Ham, cheese,
mortadella, sausage,
steak,
egg.
All smothered in a tangy tomato sauce.
This is the Francesinha.
And walk into any restaurant or café
in Porto, Portugal, and you're likely
to see it on the menu.
Francesinha in Portuguese means "little French lady."
So, how did it become a local sensation?
Today, every Porto café has a slightly different take
on the Francesinha, but locals have a favorite:
Café Santiago.
Customer: My hotel specifically recommended
to come here, to Café Santiago.
They said it is the best Francesinha
and to try it if we wanted local food.
There's so many different flavors throughout.
Looks a little overwhelming,
but once you cut into it, it's perfect.
Narrator: Café Santiago has three locations,
one busier than the others.
Narrator: The restaurant prepares at least
500 foundations every day before they start taking orders.
The grill looks like an industrial production line,
and it all happens in front of the customers.
First, the foundations are placed on the grill,
followed by thin pieces of steak
topped with slices of ham and cheese.
Finally, a second slice of bread is put on top,
followed by a sunny-side-up egg.
Everything is wrapped in cheese
that has a special semicircular cut
to perfectly accommodate the egg.
At Café Santiago, the sauce recipe
is a family secret guarded by Rui Pereira's mom, Isabel.
She personally prepares it every morning
in the same kitchen to guarantee
it will taste the same in the three different locations.
A blend of alcoholic beverages is the essence.
Narrator: This group loved the sauce.
They were worried about something else, though.
Customer: How many calories does it have?
I am curious to know it.
Customer: It was delicious, amazing, perfect.