Check out some of the best restaurants with famous chefs in Brazil
By Gabriel Aguiar
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – And who said it was necessary to stamp your passport to know the recipes of the best chefs in the world? After all, there is no shortage of famous names –even internationally– in charge of kitchens in Brazil. For this reason, Casual EXAME has listed some of the restaurants led by superchefs among the 100 Best Restaurants in Brazil. Check it out!
A CASA DO PORCO
The restaurant owned by chefs Janaina and Jefferson Rueda has become synonymous with impressive numbers — and queues. It occupies the 17th position in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants ranking and the 11th place in Latin America. The house, which received 31 votes from the jury formed by EXAME, has the sanzé pork as its flagship. More than 12,000 sanzé dishes are sold monthly, which forces the Rueda to roast 60 pigs a month. The debt accumulated in the most critical phase of the quarantine is also impressive: it was almost R$3 million. “We could open two more Casas do Porco”, calculates Janaina.
Initially, she thought it would take four years to cover the hole, which involves both the restaurant and the couple’s other businesses: Bar da Dona Onça, Hot Pork snack bar and Sorveteria do Centro. Apart from the back taxes, however, which were paid in installments, the debt will be fully paid off by the end of the month. And the expectation is that the business will return to profit now in June. “We did not imagine that our businesses would come back with such force”, says Janaina, who does not reveal how much the group makes – with delivery, launched in the pandemic, it is almost R$400,000 per month.
She credits the quick recovery to obstacles to international travel, which boosted national tourism, and to the economic crisis, which would have made the not-so-expensive menus, such as those at Casa do Porco, even more attractive — the sanzé cost R$79 at the beginning of May. “The challenge now is to swallow the high inflation so as not to alienate customers with the increase in prices”, adds the cook, chef at Casa do Porco since 2018 — Jefferson is now dedicated to raising the animals that supply the restaurant and the Porco Real meatpacking plant, opened by the couple last year.
Rua Araújo, 124, República, São Paulo
ARTURITO
There are those who visit the discreet restaurant in the Pinheiros neighborhood, in São Paulo (SP), because of Paola Carosella – who became a true celebrity in the world of gastronomy after participating in MasterChef. But, although the relationship between creator and creature is difficult to separate, this is not the only reason to visit: the menu with respect to ingredients and minimal intervention is a spectacle on its own. Proof of this is the ricotta gnocchi with pork sausage raguR$ (R$89), made in-house. By the way, during the week, lunch has dishes (R$52) that change daily.
Rua Artur de Azevedo, 542, Pinheiros, São Paulo
CARLOTA
It is likely that any restaurant with 27 years of history has become a classic. And what to say when, in charge of the kitchen, is the sought after, Carla Pernambuco? In fact, there is a combination of factors that justify the success of Carlota – including the charming townhouse with white bricks in the heart of the São Paulo neighborhood of Higienópolis. But the whimsy in the recipes is the main highlight, from the Wellington fillet with curd cheese risotto (R$140), considered the house classic, to the impeccable flat iron with crispy crust, cassava aligot and demi glace (R$125).
Rua Sergipe, 753, Higienópolis, São Paulo
D.O.M.
It is impossible to separate Alex Atala from the new Brazilian gastronomy. With refined technique and the use of typically Brazilian ingredients, some of which are unusual, D.O.M. was the first Brazilian restaurant to earn two Michelin stars and was elected the fourth best in the world by Restaurant.
“What makes the menu even more authentic is the absence of so-called ‘delicacies’, such as foie gras”, says critic Arnaldo Lorençato. The list of innovations includes Amazonian ants, edible herbs and flowers, mushrooms collected by the Yanomami people in the mountainous areas of Roraima. The tasting menu, at R$640, also proposes to combine the experience with wines and even beers.
The result of long learning is not only in the dishes that come out of the kitchen. “I look at the pandemic, especially what has passed, as the most expensive MBA I’ve ever done in my life. When the hard times comes, everything can fall apart and the dream can end, or solidify with an aggregating spirit”, says Atala, who still runs Dalva e Dito and Bio, in São Paulo. For the restaurateur, the last few months have only served to strengthen the team’s unity.
Rua Barão de Capanema, 549, Jardins, São Paulo
DONNA
It is likely that the recently opened Donna has brought the best version of André Mifano, with a menu inspired by the Italian-Paulista culture, full of authorial touches and certain bets. This is the case of the pork knee risotto with toasted corn, grape reduction with truffles, icing sauce and crackling (R$79); beef jerky ravioli and curd cheese with pumpkin and honey (R$78); fried cheese bread (five units for R$33); and fettuccine with bolognese ragu (R$62). And the atmosphere is equally pleasant: there are few tables in the lounge and the modernist decor guarantees the intimate finishing touch.
Rua Peixoto Gomide, 1815, Jardim Paulista, São Paulo
https://www.instagram.com/restaurantedonna_/
EVVAI
The entire Evvai experience is based on trust: customers only discover Luiz Filipe Souza’s creations as the 13 stages of the tasting menu arrive at the table — this is the only option, for R$611. “We propose something that is expensive and that creates high expectations. So, we make something that stays in the memory, with the concern of personalizing each dinner and each table”, says the chef.
It took just two years to earn the first Michelin star, in 2019. But that wasn’t even the biggest challenge for the 32-year-old, who had to put projects on hold during the pandemic and dedicate himself to an agenda full of commitments outside the kitchen. In the end, it all worked out. “For me, it’s the best tasting menu in São Paulo”, says Adriano Lopes, from the Gordo Profissional page.
Strongly inspired by Italian cuisine (although it always has references from Brazilian culture), the menu undergoes constant renovations and reinventions. So don’t be surprised if a favorite dish disappears between visits. For Luiz Filipe Souza, one of the highlights now is the moqueca with fish of the day and nero di seppia, a key ingredient in Mediterranean cuisine.
Rua Joaquim Antunes, 108, Pinheiros, São Paulo
JUN SAKAMOTO
Considering the artwork created at the counter by Jun Sakamoto, presented to just eight diners, it’s no surprise that the restaurant is almost as hidden as the bank vaults – even if, in this case, it’s a discreet townhouse. For those who get the disputed reserve, 13 pieces are served, which can vary between delicacies, hokkigai, sea urchin and the fish of the day. And so much mystery is why the tasting menu (R$500) follows the omakase philosophy, which leaves the choice in the hands of the master. And there are other menus: from Ryuzo Nishimura (R$450) and at tables (R$400).
Rua Lisboa, 55, Pinheiros, São Paulo
https://www.junsakamoto.com.br/
LASAI
It might even seem strange that a successful recipe, like that of Lasai, from Rio de Janeiro, receives profound changes after eight years of collecting awards — and even a Michelin star. But that’s exactly what happened: Rafa Costa e Silva and Malena Cardiel started serving eight clients a night; there were 40 people before. “We work with the utmost care, attention and kindness”, says the chef.
Not even the four months of closed doors because of operating restrictions put an end to the tasting menu, which was sold semi-ready at the emporium during the pandemic. The endeavor was successful and the store should be resumed at some point.
Available only with tasting menu, the experience costs R$725. “Rafa manages to transform vegetables from the garden into protagonists and squander flavor on the dishes”, says journalist Daniela Filomeno. But it’s worth emphasizing: this is not a vegetarian restaurant (nor is its proposal). Examples of this are house dishes such as oyster with radish, lemon, caviar and honey, and clams in leek broth.
Largo dos Leões, 35, Humaitá, Rio de Janeiro
MANI
Chef Helena Rizzo, who runs Maní, Manioca and Padoca do Maní, entered the quarantine with enough cash to face three months of closed doors. Among the partners is, for example, the presenter Fernanda Lima. The mantra that guided the conduct of business at that time was this: profit, for the time being, is not having any loss.
After the toughest phase of the pandemic, the chef became a judge on the MasterChef Brasil program in 2021, replacing Paola Carosella. Her new job forced her to take a break from the daily routine at Maní, which boasts a Michelin star. But with a clear conscience. The house remains a success, as are the other establishments, and the Belgian chef Willem Vandeven, who ha already covered for her, has done the job with praise.
Launched in April, Maní’s new tasting menu, at R$580, serves as a test. Conceived by Rizzo and Vandeven, it was inspired by the work of the modernist Mário de Andrade. With 12 stages, it includes dishes such as roasted goat dipped in a broth enhanced with porcini kombucha — turmeric and marinated shitake complete the creation. Another highlight, which has already been on the menu at Maní, is the feijoada transformed into small spheres, served with pork feet, fried cabbage and orange cubes.
Rua Joaquim Antunes, 210, Jardim Paulistano, São Paulo
MANU
There is no lack of awards that validate Manu from Curitiba – considered the best restaurant in the southern region and a recognized figure among the most recognized in Brazil. And who is in charge is chef Manoella Buffara, responsible for the original (and unusual) combinations, such as the red-hot bok choy with orange, peanuts and chicken liver mousse. But it’s no use being attached: the menu changes annually, as if marking the evolution of the creator, and always with a tasting menu (R$430). For those who can’t find the address, just look for the property with bee breeding on the facade.
Alameda Dom Pedro II, 317, Batel, Curitiba
https://www.facebook.com/restaurantemanu/
OTEQUE
It is in a discreet mansion in the Rio de Janeiro neighborhood of Botafogo that the award-winning Alberto Landgraf works. Nothing indicates that it is the much-requested Oteque, owner of two Michelin stars. What is the secret of a good restaurant? “For me, it’s when the customer eats and leaves wanting to eat again,” says the chef. A good team and trusted suppliers are essential in this equation.
“Landgraf is a technical cook at his peak, with precise construction of all the elements of the recipes. Nothing on the plate is by chance”, says judge Renata Mesquita, from the Paladar section. His inspiration comes not only from gastronomy: the master behind the creations admits to having an interest in design, architecture and technology, for example. “I try to bring all of that to Oteque,” he says.
Back in business after surviving the restrictions of the pandemic — when it decided to close its doors, with zero revenue — the restaurant only offers an eight-step tasting menu, which can include raw tuna with caviar; crayfish with fish mayonnaise; onion with hedgehog and mussel foam; and hake, lightly smoked, in the oriental style. The menu costs R$645.
Rua Conde de Irajá, 581, 74, Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro
With information from EXAME
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