boars, a suckling pig that incinerated in an oven in only a few minutes, Portuguese pastries (I told him I love to bake), and his own difficulties with his oven right now. (The oven is to be repaired by Tuesday, and then he's going to do another suckling pig!)

I'll definitely go back. I'm eager to try the more traditional dishes on the menu, like the pork and clams!

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My question is how do you know when he's going to do the suckling pig? Does he shine a light up in the sky like the Batman Signal?

Zuke

[frogprincess]

My question is how do you know when he's going to do the suckling pig? Does he shine a light up in the sky like the Batman Signal?

Zuke

Give him a call : 0 )

He has voice mail and I am sure that if you left a message he'd call you back.