12-11-2018
Janaina Rueda, chef at the helm of Bar da Dona Onça, one of the most popular restaurants in Sao Paulo, Brazil
At the foot of the famous Edificio Copan, designed by architect Oscar Niemeyer, Janaina Rueda has created a restaurant that changed the recent landscape of Sao Paulo. The historic centre used to be one of the most glamourous areas in town, the bohemian heart and the home to many artists and prominent designers. A perfect mix of underground vibrations, urban art and nightclubs. Over the past few years, it became a forgotten and deteriorated neighbourhood. Now, with the help of Casa do Porco, it is once again a popular, elegant and cool area, thanks to its restaurants.
Rueda was born and has spent most of her life here. She knows every little corner of the neighbourhood. Before opening Bar da Dona Onça she was a sommelier. Dona Onça means “Mrs Jaguar”, a nickname revealing the strong personality of the chef, who’s also a very skilled businesswoman.
Almost without noticing, she started creating a menu made of nostalgic family dishes, paired with recipes that were more in tune with the bohemian side of Sao Paulo and others that were disappearing from urban restaurants. Open every day at lunchtime and in the evening, Bar da Dona Onça’s guests often go there because they feel at home. Clients include the Roca brothers, Michel Bras, Ferran Adrià and Daniel Humm. But it is also the home to Brazilian musicians, families, writers and other prominent figures from all around the world. The chef, an extraordinary woman, supports artists too and welcomes to her restaurant singers, painters, designers and members of the gay and lesbian community.
Janaina Rueda’s modern galinhada (photo revistamenu.com.br)
Inside the restaurant (photo quesejasempreassim.com.br)
Reviews, recommendations and trends from the four corners of the planet, signed by all the authors of Identità Golose
by
Half Italian, half Brazilian, she works both as chefs and as food writer. Among all the thing she does, she's author of the World’s 50 Best blog