Deli Paris
Rua Harmonia, 484
http://deliparis.com.br/
I LOVE this place. Maybe it's because I have spent an inordinate amount of time here coffee and eating sweets while waiting out rainstorms in Vila Madalena. It's a true French cafe, with fresh, crusty breads and cases full of cakes and sweets. You'll have the most difficult time deciding what to pick, so bring a friend with whom to share. Recent visits have included the chocolate/lemon tart, the banana/chocolate tart, chocolate eclair, a mont blanc. None have disappointed.
The service is friendly, the tables are cozy, and it's a great place to watch the rain come down. Hurry!
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Aoyama Temaki Hall (Itaim Bibi)
Aoyama Temaki Hall
Rua Adolfo Tabacow, 269
Itaim Bibi
no website
This place was such a find that the first time I went, I returned less than 3 days later. I have to admit, the only reason we went in the first place was because its "big sister" sushi restaurant (Aoyama, around the corner on Mario Ferraz) was packed and we did not feel like waiting. That's not to say that sometimes there isn't a wait out the door (the restaurant doesn't have THAT many tables, although there is an upstairs and there's room for about 10 at the "sushi counter"), but on that particular evening, we sat down right away.
I guess the thing to do here is the rodizio (that's Portuguese for "all-you-can-eat"). You can order as many temaki rolls as you want, and then all of this other stuff comes with it, too. Tiny little fried spring rolls (veggie), guioza (pork dumplings), and a tray of assorted sushi-like (but kind of unidentifiable) items. And you can't forget about the near perfect and refreshing marinated cucumber salad (which I saw an entire family drown in soy sauce...gross!). But my advice is really to save room for the temaki rolls.
If you are a vegetarian, or if you don't eat raw fish, you are in luck here. There's grilled salmon, shimeji (mushroom), kani (fake crab), and pepino (cucumber) temaki. There are some weird choices, too...like mixing different fish with mayonaise, and even one with salmon, strawberries, and whipped cream. When I gave the sushi guy an interested look about the strawberry one, he shook his head at me in warning to stay away. I did.
There are also some combinations that come mixed with cream cheese. Unless you REALLY love cream cheese, either stay away or ask for "um poco de cream cheese"....just a little. They oblige, and it's actually pretty good. Like what you would get on a bagel, but wrapped inseaweed instead.
I really enjoyed (and am, in fact, craving right now) the straight up salmon and ginger, peixe branco (white fish with drops of lime, camarao (shrimp), and california roll (it's really pretty, too). Fresh, tasty, healthy.
***Only thing that weirded me out was that there was not one single Asian employee in the whole restaurant -- not even the guys making the temaki rolls! I made the comment to Janhavi, "I hope there's some really old Japanese man in the back telling everyone what to do in here!".
The service is quick and friendly. Can't wait to go back again.
Rua Adolfo Tabacow, 269
Itaim Bibi
no website
This place was such a find that the first time I went, I returned less than 3 days later. I have to admit, the only reason we went in the first place was because its "big sister" sushi restaurant (Aoyama, around the corner on Mario Ferraz) was packed and we did not feel like waiting. That's not to say that sometimes there isn't a wait out the door (the restaurant doesn't have THAT many tables, although there is an upstairs and there's room for about 10 at the "sushi counter"), but on that particular evening, we sat down right away.
I guess the thing to do here is the rodizio (that's Portuguese for "all-you-can-eat"). You can order as many temaki rolls as you want, and then all of this other stuff comes with it, too. Tiny little fried spring rolls (veggie), guioza (pork dumplings), and a tray of assorted sushi-like (but kind of unidentifiable) items. And you can't forget about the near perfect and refreshing marinated cucumber salad (which I saw an entire family drown in soy sauce...gross!). But my advice is really to save room for the temaki rolls.
If you are a vegetarian, or if you don't eat raw fish, you are in luck here. There's grilled salmon, shimeji (mushroom), kani (fake crab), and pepino (cucumber) temaki. There are some weird choices, too...like mixing different fish with mayonaise, and even one with salmon, strawberries, and whipped cream. When I gave the sushi guy an interested look about the strawberry one, he shook his head at me in warning to stay away. I did.
There are also some combinations that come mixed with cream cheese. Unless you REALLY love cream cheese, either stay away or ask for "um poco de cream cheese"....just a little. They oblige, and it's actually pretty good. Like what you would get on a bagel, but wrapped inseaweed instead.
I really enjoyed (and am, in fact, craving right now) the straight up salmon and ginger, peixe branco (white fish with drops of lime, camarao (shrimp), and california roll (it's really pretty, too). Fresh, tasty, healthy.
***Only thing that weirded me out was that there was not one single Asian employee in the whole restaurant -- not even the guys making the temaki rolls! I made the comment to Janhavi, "I hope there's some really old Japanese man in the back telling everyone what to do in here!".
The service is quick and friendly. Can't wait to go back again.
Forneria Sao Paulo (Itaim Bibi)
Forneria Sao Paulo
Rua Amauri, 319
No website
I had been told that this place was kind of fancy for a pizza place, and Abby and I were freaking out just a little that our shoes wouldn't be up to par for an upscale SP crowd on a Saturday night. Not to worry, though...even though this hip and BUSY restaurant definitely attracted a trendy, young crowd, you can come as you are. Apparently, you can also bring your young children at 11 at night, too. And if you're 16 and your driver is with you, it's okay to hang out there late on a Saturday with a bunch of your high school friends.
Oh, and I don't think it's a pizza place.
I can't find a website, so you'll just have to go and check out the menu yourself. Not being a fluent Portuguese speaker (or reader, for that matter) I was looking for the PIZZA. But it seemed that there were just SANDWICHES. They are sort of like calzones, and there's 3 or 4 different kind of encasings for your 30 or so choices of "toppings". Being at the table with two vegetarians, we all opted to share two salads and one pizza-sandwich. The special salmon (grilled) salad was light and perfect. The pizza-sandwich split perfectly into 6 equal (if not small) pieces, but I really was missing a vat of marinara dipping sauce. Why can't this city get it straight that marinara sauce is delicious and should be put on everything Italian??! Especially something resembling a calzone. I am still on the search for a good red sauce to stain the front of my shirt as I slurp up spaghetti.
The prices were a little high, but the place is cool. Very modern...you feel hip just sitting there, like you are in on some cool little secret. It's a great energy, a wonderful buzz, and I am sure the place is packed until 2 am...we left just before midnight and there was a line out the door. (I also like that there's a Starbucks right across the street.)
Great dessert menu, too. We split a white chocolate mousse cake, which was served with fresh, warm chocolate sauce drizzled all over the top. I could have eaten the whole thing by myself (and then some) if there's hadn't been other people at the table digging in.
Rua Amauri, 319
No website
I had been told that this place was kind of fancy for a pizza place, and Abby and I were freaking out just a little that our shoes wouldn't be up to par for an upscale SP crowd on a Saturday night. Not to worry, though...even though this hip and BUSY restaurant definitely attracted a trendy, young crowd, you can come as you are. Apparently, you can also bring your young children at 11 at night, too. And if you're 16 and your driver is with you, it's okay to hang out there late on a Saturday with a bunch of your high school friends.
Oh, and I don't think it's a pizza place.
I can't find a website, so you'll just have to go and check out the menu yourself. Not being a fluent Portuguese speaker (or reader, for that matter) I was looking for the PIZZA. But it seemed that there were just SANDWICHES. They are sort of like calzones, and there's 3 or 4 different kind of encasings for your 30 or so choices of "toppings". Being at the table with two vegetarians, we all opted to share two salads and one pizza-sandwich. The special salmon (grilled) salad was light and perfect. The pizza-sandwich split perfectly into 6 equal (if not small) pieces, but I really was missing a vat of marinara dipping sauce. Why can't this city get it straight that marinara sauce is delicious and should be put on everything Italian??! Especially something resembling a calzone. I am still on the search for a good red sauce to stain the front of my shirt as I slurp up spaghetti.
The prices were a little high, but the place is cool. Very modern...you feel hip just sitting there, like you are in on some cool little secret. It's a great energy, a wonderful buzz, and I am sure the place is packed until 2 am...we left just before midnight and there was a line out the door. (I also like that there's a Starbucks right across the street.)
Great dessert menu, too. We split a white chocolate mousse cake, which was served with fresh, warm chocolate sauce drizzled all over the top. I could have eaten the whole thing by myself (and then some) if there's hadn't been other people at the table digging in.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Cristallo (Vila Madalena)
Cristallo
Rua Wisard, 179
Vila Madalena
http://www.cristallo.com.br/
Janhavi and I ducked into this coffee shop/bakery to get out of one of Sao Paulo's summer rainstorms. I was just in the mood for some coffee, and she was hungry for a bit more. The place is actually kind of sterile and modern...not as comfy as I usually like my coffee shops...the black and white sleek decor was actually a bit of a turn-off.
Best things: Colher chocolate (chocolate spoons!) with your coffee and low-fat cappucinos.
Worst things: The staff let street kids in the store to bother patrons. There was some weird jam on Janhavi's sandwich. The decor.
In the end...with so many cute cafes in VM, I probably wouldn't stop in here again.
Rua Wisard, 179
Vila Madalena
http://www.cristallo.com.br/
Janhavi and I ducked into this coffee shop/bakery to get out of one of Sao Paulo's summer rainstorms. I was just in the mood for some coffee, and she was hungry for a bit more. The place is actually kind of sterile and modern...not as comfy as I usually like my coffee shops...the black and white sleek decor was actually a bit of a turn-off.
Best things: Colher chocolate (chocolate spoons!) with your coffee and low-fat cappucinos.
Worst things: The staff let street kids in the store to bother patrons. There was some weird jam on Janhavi's sandwich. The decor.
In the end...with so many cute cafes in VM, I probably wouldn't stop in here again.
Pão: Padaria Artesenal Organica (Jardins)
Pão
Rua Bela Cintra, 1618
http://www.padariaartesanal.org/
Janhavi and I stumbled across this small organic bakery one Saturday on our search for a place to just "sit and have a cup of coffee". Unfortunately, the first time we went, all three TINY tables were taken, and it was just way too hot to wait or to sit outside. One woman said to us "it's the worth the wait." A few months later, we finally made it back, and it was totally was.
What's striking about this place is that it is SO small, yet it packs a really big punch. It's really as if you are in someone's kitchen, only it's a restaurant! When we went the second time, all three tables were free (they were full and people were hovering by the time we left), so we could enjoy our lunch at an actual table. I think that people probably take "to go" from Pao...and my guess is, because it's so small, that's exactly what they want you to do. (Side note: Challah available on Fridays!)
I had the sanduich queijo de cabra com tapenade de figo (goat cheese and fig spread sandwich) and Janhavi had the sanduich mozzarela de búfala, tomate assado e manjericão (buffalo mozzarella, tomato, and basil sandwich). When our orders came (both came warm, on buttered whole wheat bread), we were so jealous of each other's sandwich that we immediately went halvsies. Both were delicious, although I think Janhavi's simple sandwich outshined mine. There was something about the basil that was so fresh and different.
Janhavi took a slice of lemon cake to-go. It made for a delicious dessert a few hours later, when we needed something sweet. All of the baked goods looked divine, and there were even some little samples on the counter.
Rua Bela Cintra, 1618
http://www.padariaartesanal.org/
Janhavi and I stumbled across this small organic bakery one Saturday on our search for a place to just "sit and have a cup of coffee". Unfortunately, the first time we went, all three TINY tables were taken, and it was just way too hot to wait or to sit outside. One woman said to us "it's the worth the wait." A few months later, we finally made it back, and it was totally was.
What's striking about this place is that it is SO small, yet it packs a really big punch. It's really as if you are in someone's kitchen, only it's a restaurant! When we went the second time, all three tables were free (they were full and people were hovering by the time we left), so we could enjoy our lunch at an actual table. I think that people probably take "to go" from Pao...and my guess is, because it's so small, that's exactly what they want you to do. (Side note: Challah available on Fridays!)
I had the sanduich queijo de cabra com tapenade de figo (goat cheese and fig spread sandwich) and Janhavi had the sanduich mozzarela de búfala, tomate assado e manjericão (buffalo mozzarella, tomato, and basil sandwich). When our orders came (both came warm, on buttered whole wheat bread), we were so jealous of each other's sandwich that we immediately went halvsies. Both were delicious, although I think Janhavi's simple sandwich outshined mine. There was something about the basil that was so fresh and different.
Janhavi took a slice of lemon cake to-go. It made for a delicious dessert a few hours later, when we needed something sweet. All of the baked goods looked divine, and there were even some little samples on the counter.
Bar Original (Moema)
Bar Original
Rua Grauna, 137
Moema
http://www.baroriginal.com.br/
Heading to this bar in Moema around 5:30 on a Friday with some friends from work, I had high hopes for what had been billed by one colleague (and many a Veja Magazine) as "the best choppe in Sao Paulo". Personally, I don't really get how one choppe can differ too much from another. But Felippe says it has to do with temperature, storage conditions, and shelf-life...and he should know :)
With friends who drink beer that way my friends drink beer, I knew the verdict would be in soon. They were not disappointed...and the beer (claro and escura) kept coming in that way that it only comes in Sao Paulo. The way that makes you ask yourself, "Did I order that?"
While some drank beer, others ordered Johnny Walker Red. By the bottle. Seriously. The cool thing about Bar Original is that you buy the bottle...drink what you can...and leave the rest there (with your name on it, on a shelf above the bar) for the next time you come in. Genius. And, if you are a Scotch drinker, economical.
Normally, I am not too into bar food...in Sao Paulo it tends to be all fried. But if the beer was the best, then I thought that surely the food would not disappoint. And it didn't. Here's the lowdown:
Croquete Original (Original Croquettes)
Although the term "Original" probably refers to the restaurant, it could also refer to the ingredients in these fancy little croquettes. The come stuffed with bits of salami and brie...and kind of reminded of some Eastern European dish my great great great great grandmother probably fried up in the shtetl...and I mean that as a compliment.
Piraja (I have no idea how this translates, but also some kind of croquette)
Also little croquettes, but stuffed with mandioca and carne seca (dried meat, sort of like a beef jerky, but tender). Tasty, if not a little strange. Didn't have the same zing as the Croquetes Originales, but a good compliment to the choppe.
Croquete de Bacalhau (Salted Codfish Croquettes)
Better than bolinhos. A new twist (can you see the croquete theme here?) on the bolinho de bacalhau standy, this croquete came stuffed with potato (I think it was potato, maybe it was mandioca?) AND salted cod. Just the right mixture to make it absolutely delicious, not disgusting.
Pastels
Small, but stuffed...you didn't have to go searching for the filling in these suckers. Recommended for taste and variety (shrimp, cheese, hearts of palm, or meat). A little something for everyone.
Rua Grauna, 137
Moema
http://www.baroriginal.com.br/
Heading to this bar in Moema around 5:30 on a Friday with some friends from work, I had high hopes for what had been billed by one colleague (and many a Veja Magazine) as "the best choppe in Sao Paulo". Personally, I don't really get how one choppe can differ too much from another. But Felippe says it has to do with temperature, storage conditions, and shelf-life...and he should know :)
With friends who drink beer that way my friends drink beer, I knew the verdict would be in soon. They were not disappointed...and the beer (claro and escura) kept coming in that way that it only comes in Sao Paulo. The way that makes you ask yourself, "Did I order that?"
While some drank beer, others ordered Johnny Walker Red. By the bottle. Seriously. The cool thing about Bar Original is that you buy the bottle...drink what you can...and leave the rest there (with your name on it, on a shelf above the bar) for the next time you come in. Genius. And, if you are a Scotch drinker, economical.
Normally, I am not too into bar food...in Sao Paulo it tends to be all fried. But if the beer was the best, then I thought that surely the food would not disappoint. And it didn't. Here's the lowdown:
Croquete Original (Original Croquettes)
Although the term "Original" probably refers to the restaurant, it could also refer to the ingredients in these fancy little croquettes. The come stuffed with bits of salami and brie...and kind of reminded of some Eastern European dish my great great great great grandmother probably fried up in the shtetl...and I mean that as a compliment.
Piraja (I have no idea how this translates, but also some kind of croquette)
Also little croquettes, but stuffed with mandioca and carne seca (dried meat, sort of like a beef jerky, but tender). Tasty, if not a little strange. Didn't have the same zing as the Croquetes Originales, but a good compliment to the choppe.
Croquete de Bacalhau (Salted Codfish Croquettes)
Better than bolinhos. A new twist (can you see the croquete theme here?) on the bolinho de bacalhau standy, this croquete came stuffed with potato (I think it was potato, maybe it was mandioca?) AND salted cod. Just the right mixture to make it absolutely delicious, not disgusting.
Pastels
Small, but stuffed...you didn't have to go searching for the filling in these suckers. Recommended for taste and variety (shrimp, cheese, hearts of palm, or meat). A little something for everyone.
Bles D'Or (Moema)
Bles D'Or
Rua Tuim, 653
Moema
http://www.blesdor.com.br/
Cute little patisserie that makes you feel like you are in a Hollywood movie....about Paris. Nice selection of baked goods, delicious homemade breads (including whole wheat baguettes), and a tempting menu that touted 35-real sandwiches. I don't know what 35 reals could buy in a sandwich, but it's worth a visit back to find out. (Not everything on the menu was as expensive.) Go when there's good weather, because the patios are beautiful. Awesome photos (even in the bathroom), and beautiful decor, too. (I was especially impressed by the trash can in the women's bathroom. Very clever and classy.) Nice selection of gourmet cheeses, and beautiful looking desserts. My friend, Cristina, goes there all the time and LOVES it.
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