SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL – Of all Brazilian metropolises, São Paulo, enables multi-cultural encounters in all dimensions. Apart from the people of African origin who have long been in São Paulo as an enslaved working force, hordes of immigrants from Europe and Japan have settled in São Paulo in the pursuit of work opportunities (primarily in factories and coffee farms).
While Japanese and Italian immigrants have shaped a large part of São Paulo’s culture, immigrants from other corners, such as Spanish, Polish, and German people, have also influenced São Paulo’s growth throughout the last century.
Even though these traditions remain alive, São Paulo has seen an explosion of cultural diversity in recent years due to new immigration dynamics and refugee waves around the globe. From Bolivians to Syrians, from Congolese to Indians, from South-Koreans to Armenians, many cultures are turning São Paulo into a capital as global as New York, London, or Berlin.
One of the consequences of such a multi-ethnic society is a culinary scene of incredible diversity. While São Paulo has always been known for its world-class, top-notch restaurants, the metropolis is becoming the correct address to try flavors from all over the world. Find below a selection of some of the best immigrant eateries in town:
1) Casa Garabed – Founded in 1951 in Santana, São Paulo’s North Zone, this Armenian restaurant can quickly go unnoticed by passers-by: the house’s facade – simple, discrete – looks like any typical middle-class house from the region. On the inside, however, things are very different from the other residences on the street. There, traditional Armenian specialties are served during lunchtime and dinner. Madzunov Kiofté (fried meatballs dressed with spices, fresh curd, and bread) is one of the top plates in the house.
2) Royal – Probably the only place in São Paulo serving Indian food from the Punjab region. What’s more, probably the only high-quality Indian eatery with excellent prices – some of the main dishes, like the Chicken Shahi Korma, cost R$34,90. The house’s Indian bread varieties (from garlic naan to tandoori roti) and mutton vindaloo (a spicy hot lamb plate with potatoes) are among the highlights of Royal.
3) Empanaderia do Seu Zé – By far, the most generously-stuffed empanadas available in São Paulo. Located in the neighborhood of Vila Madalena, the venue has served fat Chilean empanadas since 2005. While the owner, Sr. Ananias, is Brazilian, his empanadas’ recipe is attributed to his ex-wife, a Chilean native. For only R$11, one can see empanada flavors such as jaca (jackfruit), Brazil nuts, cashews, and almonds), and carne seca com abóbora (jerked beef and pumpkin squash).
4) Lamen Kazu – Located in Liberdade, the neighborhood of Japanese immigration in São Paulo (also influenced by Chinese and Korean immigrants), Lamen Kazu is a reference when it comes to authentic Japanese ramen noodles. The restaurant is among the most popular in the neighborhood and opens for lunch and dinner every day. Their ramen cost around R$50, with both veggie and meat options.
5) Bolívia and El Campeón – these two restaurants are situated at Rua Coimbra – which is a sort of “little Bolivia” in the middle of Brás, a neighborhood of São Paulo’s Southeast. Run by chef Jaime Ortiz, Bolívia serves typical dishes like the maní soup (peanuts soup) and the chicharrón (pork, white corn, dried black potato, and white potato). At El Campeón, one can try soups like pata (made of ox marrow) and the sajita de pollo (a chicken stew accompanied by cooked potatoes).
6) Biyou’z – A restaurant combining culinary cultures from diverse parts of Africa – no wonder, immigrants from Kenya, Senegal, the Ivory Coast, and Congo are among the regulars at Biyou’z, founded by the Cameroonian Vitor Macaia and his wife, Melanito Biyouha. Biyou’z mouthwatering menu includes plates like Egussi (Pumpkin sed sauce, ground shrimp, tomato with chicken with rice polenta) and Fumbua (roasted peanut sauce with palm oil, dried shrimp, fumbua (seasoning dried leaf typical of África), manioc and chicken).
7) Thai E-san – Blending the flavors from Thailand and the Philippines, this restaurant is a must for those into the aromatic Southeastern Asian cuisine. Run by Lyn Gonzales (Philippines) and Tookta Chomnuk (Thailand), the house serves specialties such as the Pad Thai Goong, a typical Thai dish made with shrimps.
8) Ama.zo – Among the many great Peruvian eateries in São Paulo is Ama.zo, in the neighborhood of Campos Elísios. The menu, prepared by the limeño Chef Enrique Paredes, bridges traditional and contemporary cuisines in plates like Arroz Con Pulpo (creamy rice with octopus) and Tiradito Ajolivo (paper-thin fish slices with crispy garlic and an avocado mousse).