CombatCritic's TravelValue™: January 2023

CombatCritic™ ... World traveler - 42 countries and counting; Military Leader - Four combat operations; Amateur chef; Published author and producer - over 4 million visitors on seven platforms! Yelp "Black" Elite '14/'15/ '16/ '17/ '18/ '19 / '20/ '21/ '22 / '23 / '24; TripAdvisor ¨Local Guide¨, Zomato "VERIFIED CONNOISSEUR"; Booking.com "GENIUS"; and Foursquare "INSIDER". On the Front Lines in the Battle Against Mediocrity - Follow Me To TravelValue™ ... That's A Freakin' Order!

Saturday, January 14, 2023

Olhão, Portugal: U mi Goodness, Delicious All You Can Eat Sushi and Japanese for €17 ... HOOAH!

Umi Sushi (Japanese, Sushi)

R. Vasco da Gama, 8700-522 Olhão

Hours: 11 AM to 3 PM ⋅ 6 PM to 11 PM Daily

Phone: 289 153 829

Prices: €€€€

All you can eat sushi, sashimi, tempura, noodles, egg rolls, and meat in Old Town Olhão ... HOOAH!

This place has not been there very long, so I was surprised when I saw it - bright, clean, and modern inside, the space is inviting. Walking by with our friends from Tavira, they informed us that this is an all-you-can-eat restaurant, just like the one in Tavira. You pay €16.90 Monday to Thursday and €17.90 Friday through Sunday, lunch is only €13.90, quite a TravelValue!

Egg Rolls and Gyosa

You can order anything on the menu, as much as you want, but there is a surcharge for excess waste, which was not a problem for us. The portions are not large, for example, you get only two small, thin egg rolls. You write the numbers corresponding to each dish or drink on a small piece of paper and hand it to the server. The food arrives very quickly.

They have a full bar and prices are fair, €2 for a bottle of Super Bock and €4 for a glass of wine. The bottles of wine are not expensive and they have a nice range of soft drinks, juices, tea, coffee, and cocktails.

Shrimp Tempura

We started with the Espetadas do Frango (chicken skewers), Gyosa (pork dumplings), and Camarão Panado (breaded shrimp). The chicken was very dry, but the gyosa and shrimp were very good.

For our mains, we had California Rolls, Avocado Gunkan (seaweed cones with salmon, mango, and avocado), Noodles de Carne de Vaca (beef noodles), Noodles Vegetariano (veggie noodles), Tempura de Gambas, Cogumelos Salteados (stir fry mushrooms), and Carne de vaca Grelhada (grilled beef). Everything was delicious, but there was not much beef in the beef noodles, so I would recommend getting the beef noodles and grilled beef, then mixing them together.

California Rolls, Avocado Gunkan

Beef Stir fry

Stir fry Mushrooms

Veggie Noodles

For dessert, we had two fried bananas, one with chocolate and one with caramel. I would not order them again as the were not very sweet and had an odd aftertaste.

CombatCritic Gives Umi Sushi 7 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Seven Bombs Equates To

Translation for Civilians: "Shits & Grins"

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Friday, January 6, 2023

Olhão, Faro, Portugal: Olhão's Very First French Restaurant ... HOOAH!

Chez Henriette French Cafe

Urbani Zacao Village Marina Lt 23 A Lj A

Olhao 8700-240 Portugal

Phone: +33 633 482 289

Facebook.com/ChezHenriette

Prices: €€€€

Finally, a French restaurant in Olhão ... HOOAH!

I had no idea there were several new restaurants at the west end of restaurant row along the Ria Formosa and adjacent to the marina, so when I heard about Chez Henriette, I contacted the owner, Fanny (get your minds out of the gutter Brits), post haste.

They do not have a website, something I do not understand in this day and age, and, like many Portuguese restaurants, use a Facebook page instead. What about those customers who do not want a Facebook page? It was not easy to find their page, but I eventually located it by asking Fanny. The also really need to get a Portuguese phone number so customers do not have to make an international call or download WhatsApp in order to call them.

The menu consists of just three Specials daily, no starters, no soups and just one dessert by the time we got there, but their drinks menu is abundant with option, although there were only three choices of vinho tinto (red wine). THe prices for drinks and food are very fair, just €2.75 for the most expensive glass of red. It was not bad.

I ordered the special, chicken, gravy and vegetables in a potato puree casserole (€10). There were more potatoes than chicken, but it was very tasty and a decent value for the price, coming with a small, simple, fresh side salad.

My wife had the leeks with ham and vegetables special covered with a bechamel sauce, then baked in the oven, also just €10, but it did not come with a salad for some reason. She likes cooked carrots, I do not, and there were many of them topped with leeks and rolled ham, so I had made the right choice. It was very good, sans carrots in my taste, and my wife enjoyed it as well.

I understand that it is favorable and cost effective to do a few things well instead of having an enormous menu, but it would be nice if they would expand the menu just a bit. A couple of starters would be nice, especially escargot, my favorite, along with some crusty bread and french onion soup perhaps. A small selection of desserts and a few more wine options would also be ideal.

For the price, we had a very good meal, leaving satiated, not gorged and enjoyed the colorful, eclectic surroundings as well as Fanny's excellent service and sweet demeanor. We shall return!

CombatCritic Gives Chez Henriette 7 Bombs Out Of 10 With A Little Room For Improvement ... More Bombs Are Better!

Seven Bombs Equates To

Translation for Civilians: "Shits & Grins"

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Faro, Portugal; Great Expectations, Oustanding View, But A Disappointing Breakfast Buffet

Saturday, January 14, 2023

Olhão, Portugal: U mi Goodness, Delicious All You Can Eat Sushi and Japanese for €17 ... HOOAH!

Friday, January 6, 2023

Olhão, Faro, Portugal: Olhão's Very First French Restaurant ... HOOAH!

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