it's nice

Dinner last night for the Sister and I was at Piola, the Jardins branch of the international Italian chain.

(image via Piola)

I like going there because sometimes fun trumps hunger. And it's a fun place. A lively and hip atmosphere. Stylish, colourful decor. Good looking waiting staff.

(images via Destemperados)

There's also the pizza. Which is nice enough.

An awful adjective, I know. But there is no other word for it. Their pizza is not the number one reason I go there. The dough is nice, their choices are vast. Which is nice.

Yet the end result doesn't hit the right spot for me. One day the pizza doesn't have enough tomato sauce, the other day too much garlic... but I keep going back.

Because of all the bright colours and pretty waiters.

gimme sum dim sums

From time to time, when I lived in London, I'd go eat dim sums at Ping Pong.

Can you imagine my profound excitement when a Brazilian branch of Ping Pong opened here in São Paulo last September?

Last night I finally managed to go. Located in the Itaim neighbourhood, the good people of Ping Pong have managed to capture similar service, decor and atmosphere as the London restaurants.

(images via here)

And, seriously, the dim sums are just as good. Seriously.

P.S. - I apologise for the title of this post. It's preposterous, I know.

fun in the dark

Last night was fun.

L. and I were having dinner at Santo Grão Café (very good food) when all the lights went out.

We were in the midst of a blackout. Turns out, this blackout hit about ten Brazilian states and Paraguay. Itaipu, a hydroelectric dam that generates energy to both countries, somehow shut down.

Both L. and I drove home in our respective cars facing the roads with no traffic signs.

(image via here)

Really, really fun.

constant craving

I'm hungry ALL THE TIME. It's because of this stupid fresh food diet I'm on.

For about a week now I've been craving macaroons...

(image via we heart it)

and carrot cake (a whole one, just for me)...

(image via here)

Truth be told, this fresh food business has made me feel better than I have in a long time.

But i'll take instant gratification over long-term health benefits any day of the week.

a burger saved the day

After a long day, the Sister and I wanted to avoid cooking at all costs.

Off we went to Lanchonete da Cidade.

(image via here)

This stylish diner serves what is considered to be São Paulo's best hamburgers. Tonight, the Sister and I ate their famous Bombom Deluxe. It is an impressive burger made of kobe beef, with wasabi and tomato sauce on homemade black bread, instead of the traditional bun.

(image via here)

The kobe beef makes this a surprisingly light and flavourful burger. All the better to enjoy a side of rustic chips, spiced with rosemary and garlic.

(image via here)

Everything on their mouthwatering menu (they even have a salmon burger) is prepared on site and made to capture the best possible flavours.

Not only are they famous for their food, but the decor is also reason for praise. The mixture of the 1960s with Brazilian modernist architecture makes for an utterly charming dining experience. The staff are always in a good mood, and the service is efficient.

(image via here)

(image via here)

The Sister and I ended the day with a full stomach and a smile on our faces.

in an attempt to eat better...

... I went shopping for vegetables at Feira do Pacaembu this past Saturday.

(image via here)

Feira do Pacaembu (or Pacaembu fair, after the neighbourhood) is a farmer's market, located on the parking lot of the Pacaembu football stadium. You can get fresh vegetables, fruit, spices, fish and meat products on Thursdays and Saturdays.

Yet it is particularly famous for selling some of the best pastel in São Paulo.

(image via estadao.com.br)

The traditional pastel filling is either meat or cheese, but the pastel vendours in the market also offer some innovative fillings, such as carne-seca (a kind of dried meat) and catupiry cheese. I recommend getting the traditional cheese pastel. The lines are long, specially if you go on Saturday, but I promise you shall not be disappointed.

However, as I am forbidden all fried foods due to a mysterious food allergy, I stayed away from the pastel and concentrated on buying my vegetables. I bought zucchinis, green beans, carrots, tomatoes, as well as peaches, bananas, grapes and strawberries. Definitely more fresh food than I have consumed in my lifetime.

As much as I am bored to death by all things organic, shopping for vegetables at Feira do Pacaembu made it a much more pleasant experience. It's great to be able to buy things in the open air, talk to the vendours, and kind of make a day of it (or rather, a morning).

At the very least, it made vegetables seem much more glamorous to me.

i'm starving

I have developed some kind of food allergy that simply refuses to go away. So my doctor told me to give up all processed foods. I can only eat fresh food. As a result, I'm hungry all the time.

(image via here)

Life has become a living hell.

cool hits the spot

My friend B. was in town this week, so last night we went to have dinner at Spot.

This used to be B.'s favourite restaurant in São Paulo before he moved away. Now, he says, "it's gotten tiring".

Truth be said, Spot is where the cool crop of São Paulo come to be seen. During São Paulo Fashion Week, Spot is one of the places where the fashion crowds gather. Last night was the second time I went to Spot (the first time was also with B.), and on both visits I saw someone famous. Or semi-famous. On the first occasion I saw this girl I had seen on some magazine, but to this day have no idea who she was. And last night I saw Marília Gabriela, one of Brazil's top TV personalities.

(images via here)

As we sat at the bar waiting for our table, other people who arrived after us were quickly seated. This is a place where it pays to be someone, or to know the maître d'. Even though it took a little while for us to be seated, the staff was always cordial. The waiters, it must be said, are divine. According to B., Spot likes to hire aspiring actors/models so... you get the picture.

Although B. is over the Spot "in crowd", he says that the good food is what keeps him coming for more. And it is good food. On my first visit, I ate the penne pasta with prosciutto and melon, which was tasty and light. Last night I chose the sicilian lemon risotto with leeks, also very flavourful.

Spot is not a restaurant I frequently go to, but once in a while, it's fun to be too cool for school.

a late night snack

Tonight (better yet, last night) I went to see the Brazilian band Satanique Samba Trio. They hail from Brasília and my friend Munha is the bass player, as well as the mastermind behind this unique group. Take a look at their myspace. It'll give you a fright.

After the gig my friend and I were starving. It was already past 11 p.m. The first place that pops into our head? Galeria dos Pães, naturally.

(image via here)

Galeria dos Pães (roughly translates to "bread gallery") is one of São Paulo's growing number of 24 hr bakeries. In fact, it is also a deli and restaurant that serves snacks, breakfast, lunch and dinner around the clock.

Downstairs is the deli and the sandwich bar. Their grilled cheese is my favourite. Upstairs, at night, they serve their soup buffet. My friend had the spinach soup, whereas I chose cheese and white wine soup (also a favourite. I'm into cheese.).

(image via globo.com)

The buffet also serves a large variety of breads, cheeses, deli meats, fruit salad, fruit juices and dessert. The best thing is that, being a buffet, you can eat like there is no tomorrow. And no one will judge you.

Galeria dos Pães is a popular pit stop for those who are on their way home after a night out. The first time I went there, I had been dancing my ass off all night with my best friend E. It was 4 a.m., and I could eat a horse. So E. took me to Galeria dos Pães. Not only was the food great, but the atmosphere was lively with all kinds of people recounting their escapades. And there's nothing like devouring a grilled cheese sandwich after a night of dancing. I fell for Galeria dos Pães at first sight, and at first taste.

It had me at "hello, come in and help yourself to all the bread you can stuff in your mouth in one go."

better than chocolate

There's always someone who says "there's nothing better than chocolate".

Yes, there is. Potato chips.

Here are my top five:

5. Cebolitos. These intense onion flavoured rings are a Brazilian classic. Not everyone can take them, because they kind of make you ill after you've had a whole bag. Which is kind of the fun of it.

(image via here)

4. Cheetos Crunchy. It's bold, it's crunchy, and it makes your fingers yellow.

(image via here)

3. Fandangos. Another Brazilian classic. It's made of corn, but tastes like ham. You heard right, ham.

(image via here)

2. Skips. Now for a British classic. The ad for this prawn cocktail flavoured snack used to say that it "melts in your mouth". It really does.

(image via here)

1. Kettle Chips, Sea Salt & Balsamic Vinegar. This is a sophisticated chip that has a primitive yet satisfying crunch. From the beautiful simplicity of the sea salt, to the elegance of the balsamic vinegar, this is a potato chip in its finest form.

(image via here)

butter and style

One of the best things to have for breakfast here in Brazil is bread with butter. Simple as that. You go into any bakery and ask for "pão com manteiga" (or bread with butter), plus a coffee, and they will serve you something that looks very much like this:

(image via here)

For this breakfast to work, you have to have good butter. And this, my friend, is good butter.

(image via here)

This is Aviação (or aviation), a brand that has been around since 1920. It is one of the most traditional brands of butter in Brazil, and also the most stylish. They come in these vintage inspired orange tins, maintaining their logo from the 1940s.

Butter that tastes and looks good.

breakfast from the french gods

This is Blés D'Or, so far my favourite place to have breakfast/brunch in São Paulo.

(image via here)

This absolutely charming French bakery located in Moema, is headed by Parisian chef Didier Niepceron. They serve an impressive spread for their breakfast. Anything and everything you could desire is laid out in front of you, on an antique style wooden table. Croissants, small quiches, freshly baked breads, crepes with scrumptious chocolate pastes, scrambled eggs, ratatouille, a variety of jams (from raspberry to papaya), cakes, fruit juices ... It's one thing to have variety, but quality? It has it in spades. Everything I have tasted there has yet to let me down.

I usually have the scrambled eggs with ratatouille, the chocolate croissant with an almond crust, the regular croissant with the raspberry or tarte tatin apple jam, the bite-size goat cheese and tomato quiche, some fruit juice, and a café au lait. And I'm not even consuming half the table here.

This is a place that is very relaxed, where you can go with friends, family, or take the newspaper with you. Chef Didier is usually around when I go for breakfast on the weekends, and he is equally relaxed and welcoming to all his customers (and not bad to look at. I'm just saying.). The only thing you have to keep in mind is that during the weekends the place gets packed for breakfast and brunch.

But, seriously, what is waiting in line for a while when you will be delighting in a breakfast so good you'll want to die of happiness afterwards?

jesus's pink dream

Are you familiar with the Brazilian soft drink Guaraná? If you are not, learn about it here. It is my favourite soft drink of all time. But this is even better, for its sheer fabulousness.

This is Guaraná Jesus, the best-selling soft drink in the Brazilian state of Maranhão, supposedly outselling Coca-Cola.

(image from here)

This is why it is probably the best soft drink in the world (at least top ten):

(1) it's bright pink;

(2) it's called Jesus Guaraná after the man who created it (not the famous Jesus) who, legend has it, was an atheist;

(3) its slogans are: "o sonho cor de rosa" (pink dream); "fé no seu estômago" (faith in your stomach); and, my personal favourite, "abençõe sua sede" (bless your thirst).

I have heard that because Guaraná Jesus is not easily found outside Maranhão, and due to its evident style (you can't beat a fluorescent beverage), it is garnering a cool factor amongst hipsters.

Personally, I have yet to try the pink concoction, but I will certainly be on the lookout. The traditional Guaraná Antártica tastes sweet and refreshing, drawing its taste from the guaraná fruit the drink is derived from. But Guaraná Jesus is apparently overtly sweet, with hints of cinnamon and clover, and quite unpleasant.

But, jesus, does it look good.

the best chocolate cake in the world

Finally, a post about São Paulo.

While driving around the Jardim Paulista neighbourhood, I often pass by a bakery called O Melhor Bolo de Chocolate do Mundo (The Best Chocolate Cake in the World).

You gotta have some balls to claim that you sell the best chocolate cake in the world.

I don't like chocolate cake, never have, but I decided to check it out today. And, surprise surprise, I didn't like it.

But the story surrounding the store is pretty interesting.

This is a twenty year-old recipe originally created by a Portuguese restauranteur, Carlos Brás Lopes. In 1987, he opened his restaurant in Lisbon specialising in regional Portuguese cuisine, and this cake was developed to be served as a dessert. The cake became such a hit that in 2002 he opened O Melhor Bolo de Chocolate do Mundo to sell the cake exclusively. Word of mouth led Brazilian tourists in Lisbon to taste the famous cake, which resulted in Lopes opening up the first store in São Paulo in 2007.

They only sell three versions of the cake - semi-dark chocolate (made of 70% cocoa), traditional sweet chocolate (made of 53% cocoa), and a "zero sugar" option. The recipe uses imported gourmet chocolate, does not include flour nor baking powder, and it is kosher.

(image from here)

I didn't really consider this to be a cake, since it is made up of chocolate meringue with chocolate filling and icing. Personally, I found it to be a little dry. And, like I said, I don't like chocolate cake. However, I do know people who are gaga over it.

If you are ever in São Paulo, it is definitely worth visiting one of their three locations in the city. Then you can tell your friends that you tasted the best chocolate cake in the world.

when life gives you lemons...

... make lemon pie.

I have been back in Brazil (São Paulo, specifically) for about a year and a half. One of the things I always missed when I was away from Brazil was lemon pie.

But lemon pie-less I would never be. While living in London, for instance, I would revel in the delicate and tart French lemon pies.

Voilá.

Yet as tasty as they always were, these lemon delights always left a little hole in my heart, which longed for that one ingredient that is at the very core of the Brazilian lemon pie recipes of my childhood.

Condensed milk.

It brings me joy and a sense of peace that no other condiment is capable of.

The taste of lemon in this Brazilian version bursts through the sweetness of the condensed milk and the meringue.

It is a profound experience. It makes me want to cry.