CombatCritic's TravelValue™: Ria Formosa

Showing posts with label Ria Formosa. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 13, 2023

Olhão (Faro), Portugal: Playa - Mediocre Service, Overpriced Food , and Small Portions Left Me Unimpressed ... FOOAH!

Playa (Mexican)

Avenida 5 de Outubro

Marina Ria Center

8700-408 Olhão Portugal

+351 289 705 254

eqrplaya.pt/en

Prices: €€€€

MENUS BELOW

A new Mexican restaurant in Olhão, the second in town (Hola Torito being the other), I was excited to give it a try ... HOOAH!

The macho-man server who greeted us, rather, who made me feel rather unwelcome, failed to impress and that was, unfortunately, a sign of things to come.

Spicy Playa Margarita €22

The server mentioned earlier, who turned out to be our waiter, was equally as unimpressive in this role, unfriendly and obviously very impressed with himself. He seemed more eager to chat with his buddies than pay attention to us, so there you have it.

Guacamole €6.90

Carnitas Quesadilla €9.90

Shrimp Quesadilla €10.50

The Spicy Playa Margarita - pitcher €22 - tasted very little like a margarita and had minimal alcohol, but the 'spicy' designation was spot-on. The four of us shared an order of Totopos with 2 Salsas (Chips and Salsa - €3.90) and a Guacamole (€6.90). The chips were homemade and pretty good, the salsas tasty, and the guac not bad, although €4 for a few chips, a little salsa, and no refills was not a great value.

Beef Tacos €9.90

We decided to order several dishes to share, a Carnitas Quesadilla (€9.90), a Roast Beef Burrito (€12.90), and Roasted Beef Tacos (€9.90) and that is exactly what we got. There were no side dishes, no rice and beans, no nothing, just a quesadilla, a burrito, and two tacos. There weren't even side dishes on the menu ... FOOAH!

Beef Burrito €12.90

The scenery, on the other hand, was spectacular with views of the Ria Formosa, sailboats, and the barrier islands from the outdoor terrace.

Don't expect endless chips and salsa and ample food on the plate. like we are used to in the USA, so one entree is hardly enough to satiate. The food was decent, but for the quoted prices - €5 a pop for a taco for example - Playa is not a great TravelValue and the service was unimpressive. I do not see us returning here any time soon because Hola Torito is a much better value and their food is better and more plentiful, besides, I can make better Mexican food at home for far less.

CombatCritic Gives Playa 4 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Four Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "Bend Over, Here It Comes Again"

Wednesday, July 26, 2023

Olhão (Faro), Portugal: Great Thai Curry and Fair Prices on the Ria Formosa

Fasian Ya (Asian Fusion)

Marina Ria Center

Avenida 5 de Outubro Porto De Recreio De Olhão, Loja 8,

Olhão 8700-304 Portugal

+351 914 981 001

FasianYa.pt

Prices: €€€€

We have been wanting to try Fasian Ya, a relatively new Asian-Fusion restaurant, in the Ria Marina Center for quite some time, and I am glad we did. They have a very good selection of Thai, Japanese, Chinese, and Sushi dishes, but we stuck with Thai because it is one of our favorites.

We started with the fried Pork Gyozas (4 for €8.50), coming with a simple soy sauce with sesame seeds, and an order of Dim Sum (6 for €9.95). The gyozas were very good, but, for the price, six pieces would have been more appropriate than just four. The dim sum were nicely presented, but we were told there would be three shrimp and three vegetarian, so we were a bit surprised when all six had tiny, very tiny, shrimp on top and they all tasted the same, like shrimp - vegetarians and vegans beware.

It was our anniversary and my wonderful wife ordered the Pad Thai (Vegan . €15.50). It was a decent portion, but lacked flavor, rather bland except for the pile of chili flakes in one corner. I had the Red Thai Curry (chicken - €16.50) and it was absolutely delicious, coming with sliced zucchini, mushrooms, baby corn, and carrots as well as a side of Thai rice. It was one of the better curries I have had in a long time, although, I would have preferred beef, a more traditional protein for a red curry, but was told that shrimp, chicken, and vegetarian were the only options. Beside the beef, a few slices of bell pepper, potato and onion would have been wonderful.

The atmosphere is very nice with the Ria Formosa just across the plaza and the service was excellent, a bit of a rarity in Portugal The prices are also fairly reasonable, but, by Portuguese standards, a little on the high side, although, Bamboo, upstairs, makes these prices seem like a trip to McDonalds.

The view of the Ria Formosa was fantastic and the surroundings very pleasant. The service was very good and our server, Mafalda, was very pleasant, kind, and efficient. The other staff were great too, except for management, who refuse to offer or substitute beef for the shrimp, chicken, or veggies in their Thai curries. They offer beef in their Yakisoba, but refuse to offer beef, especially in a red curry, which calls for beef, not chicken, shrimp, or just veggies. BUMMER!

Even though management refused to take a customer's wishes seriously, it was a very enjoyable meal and a decent value at the western end of Olhão's restaurant row ... HOOAH!