Portuguese eatery O'Braseiro in Joburg ticks all the right boxes

Love Portuguese food and looking for a new spot to try in Johannesburg?

Well, a tip from a listener about 'the best restaurant in town' led resident chef and food anthropologist Anna Trapido to O'Braseiro in Linksfield on her weekly culinary adventure with Gugs Mhlungu.

While the surroundings may be unprepossessing, the menu and value for money are top-notch, the pair report.

O'Braseiro is located on the first floor of the Linksfield Terrace Centre, just off Linksfield Road, and apparently well worth searching out.

Trapido describes it as a classic mom-and-pop type of Portuguese family eatery, in the best sense of the term.

"The interior's not fancy, but it has floor-to-ceiling windows looking out at the Linksfield Ridge... plain furniture, friendly service, solid ingredients that people cook well - it's a jolly nice, very unpretentious place."

The menu itself she says is magnificent, from mains to desserts:

"There are all the things you'd expect. It's mostly Portuguese from Portugal-type food with a little bit of Portuguese diaspora - like from Mozambique and Angola, on the side."

"There's flaming chorizo sausage and pork and bean stew; but there's also salt cod, calamari and grilled sardines and of course prawns galore, along with great crisp chips and vinegary salads. And the pudding menu is a page long!"

Trapido enjoyed her choice of the crab curry, which she says was a a proper Mozambican gentle aromatic dish (accompanied by hefty pliers to ensure extracting every last bit of meat).

She also highlights the very competitive pricing - her curry was priced at R190 and Mhlungu's oxtail cost R200.

"I do not know where you can find a crab curry for that price. And the oxtail - the Friday special of the day - was about R100 less than most oxtail in most cities."
Diners are supplied with bibs, suggesting that these restaurateurs just know you're really going to enjoy your food in a very tactile way, Trapido goes on.

She recommends booking, not only because the restaurant is popular, but because the owner's telephone manner is so special.

"She is the sweetest Portuguese older lady, you feel so loved. You know this is going to be a lovely place long before you get there."

To listen to Anna Trapido in conversation with Gugs Mhlungu on 702's Weekend Breakfast, click on the audio link below: