09-01-2013
The Caldinho de siri (crab soup) of the new-born Bazzar Bubble Bar in rua Barao da Torre 538, in the Ipanema neighbourhood, +55.(0)21.32022884. For years, owner Cristiana Beltrão has dedicated herself to a careful research of local artisanal products
Lightness and informality, these are the two guidelines you need to follow in order to enjoy yourself in Rio de Janeiro, even when it comes to the gastronomic experience. This short report of what’s good in Rio today won’t take you to pompous and formal restaurants, because the deep and tasty heart of the town resides in places that have their strength in simplicity, and where formality becomes a useless tinsel. Rio is the city of carpe diem, in every inch, the world capital of the immediate, a visceral city in which desires and longings, even those linked to food, can be instantly fulfilled.
The story of carioca cuisine is tied to disconnected elements and the signature dishes have diverse origins. You will find the classic Filé a Oswaldo Aranha, born at the end of the Thirties as a homage to the homonymous diplomat, exactly as it was in the beginning, at the truly traditional restaurant Lamas in Flamengo. The Thirties were the time when Rio was still the capital of Brazil and in which the influence of diplomats and politicians on food was essential to create new ideas and recipes. Even the long Portuguese colonization continues to influence the menus with some evergreen classics such as the over centennial Cabrito com arroz (kid with rice) and broccoli at the Nova Capela in the Lapa neighbourhood, or the Bacalhau a baz at the Adegão Portugues in São Cristovão.
Aconchego Carioca's Bolinho de Feijoada (meatball made with beans soup)
There are also restaurants which have determined the history of the city in the last decades, with imported cuisines such as the thirty-year-old Japanese Azumi, in the Copacabana neighbourhood, in Rua Ministro Viveiros de Castro 127. A true family-run Japanese inn that has the freshness of the ingredients as its strong point. Don’t miss the meat or fish cozidos (stocks), the sashimi and nigiri, but most of all the fantastic grilled fish and vegetables.
Roberta Sudbrack's leitão (suckling pig)
Reviews, recommendations and trends from the four corners of the planet, signed by all the authors of Identità Golose
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