This Portuguese favourite is still the king of the hill

THE INTRODUCTION

Every Monday morning, Lindy Bartolo phones her supplier and puts in an order for prawns. The supplier gets into his truck and drives to Maputo. By Wednesday he's back and Bartolo's customers at Adega do Monge are all smiles.

That's the only way you can do business in the seafood trade. Keep it fresh and, says Fernando, Bartolo's husband and business partner, make sure the prawns are the proper, fat LM prawns and not the tiny pretenders from India that other restaurants try to pass off as Mozambique prawns.

Adega do Monge - the Monk's Cellar - is the fiercely independent Portuguese restaurant that for 14 years has occupied a lovely old Kensington house with strong Lusophone décor near the summit of Roberts Street. If you stand at the front door, you can just see the top of the Carlton Centre peeking over the hill. The Bartolos, the new owners, took over from veteran restaurateur George Cruz in November.

"It's an established restaurant," says Fernando, "and we have big shoes to fill."

The Bartolos took a sabbatical to Portugal last year to see if there were any traditional dishes they needed to add to the menu. Bartolo says they have the ground pretty well covered. "My family and cousins would feel right at home."

So far, so good. When we arrived for Sunday lunch, the place was packed and we sat in the bar to wait for a table. Booking is a good idea over the weekend and the weekly lunch-time specials - a big draw - mean that it's advisable to call ahead during the week too.

THE PROPOSAL

While steak, pork, grilled chicken with peri-peri sauce, chouriço sausage and espetadas are on the menu, seafood is what Adega do Monge does best. Apart from the LM treats, there are a dozen or so fish offerings, including bacalhau - shredded, salted cod - sole, kabeljou, cod fish à braz with fried onions and chopped potatoes, and, of course, the classic offering of grilled sardines.

THE CONSUMMATION

We started with a platter (R105.50) of chouriço, chicken livers, giblets and calamari. Be warned: the platters are generous and the main event is still to come.

Three platters of LM queen prawns (R247.50 per kilogram), a portion of roast duck (R87.50) and grilled chicken breasts thermidor (R87.50) followed, all served with chips, rice or both. The prawns and duck were found excellent; the chicken thermidor was a little tough and very salty (next time I will heed my own advice and eat fish). Portions were generous and service was quick and friendly. We had to skip pudding.

There is a decent wine list with many Portuguese offerings. They also stock Mozambican beer and it felt right to stick to Laurentina Preta, the dark lager that tastes like summer on the beach at Xai-Xai.

THE CULPRITS

The chefs, Armando Cumaiu and Paula Khoza, do all the hard work. Armando started off as a dishwasher in Bruma Lake, worked as a kitchen hand in various restaurants in Johannesburg and taught himself how to cook. He started grilling at Adega do Monge in 2008. Paula, who is also self-taught, left Mozambique to seek out the better opportunities offered by Johannesburg's restaurants and recently joined the team. "I've been cooking all my life," she says.

THE CONSEQUENCES

The bill for five came to R938, with two bottles of wine.

WHERE IT HAPPENED

Adega do Monge, 32 Roberts Rd, Kensington, tel: 011 614 3041/4, or see www.adegadomonge.co.za.