Roast for Lunch: Delicious, Practical, and Full of Flavor

Source: Travel Magg

“Where there’s smoke, there’s Roast.” The motto of the restaurant led by Chef Carla Oliveira is taken seriously on the menu. The rotisserie is the foundation of the dishes, and chicken is the star of the menu, although comforting, crowd-pleasing home-style cooking is also one of the restaurant’s great strengths.

Located in an office district and integrated into the Holiday Inn Express Porto building, with its own independent entrance, Roast is one of those hotel restaurants that has managed to win over a loyal clientele beyond hotel guests — as we were able to confirm during a busy lunch hour.

We started with a cod and chickpea salad (€6), available only at dinner, but which we tried on the team’s recommendation. It was one of the most incredible salads we’ve ever had, full of texture and beautifully seasoned. The ROAST croquettes (€4), also from the dinner menu, were equally delicious.

The lunch menu is intentionally simple and affordable, with limited choices so no one spends minutes trying to decide. Main dishes start at €9.50, and for €10.50, it is possible to choose a protein cooked in the rotisserie. The chicken is frankly wonderful. The merendinha pork rib with coleslaw was also satisfying, but the dish that surprised us the most was Our Mushroom Rice: packed with umami and with a slightly smoky flavor from being finished in the rotisserie, it combines the intensity of the mushrooms with the crunch of toasted rice. We’d order it again.

Sure, dessert is not something to eat every day, but our mission at Roast was to try it so we could tell you what’s good. And if you like chocolate, the chocobrownie (€2) is unmissable. For those who prefer more exotic desserts with less sugar, there is the option that made us fans of Roast: roasted pineapple with spices (€3.50). Available only on the dinner menu, this dessert is elegant, full of flavor, and light. We were won over.

Raised in a convent school, Carla Oliveira developed a love of cooking from an early age. She began her academic path intending to become a doctor, but quickly realized that the kitchen was her true calling. “I went to hotel school, studied culinary arts, but as a mother, I stayed closer to home. I left the kitchen, worked in logistics, and then I was invited by the chef at Porto Palácio to go work there,” recalls the chef from Póvoa.

She went on to work at several hotels before arriving at Roast. “The food is the kind I like to make, more home-style,” she admits. “The rotisserie ends up being like a grill but without fire, and the cooking process takes longer. The food gets that smoky flavor, which was also new to me,” she explains. Proudly, she says that since arriving at the restaurant, she has managed to win over loyal lunch customers.