The Brazilian Lasai, in Rio de Janeiro, is one of the 21 best new restaurants in the world, says the 2023/24 edition of the Hot List selection carried out by the specialized tourism magazine Condé Nast Traveler for 27 years now.
This second version of Lasai – as pointed out by our columnist Rafael Tonon who evaluated the house to Traveler – is a few meters away from the old house in Botafogo but looks very little like the previous concept and won the place in the award for its new intimate atmosphere.
If before the house had 45 seats, today, it serves only ten at a time.
“It is a unique experience,” he considered.
The old colonial house gave place to a modern environment, in which an L-shaped marble counter in front of the kitchen invites guests to follow the spectacle of the preparation of the dishes.
Chef Rafa Costa e Silva, a well-known judge on the reality show “Mestre do Sabor” (Globo TV), continues preparing recipes that highlight the vegetables he grows in his two vegetable gardens, one in Itahnangá and the other in Vale das Videiras.
According to the restaurant’s website, “they are the basis of inspiration and constant changes in the menu”.
Despite the focus on green, Lasai – a name that means “tranquil” in Euskera, the language of the Basque country, where the chef spent part of his training – also invests in seafood and meats.
“The change has helped him to improve the service run by his wife, Malena Cardiel, and ‘thicken the broth’ of his minimalist cuisine, relying on more exclusive ingredients, such as sea urchin and ikura [salmon roe],” Tonon further describes in the Hot List.
The restaurant received one Michelin star and was elected one of the best in the world by the World’s 50 Best in 2021 and 2020.
To visit Lasai, it is necessary to make a reservation beforehand through the website.
The tasting menu costs R$950 (US$191) per person.
Traveler magazine pointed out that its selection of the best restaurants and other categories – “is a labor of love by our global team, who spend the year researching, visiting, and vetting nominations.
Among the other 20 electeds are houses from South Africa to the US.
Check out the full list:
- La Semilla, Atlanta (US)
- Mak-‘amham/Cafe Ohlone, Berkeley (US)
- Koji Club, Boston (US)
- Place des Fêtes, New York (US)
- Masalawala & Sons, New York (US)
- Her Place Supper Club, Philadelphia (US)
- Mi Compa Chava, Mexico City (Mexico)
- Foresta, Quito (Ecuador)
- Lasai, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)
- Kona Corner, Buenos Aires (Argentina)
- Vilas, Bangkok (Thailand)
- Swallow Tainan, Tainan (Taiwan)
- The Jade Room + Garden Terrace, Tokyo (Japan)
- Alluma, Paris (France)
- Le Doyenné, Saint-Vrain (France)
- Enigma, Barcelona (Spain)
- Anda Kigali, Nyungwe (Rwanda)
- RavioXO, Madrid (Spain)
- Emazulwini, Cape Town (South Africa)
- Takya, Riyadh (Saudi Arabia)
- Jun’s, Dubai (United Arab Emirates)
With information from UOL