Pack It On

I have been going to Pho Linh at College and Dufferin since it re-opened. On Friday, I decided to try another long-time business there: a Portuguese restaurant called Ilhas de Bruma. There was a Vietnamese night club in the same building but Bruma has been there for more than a decade. It has never offered outdoor seating until the pandemic. After sitting down, I ordered a Caldo Verde soup ($4.00) and a Bife de Cortador ($27.50) from the daily special.

When the waitstaff brought out the soft bread, whipped butter, and salted olives, it reminded me of defunct restaurant Porta Nova. The server, with her hesitant English, also felt familiar. I wondered if she was also here on a work visa? I ordered the Caldo because I haven't eaten collard green regularly since African Palace replaced it with spinach for their platter. It was an all right soup. The veggie didn't impart much flavour and the chorizo was good but was on the tough side. I was spitting out gristle with every bite.

These Portuguese restaurants usually offer large portions. So I wasn't entirely surprised when my steak came out. It was a large cut and along with a pile of fries and sauteed green beans, broccoli, and carrot, my entree was quite a lot of food. The greens were cooked into British food territory but still edible. The meat was tender and soft. Instead of ketchup, the fries tasted great mixed into the steak sauce. Given the portion size, I can't imagine what eating their Rodizio (all-you-can-eat) meal ($55) on the week-end would be like.