Is the Holiday over? A Foodstrip Story

joytothew0rld (34)in #food • 7 years ago (edited)

We all know how everyone talks about travel, vacation, visiting home, shopping and parties during the Christmas Holidays. It is easy to say that it is the most awaited and celebrated event next to our birthdays (atleast for people below 30 years old?)

But in few days, the lights from the lanterns and the lantern itself will be taken down. The arrival of the 3 kings will officially end the Holiday season. Much to the sadness of the majority of working men, women and students. As fast as it will end, it is not yet the end.

The giant christmas tree in Everland, Korea

Today, we decided to roam around the town. As everything was still close, we ended up inside a simple restaurant overlooking the Madeira river. It is not the most glorious river you expect to see. Covered with mud and clay from the mountain, the river has turned to a chocolate color. But even so, I can't help but be mesmerized by its vastness. It is so wide, the people here even consider it their sea embedded with golds. Yes, you can scoop bits of golds from here.

The Madeira river seen from Caravela do Madeira Restaurant

The restaurant was half-full when we arrived. There are still a lot of christmas decors around. We chose a sit overlooking the river. I consider the food here a bit expensive if you are coming alone. Because most of their servings are good enough for atleast two people.

Busy day for the restaurant

We ordered an appetizer of shrimp in garlic and olive oil (camarao com alho e oleo) and Pirarucu in Brazilian nuts milk for the main dish. For anyone who is not familiar with this fish, it is a fresh water fish mostly found in the Amazonian river. I personally only heard and eaten this fish here. And I would say that it is a high-end fish whose taste is comparable to chicken. I know because I even tried using this fish as replacement to chicken several times. Anyway, for the juice, we ordered a pitcher of cupuaçu. Funny because I initially thought that it is a beer. But actually it is a fruit related to cacao and is common in the Amazon.

I am bias because for me, anything with garlic is delicious. Though the serving is a bit disappointing considering the price of this appetizer

This is not only full of sauce, there's a lot of pirarucu under. We couldn't even finish the whole plate

Pirarucu fresh from the river: photo grab from Guilherme Manzione Instagram.

Overall, we paid 187 reais or 58 in dollars and 2,888 in philippine pesos. It is quite expensive, I know. But as we don't always go here, I think it is fine.

Pirarucu in Brazilian nuts - 84 reais/ 26 dollars/ 1,296 php
Shrimp in garlic & olive oil - 48 reais/ 14.86 dollars/ 740 php
Cupuaçu pitcher - 38 reais/ 11.79 dollars/ 586.60 php
Service charge - 17 reais/ 5.26 dollars/ 262.49 php

The restaurant inside and out