Moderno’s comfort food transports diners to a happier place
Portuguese restaurant in Cambridge attracts customers from across the region and beyond
There’s no easy, direct English translation for the Portuguese word “saudade.”
Look it up, and you’ll read words like “yearning” and “melancholy.” But the best description I’ve heard is it’s a bittersweet recollection of a moment of happiness mixed with a hope that will be experienced again.
Whether through homesickness, change, or dancing another round of the lockdown hokey-pokey, “saudade” is something many of us have experienced at some point.
Food can, temporarily, return us to those happier times. That’s why it’s called comfort food. For about 20 years, Cambridge’s Moderno Bistro’s olive oil-laced hearty dishes and char-tinged plates have transported diners to days of family tables, sunny vineyards, or seaside days.
Since Andy Borges purchased Moderno 15 years ago, he’s focused on sharing the flavours of his youth with the wider community. “It was to be known as a Canadian restaurant in Cambridge that sold Portuguese cuisine to everybody,” says Borges. “That was very important for me and it still is, to get it out there to everybody else.”
Centuries ago, the Portuguese introduced tempura to Japan, tea to England, and tingly chilies to Asia, but today many only know crusty, soft-crumbed rolls, creamy pastéis de nata, and smoky piri-piri chicken. Rooted in rural traditions, the cuisine melds Mediterranean bread, olive oil and wine, Atlantic seafood, and ingredients such as cinnamon, tomatoes, and vanilla from their former colonies.
Being one of a handful of Portuguese restaurants between Mississauga and London with full dinner service, it’s these flavours that attract a broad swath of customers from the region and beyond. When the first lockdown descended, their clients made sure Borges knew they’d do their best to support the restaurant.
“Almost immediately, people reached out to let us know that they had our backs. It meant a lot for us,” Borges says. “We have a pretty good clientele base and a lot of people who love Moderno. We’re very fortunate to have those people.”
At the time, Borges decided to be positive. “I knew very quickly if I was going to moan and groan about what I was losing, and not concentrate on what I could do, things could be pretty dangerous … It just made more sense to concentrate on what we’re able to control.”
The pared-down menu mixes traditional foods, such as the popular bife a casa and shrimp puffs, with twists such as the Moderno poutine and the chickana (a bifana, made with chicken instead of pork).
Fish Fridays expand on their usual seafood options, often with dishes such as grilled sardines or octopus stew made with potato and red wine. They’ve introduced family dinner packs, available through Skip the Dishes. Each offers two sides with a choice of fish, piri-piri chicken, or chicken-chouriço penne.
I couldn’t resist adding a bifana ($8) to our dinner order. Its classic flavours with an additional zing of heat, tucked into a soft bun from DiPietro’s, doesn’t disappoint. Tender pork is marinated in wine, garlic and bay, topped with caramelized onions and pickled hot peppers. It’s a hearty lunch with caldo verde ($5) — a potato thickened kale soup with fat, smoky chouriço coins. Balanced by the tartar sauce’s sweetness, the well-seasoned cod cakes ($6) are pillowy soft croquettes made from potato, bacalao and parsley in a golden crust.
While the cakes are made of rehydrated Atlantic salt cod, lightly charred, fresh, meaty Pacific cod loins are feature in the grilled cod ($24). They’re served with vegetables, sautéed in olive oil, and nicely al dente optional yellow rice. Our other entree, the quarter barbecue chicken dinner ($18) is smoky and wellseasoned. It also came with sautéed vegetables and big, chunky potato wedges. It all ended well with a firm and sweet enough caramel flan ($7), and a rich passion fruit mousse ($6). Tucked in a strip mall on Elgin Street, Moderno is a spot worth seeking out. With tasty, well-made food, you’ll be happy you did.
Dining columns focus on the food available for pickup, takeout and delivery in Waterloo Region, as well as meals taken on patios and in restaurants. They are based on unannounced orders from or visits to the establishments. Restaurants do not pay for any portion of the reviewer’s meal. Jasmine Mangalaseril is on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter as @cardamomaddict.