Portugal Imports

Portugal Imports has been on my Unilocal bookmarks list for the longest time and I finally got to try it when my friend brought me half a dozen as a pick me up snack while studying for finals! He brought me 2 of the Nata, 2 of the Belem, 1 of the Coco, and 1 of the Amendoa. My favorite was the Nata because it tasted like crème brûlée and then the coconut because I’m a sucker for anything coconut flavored. The enjoyed the crust of the Belem because it was nice and flakey. The crusts of the Amendoa and Coco were a little big harder. So glad that I finally got to cross this place off my Unilocal list!

The pastel de nata /​egg tarts are addictive and irrisitable. Just the right amount of sweetness. Custard filling is moist and soft.

Found this place on Unilocal when I was craving something sweet. Nice little spot with friendly staff. Definitely worth a try for something different.

I dropped by here after reading my pal Grace C’s review. Portugal Imports has items like pasteles de nata (egg custard tarts), rosquillas (a portuguese kind of donut), tarte de amendoa (almond tarts), bolinhos de bacalhau (salt cod fritters, or Portuguese hash browns), and malasadas. It is located on Artesia near Pioneer, just off the 91 in Artesia.
Unfortunately, I stopped by on a weekday and they do not offer the latter two items except on the weekends until after 10 am: Boo! I ordered 3 pasteles de nata ($ 1.45/each — egg custard tarts), 3 pasteles de belem ($ 1.45/each — egg custard tarts with sugar), 3 tarte de amendoa ($ 1.45/each — almond tarts), and a bag of rosquillas ($ 4/​for 6). BTW, the Portuguese invented the egg tart. The Chinese and British copied the recipe.
I personally only tried the pasteles de belem, and tarte de amendoa. Both items were very good. The belem was much better than the Chinese «dan that» you’ll find in dim sum places. The custard was silkier and the crust more flaky: 4 Stars. Likewise, the almond tart was moist and you can really taste the almond throughout: 4 Stars. Lastly, my co-​workers ate the rosquillas, and they really liked them. However, they did say the rosquillas are hard, and good dunked in coffee: 4 Stars.
Regarding the ambiance, it is a quaint place. There is a bakery case on your left, and tables & some displays of good on the right. If you walk straight ahead there is a cold case with sausages and frozen items: 4 Stars. The service was just as good, and the person who assisted me was helpful and pleasant: 4 Stars.
I guess I have to break out of my HB bubble, and head up here on the weekends to try the bolinhos and malasadas. I am sure I can stop by here, grab some items and have some Filipino food close by afterwards — LOL!

Portuguese Imports is small & clean, and may be the only store selling Portuguese food stuffs & baked goods in all of Southern California. At least for the baked goods that I have sampled, the Egg Tart may be the crowning touch. This pastry can be called Pastel de Nata or Pastel de Belem in Portugal & Queijada de Nata in the Azores & can be found wherever the Portuguese colonized or settled in. Macau was a former Portuguese colony near another former British colony of Hong Kong which is famous for its Dim Sum/​tea lunches, and lo & behold, there is a pastry called Dan Taht which translates from Chinese Cantonese dialect to «egg tart».
«Pastéis de nata was created before the 18^th century by Catholic monks at the Jerónimos Monastery (Portuguese: Mosteiro dos Jerónimos) in the civil parish of Santa Maria de Belém, in Lisbon. At the time, convents & monasteries used large quantities of egg-​whites for starching of clothes, such as nuns’ habits. It was quite common for monasteries & convents to use the leftover egg yolks to make cakes & pastries, resulting in the proliferation of sweet pastry recipes throughout the country.»
The top of the Nata which generally means a cream filling in Portuguese & in Spanish is baked so hot that the top is brown & caramelized. The Nata itself is moist, thicker than the standard custard but lighter than a NY style cheese cake. It is not too sweet, w/​a sulfur touched egg yolk richness. The outer pastry is a not too thick layer of mille feuille pastry that picks up some of the moisture from the Nata so the crust is slightly moist.
The Quijada de Coco has a similar millefeuille pastry outer layer that stays bone dry since the inner filling is mostly shredded sweetened coconut w/​a center portion of the shredded coconut more moist & unctuous from the folding in w/​condensed milk-​like Nata to the coconut. The end result is that eating the Queijada de Coco leaves one’s mouth dry. It’s great for coconut lovers which I am, but the Queijada de Nata is so much more satisfying in that all the textures, flavours, fragrance work together to create a rich dairy pastel.
Piri Piri hot sauce by Macarico tastes similar to our Tabasco sauce, but is much thicker & viscous w/​a sweeter spice blend that smells more complex than our more monotonal Tabasco. Piri Piri caught my eye since it can mean ‘burn or sting the tongue’ in Japanese. Portuguese explorers had reached Japan by 1542 so the word Piri Piri may have been brought over to Japan from Portugal although some say the origin of the word is from Swahili, an East African language meaning ‘pepper’.
Chourico Caseiro is made from chunks of pork & not thoroughly ground up like most Italian sausages so Chourico Caseiro is meatier w/​a slightly smoky scent. Included are red wine, garlic, pimento paste, pepper, salt, cloves, cumin, hog casing. The sales person mentioned that the sausage tastes better if left out in a cool dry spot for a few days. Excellent meaty, aromatically spicy with meat textures that have a satisfying chaw & spots where you can taste the rich fat.
Cavaquinhas: «The ‘Cavacas’ (Cavaquinhas is the diminutive.) are cookies w/​origins in the ancient Israel circa 650bc, and they were women’s gift to the ‘Queen of Heaven’, the Goddess Ishtar/​Venus/​Aphrodite, to whom they attributed the abundance of agricultural goods, protection against agricultural pests & droughts.
It is believed that Cavaquinhas were chosen for their heavenly appearance because it resembles the „clouds“ for its lightness, shape & covering of powder sugar. These cookies were then called kavvannim & in Hebrew kavouch. The custom of making „Cavaquinhas“ was brought to Portugal by the Phoenicians.
It was later absorbed into Catholicism by the Pope Sergius I in 692ac because of the Church’s inability to stop the pagan customs so he decided to redirect them to Christianity. In Portugal, these cookies are traditionally from the Beira Baixa region, & they are still much associated w/​religious festivals in praise of the Holy Mary whom many say is another manifestation of the Goddess Mother Earth.»
To me they seemed like a hard, dry rough ball of dough covered w/​powdered sugar. You need milk, Vino Santo, etc. to soften the Cavaquinhas.
Overall a nice culinary/​cultural trip to a lesser known culture on the Iberian peninsula. Although rarity is a factor, the Queijada de Nata & Chourico Caseiro will make me come back for more. 4– Unilocal stars.
PS Unilocaler Lady Isobel L. commented that the excellent Espresso here goes well w/​the Queijada de Coco or most other pastries for that matter.

The queijada is basically heaven on a flaky, flavorful crust. The fiancé and I checked out Portugal Imports to find a dessert similar to the dan tat of the Chinese cuisine. Boy did we find a gem! The queijada is creamy, its custard has the consistency of a crème brûlée, and has the perfect level of sweetness. I can devour a dozen of these by myself, no problem. These little beauties are $ 1.25 a pop and $ 15 for a dozen.

Egg tart lovers unite! 5 stars for their egg tarts. Fluffy and flaky at room temperature. Dense and utterly addicting when refrigerated. SO good either way. I always get a dozen and eat a few at room temp while driving home and put the rest in the fridge. And don’t fret, I’m eating in the passenger seat. I don’t eat while I’m driving!
Parking here is a little tight and the place isn’t the easiest to find, but it’s definitely worth the trip if you’re within a dozen miles or so and craving some darn good egg tarts.

$ 1.50 + I’m visiting from Utah and decided to have breakfast in smaller less conventional places. Very nice and clean place. The person attending was very courteous and polite. Me and the wife had the cheese sandwich $ 4.75 and moccachino $ 3.75. The sandwich was just cheese between two slices of bread. There may have been some kind of mayo there, but I’m not sure. I was however indulged with the flavor. It is a hard crumble cheese with interesting flavor. Maybe a spice to it and saltiness. It was a good balance with the bread and the coffee. For the price you have a two halves to share or take on for yourself as a good snack. If you are more into filling your belly, you might want to choose another option. If u want to try some good cheese, this a great option.
Just before leaving I had some of their famous tarts. The coconut is good, but their Nata are great. $ 1.50 each of 12 for $ 15. I personally think it’s worth the price. It’s like a mini crème brule with flaky crust and soft sugar top. Very addicting. I love to support local stores special imports who make treats that are not conventional to the area.
Overall, very good experience, polite, super clean, and decent pricing.

I haven’t been here in a while and I decided to grab some natas. I ordered a dozen and as I was about to pay the worker said it was $ 15. $ 15 for a dozen?! He said they have better packaging now cuz before it was placed in a small pizza like box but now it’s got individual holes. Still doesn’t make up for the fact I’m paying quite a bit for some small pastries.
Sorry Portugal Imports. For what I paid for I could’ve drove down to Portos and bought 2 dozen cheese rolls for a little more. I still love the natas but I won’t be returning anymore since the prices are ridiculous.

We visited Portugal a little over two years ago and fell in love with two things: their coffee and their pastry (specifically Queijadas). We stopped by Portugal Imports for breakfast recently and sampled a little bit of everything.
My husband wanted to take queijadas to brunch for Mother’s Day but I wanted to make sure these were the real deal before we bought several dozen. Well, I guess you could say they are because we walked out with three dozen.
While in the little shop we each had two single shots of espresso, three queijadas, and one malassada. I tried the Belém and Caramel flavors while my husband tried the Laranja, Almond, and Belém. They all took us right back to the little cafés lining the streets of Lisbon. The malassada was a tasty fried treat but it is best enjoyed fresh in the shop. So good.
I don’t know what made him search this place out but I’m loving and cursing my husband all at the same time.

It’s been awhile since I’ve come by the bakery. but the dozen is now $ 15 bucks! The quality seems about the same. but there seems to be a lot more sugar in the treats (or I’m getting old and getting less accustomed to sweet treats).
The best one is the plain custard/​egg tart. followed by the traditional version of such (they have more of a crème brûlée top). the others (coconut and almond) were a bit too sweet for me now.
Still gets high ratings!

Portuguese desserts? Not bad… :)
Nata de Belem (Lisbon-​style Egg Tarts), Caramelo (dark toasted caramel), Queijada de Nata (custard/​egg tarts) were the ones that I sampled — non had disappointed. Sweet in different ways without being overkill. Tasted like little warm hugs. hee hee…

Portugal Imports is like a big warm hug! The people that work here are just super friendly and personable. Plus, the make the best Portuguese custard tarts I’ve ever had. Lucky for us, they still had a selection at 2pm.
When I inquired about the malasadas (Saturday only), the lady helping us pointed to a tray of what looked like flattened malasadas. Apparently they get a lot of customers from Hawaii who inquire about malasadas. It was explained that this is actually the more traditional version. We were even offered a complimentary malasada! What an unexpected surprise. While it wasn’t like the ones I’m used to in Hawaii (Leonard’s or Champions) it was very similar in taste. The flattened version is more sugary (more surface area) and chewier. I can only imagine how yummy they taste fresh from the fryer!
Next time I’m homesick and craving malasadas or Portuguese sausage, I’m heading to Portuguese Imports!

Yummy bakery items are made at Portugal Imports! You will find this treasure in Artesia, CA. Their baked goods taste better than anything we had during our vacation in Portugal.
We have tried just about all of their various tarts. They have the following choices: Queijadas de: Amêndoa (Almond), Caramelo (Caramel), Coco (Coconut), Dona Amelias (Spice cake), Laranja (Orange), Nata (Custard/​Egg Tart), Belem (Lisbon Style Nata).
My two favorites are the Queijada de Nata and the Queijada de Belem. It is cheaper if you purchase a dozen rather than individually. You can mix and match all the tarts which is what we do.
The Queijada de Nata tastes like a sweet tart of heaven! It is the perfect combination of sweetness and flakiness! Their filling tastes like crème brûlée. Some people may find it too sweet, but not me! (5 stars)
Their Queijada de Belem tastes even better than the ones made at the famous Pasteis De Belem in Lisbon, Portugal! Wow! (5 stars)
It is good to know that we do not have to fly all the way to Portugal in order to fill our Portuguese food cravings! I look forward to trying their other traditional Portuguese food here besides desserts.
Their place is also a little market. They have wines and a few other grocery items. They can also have items shipped to your home.
Note that they are closed Sundays and Mondays! Also, it is best to come here in the morning for the most selections! Not much choices left on a Saturday afternoon.
Check out this gem for yourself! Clean shop, friendly service, and delicious food make Portugal Imports a 5 star destination.

I’m from Miami, where there are quite a few Brazilian grocery stores but none authentically Portuguese, so when we visited Southern California we drove all the way here for a taste of Portugal. And we were not disappointed.
The owner Marco is really nice. He’s from the Azores, if I remember correctly. The small store doesn’t have many products, but it does have a selection of Portuguese wine, sardines, and other things. In their freezer are various types of Portuguese style sausages (I say style as, when we got home we found that they are made in the U.S. not imported), feijoada mix, bacalhau and more.
There is a deli section where they have fresh espresso coffee, sandwiches and pastry. I was hoping they offer their sandwich with presunto and Serra cheese, but they don’t have that cheese to make it even if they want to. Which is a shame as I love those Portuguese cheese where you just cut off the top and scope the gooey, slightly stinky inside, and they are very hard.
We tried several of the pastries. We were lucky to get the bolinhos de bacalhau first out of the oven, which was delicious and non-​greasy. The queijada de Belem was a bit disappointing, doesn’t quite capture the greatness of its namesake, and turns out I like the more humbly named queijada de nata better.
The owner said that the Portuguese population in the area has really moved out, so let’s all go and support this beautiful little gem of ethnic diversity!

I was visiting my girlfriend who lives nearby and noticed a Portuguese church. I deduced that with a large congregation of Portuguese there would also be a restaurant or a market that catered to their needs. Some sleuthing via Unilocal led me to Portugal imports where I was very happy to find authentic Portuguese chorizo. It’s still not quite the same quality of the chorizo I had in Portugal but it’s much better than the stuff the neighborhood grocery stores have, which are usually plopped next to Farmer John’s breakfast sausages.
The chorizo here is awesome! I use it for caldo verde and I also found out that it’s great backpacking food. I discovered this when the gentleman owner said the sausage is best if left out a few days to dry. What better way to dry it than toting it around the Sierras in my bear canister for a few days? It works out great! It’s nice to have real food when I’m out trekking about, and Portuguese sausage is totally gourmet status. Whenever I’m going to be out in the woods for a few days I try and make a pit stop here to pick up some sausage and I also can’t resist picking up a nata (Portuguese egg tart) as well. They aren’t as good as the ones I had in Belem but they will do.
Thanks for providing us with yummy Portuguese treats, Portugal Imports!

Portuguese is more than just a language spoken by sexy Brazilian models and crying Brazilian futebol fans. It’s also the language of Portugal and spoken by their sexy models and crying futebol fans. In addition, Portugal is the original home of some of the best Custard Egg Tarts (Queijadas) on the planet. You can find Queijadas at Portugal Imports which is both a tiny Portuguese bakery and small market offering breads, sweets, food, clothing, and merchandise from Portugal.
The Custard Egg Tarts are what lured me to abject Artesia & Portugal Imports. The best (and possibly only) word in Portuguese that I know to describe them is … GOOOOOOOOOL!
* Queijada de Amêndoa (Almond) — Sweet and nutty, but a little dry
* Queijada de Caramelo (Caramel) — Toasted Caramel almost like toffee
* Queijada de Coco (Coconut) — Coco-​coco-​coconuty!
* Queijada de Dona Amelias (Spice cake) — Didn’t try this one :(fail
* Queijada de Laranja (Orange) — Wow, a new discovery that I love
* Queijada de Nata (Custard/​Egg Tart) — Classic and so creamy
* Queijada de Belem (Lisbon-​style Nata) — My favorite! Toasted!
You can purchase each Custard Egg Tart separately, but, when they’re $ 12 for a dozen, well, then I’m gettin’ a dozen. The Queijadas are small dense tartlets full of creamy custard in a flaky shell … and totally yummy. Definitely get the Laranja, Nata, and Belem flavors, but feel free to experiment with the others.
Portugal Imports is closed Sunday & Monday, but open until 5:00 pm other days except Saturday (4:00 pm). It sells many other Portuguese bakery treats than the Queijadas, so, I hope to find another excuse to come and try even more sexy and cool discoveries from Portugal.

Obrigado, Portugal Imports! (Thanks)
Obrigado for killing my diet! I was doing so good! I’ve been losing a few pounds, looking nice & svelte, wearing clothes to show off my banging figure, getting glances from the cougars & soccer moms — just to revert back to square 1 because of these tasty SOB’s
I think this could get dangerous…
My buddy, Steve, informed me about Portugal Imports, located next to Julio’s Pizzeria on Artesia Blvd. I’ve passed by billions of times, never thinking of stopping in. I’m so glad I finally had the chance to explore a local treasure.
Tarts! Tarts! Get the bloody tarts!
The egg tarts are flaky, creamy, delicious & cheap! Just the right amount of sweetness, w/​o being overpowering. I’m currently going through all the other assorted flavors, each one a treat to the culinary senses.
Need a caffeine boost? Portugal Imports sells fresh brewed coffee to perk you up.
Looking for something savory? Portugal Imports also sells sandwiches, cheese & meats such as linguica & salted cod.
For thosing looking for Portuguese products, there is a small grocery area to purchase a limited selection of goods.
Only 2 small tables to dine inside, so I recommend taking out or having a tailgate party.
Portugal Imports, I’m a big fan! Your delectable pastries are like mini rainbows in my mouth. People can keep their fancy $ 5 cupcakes! Just give me your egg tarts & I’ll be a happy camper! I can’t wait to wolf down a linguica sandwich, perhaps washing it down with a double shot of espresso. My hemoglobin A1C will hate me, but I’ll be back for sure!
Highly recommend!
NOMNOMNOMNOMNOMNOMNOMNOMNOMNOM

Hey, Portugal Imports!
All I want from you is to see you tomorrow and tomorrow
Your nata has made an imprint on my heart
Little cups of luscious bliss! I feel sorrow
When for more than a few weeks your nata and I are apart!
One of the best pastries I’ve ever had in my life
Ooh…I just can’t wait to go again and eat them
It’s not only me that loves them; so does my wife
Oh…how she loves them
It’s like Chinese dim sum dan tat, but with less egg, more cream delight
Ooh…the drive is worth it
I don’t act like it’s a bad thing to fall in love with you
I have to moderate myself and not eat so many, it’s true
I’m gonna spend a lot of time and my money at this store on this delicacy
So I’m not gonna act like it’s a bad thing if I buy more than twenty
It’s not a bad thing to fall in love with nata like me!
Imagine crème brulee nestled in a flaky tart
And the crust so buttery and light when you bite in it just falls apart
It’s not too «egg-​y», and it’s not too sugary sweet
The birds of my heart just twitter, they flutter, flap, and tweet
The best new bite discovery I’ve had so far this year
Ooh…so delightful
Their other pastries are good there too, but I wanna make it clear
The nata is best, I want another bite full
It’s like Chinese dim sum dan tat, but with less egg, more cream delight
Ooh…the drive is worth it
I don’t act like it’s a bad thing to fall in love with you
I have to moderate myself and not eat so many, it’s true
I’m gonna spend a lot of time and my money at this store on this delicacy
So I’m not gonna act like it’s a bad thing if I buy more than twenty
It’s not a bad thing to fall in love with nata like me!
Shout out to Steve S and Joseph A for their recent reviews of the place that spurred me to go.

ATTENTION! ALL CUSTARD AND CREME BRULEE LOVERS! Unilocal Service Announcement: NATAS are addicting and upon tasting, you grab more with one in each hand, eating in bliss, laughing, and saying «It’s so effin good!», «life is beautiful!», «where have you been all my life!». I love this stuff!
What is a Nata? Nata is a mini pie composed of a buttery flakey crust and crème brulee like custard. It’s similar to that of the Chinese egg custard pies but creamier and not too sweet. The custard consistency isn’t stiff nor too soft. It stand up on it’s own.
I love egg custard whether it’s the Chinese or Filipino version. Many nationalities have their own version of a custard pie. In my opinion, they’re about to get dethroned by the Portuguese version! My sister asked her in-​laws to buy a dozen or so of these natas for my niece’s birthday party. I’m guilty of eating almost half of what was out there. Sorry sis, I owe you a dozen. I’m not embarrassed about it either! They were so damn good!
The Pie Hole in the Artist District has a maple custard pie. Taste similar but served as a slice, different crust and overly sweet. Portugal Imports makes a great custard pie that’s well balanced.
Looks like I’m going to have to force myself to drive down to Artesia when I’m craving one of these natas or look for a place that has these closer to LA.
Find me here next time with one in each hand and a grin on my face in abundant joy!
Thanks for your attention!