I was back in Amsterdam for some meetings. We went out for dinner and we headed off to ARCA. Portuguese chef Henrique Sá Pessoa who has two Michelin stars in Lisbon, opened ARCA Amsterdam in 2021 on Martelaarsgracht, close to Amsterdam Central Station.
Inside was elegant decor and some odd looking sculptures. As we congregated we had a drink in the bar. Once we were all there we were shown to our table. The place was full and busy.
There was a really interesting menu, and to be honest I probably could have ordered anything (or everything) off the menu.
For my starter I had the carpaccio de lírio. This was yellowtail carpaccio, Portuguese ‘caponata’ and pickled pearl onion.
Now I did think this was going to be yellowfin tuna, but yellowtail is a different kind of fish. This was a fusion dish of Japanese style yellowtail slices with a Portuguese twist with the caponata. I had heard of caponata, but couldn’t remember exactly what it was. This version was aubergine, pepper, tomato, and onion. This was a delicious plate of food. The thin slices of fish were tasty and the caponata added sharpness and flavour.
For my main course I had the presa Ibérica. This was Iberian pork presa, “Bolhão Pato” purée, and seasonal clams.
I chose the pork as I have a fondness for Iberian pork.
The Presa Ibérica (Iberico dam) is one of the most prized cuts in restaurants. It is also known as the “caviar” of the pig. It is in the front of the animal, between the spine and the shoulder. It is a muscle that the animal exercises a lot yet the infiltrated fat makes it very juicy.
Alongside the pork was some lovely smooth potato purée. The dish was dressed with green beans, puffed rice, clams, and a tasty sauce.
The pork was cooked perfectly, there was a lovely char on the outside of the portion of pork, the pork was tender and full of flavour. I really enjoyed every mouthful and cleared my plate.
Two of our party went with the polvo à lagareiro, this was roasted octopus, mashed sweet potato, and piquillo peppers.
This looked amazing and was assured it was delicious.
Overall this was a fantastic meal and I really enjoyed it. The service was excellent, friendly and efficient.