I never thought I had enough material to write a short blog on food at São Paulo. Most food at Brazil seem to come laden with butter and cheese. For me, learning the words "no butter, no cheese" in Portuguese has become an important survival skill if I were to eat anything suitable for my palate. In fact it is easier to pass off my dislike for butter and cheese as an allergy rather than appearing as a fussy eater. Another thing about Brazilian food: the high salt content, in fish, in meat, and especially in their national fish the feijoada.
My first introduction to churrascaria was at Fogo de Chão, an upscale Brazilian steakhouse. The price per person was BRL 130 (£43) plus 10% service charge (not optional). It was an overrated experience, since there was absolutely nothing special about the meat. The fun bit was flipping the chip from green to red when I needed more time to chew the rather tough meat. The only saving grace was the salad counter. But one does not visit a steakhouse to enjoy the salad counter. The diners at the next table had a whale of a time: they seemed to have the stomach of a whale and were stuffing themselves full at this all-you-can-eat joint.
Then one day a colleague took us to a local restaurant near the Portuguesa-Tietê station where food was sold by weight, and it changed my view of the Brazilian steakhouse. For a mere 15 BRL (£3), I had a plate of tasty chicken, fish, a few pieces of sausages, and some hot vegetables. My plate was not big enough for the grilled meats so I passed on the opportunity.
Brazil of course has her own street food. These are fried bar snacks, to be paired with ice cold beer or in my case, suco de manga. There are pastéis - deep-friend parcels of crisp pastry with melting cheese, or minced beef, or creamy palm heart, or crunchy batons of manioc, bolinhos ("little balls") often made with salt cod. My favourite is the coxinha ("little thigh") with shredded chicken and potato pureed, shaped like a (very voluptuous) thigh and covered in golden breadcrumbs. But unavoidably, some of them came with cheese, which I had to diligently scrape off.
Perhaps, more blessing than curse, the restaurant at the hotel offered some decent fish dishes. After an unpleasant saga with the credit card (being compromised), I became more or less hotel bound while waiting for the issue of a new card to arrive from Spain. So to hotel food I turned, and it was a creditable experience, thank goodness.
And now to the best local meal I had: a rather expensive meal at a restaurant called Amadeus at the Jardins area. The average age of the diners at this restaurant was at least 50, an indication that this was not the haunt for the hip young generation. The cover charge was BRL19 which included, if you asked for it, a small basket of bread and bread sticks. The service was impeccable.
To close this blog, the best meal during this series of travel to Brazil was with the national carrier British airways. It is ironic that when I have become tired of eating food for sustenance that it was the airline that offered something visually pleasing and tasty. Three cheers to BA.
I am not expecting to have more material to write about food in Brazil. Disappointingly for a dessert lover, I have found the Brazilian desserts to be too sugary and have learnt to avoid them.
My first introduction to churrascaria was at Fogo de Chão, an upscale Brazilian steakhouse. The price per person was BRL 130 (£43) plus 10% service charge (not optional). It was an overrated experience, since there was absolutely nothing special about the meat. The fun bit was flipping the chip from green to red when I needed more time to chew the rather tough meat. The only saving grace was the salad counter. But one does not visit a steakhouse to enjoy the salad counter. The diners at the next table had a whale of a time: they seemed to have the stomach of a whale and were stuffing themselves full at this all-you-can-eat joint.
Then one day a colleague took us to a local restaurant near the Portuguesa-Tietê station where food was sold by weight, and it changed my view of the Brazilian steakhouse. For a mere 15 BRL (£3), I had a plate of tasty chicken, fish, a few pieces of sausages, and some hot vegetables. My plate was not big enough for the grilled meats so I passed on the opportunity.
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A small churrascaria near the office |
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Coxhina |
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Robalo with grilled vegetables |
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Halibut with couscous and deep fried shredded onions |
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Salmon with leeks. Salmon is expensive in Brazil |
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Fish curry with banana and palm puree |
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A trio of coconut dessert, Yummy. |
Another decent meal I had was at the self service restaurant at the Museum of Art (MASP). There was a good selection of salads, cooked meats, and desserts. This was my lunch, and it included some kind of feijoada (a stew of black beans with beef and pork). The price was BRL44 (£12) for a buffet, very reasonable at the Paulista area. I distinctly remember that the chicken was tender, unlike the rock hard stuff that is usually served at the canteen or some other eateries.
To close this blog, the best meal during this series of travel to Brazil was with the national carrier British airways. It is ironic that when I have become tired of eating food for sustenance that it was the airline that offered something visually pleasing and tasty. Three cheers to BA.
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Sea food salad on board a flight from LHR to GRU |
