When I first started ImmigrantFoodie, I set my sights on the diners, drive-ins, and dives the average Lisbon food critic walks right past: Too much time is spent spotlighting restaurants in Principe Real and other heavily trafficked neighborhoods.
As such, discovering Benja Cantina (after a follower tipped me off about its existence) was the “eureka!” moment I had been chasing: A humble Chinese eatery that lets the food speak for itself. The eponymous Benja is literally a young guy who really knows how to man a wok. His food is phenomenal, and if word-of-mouth wouldn’t keep his business alive, you’d never know to go into this random side street near Campo Pequeno.
It’s the closest you’ll get to experiencing “Chinese street food” inside of a relaxed business, and has become a lunchtime favorite of mine ever since I discovered it.
O jornalismo que a Mensagem de Lisboa faz une comunidades,
conta histórias que ninguém conta e muda vidas.
Dantes pagava-se com publicidade,
mas isso agora é terreno das grandes plataformas.
Se gosta do que fazemos e acha que é importante,
se quer fazer parte desta comunidade cada vez maior,
apoie-nos com a sua contribuição: