Brazil for Insiders: July 2009

Jul 20, 2009

It's winter in São Paulo: soups on the menu at Boa Bistro

Boa Bistro is a cute little place in the Jardins district. And, like many restaurants in São Paulo, it's introduced a soup menu for July, the coldest month of the year.

The menu thought up by chef Tatiana Szeles has a bit of everything, even a thai soup....

Cream of corn, shitake and goat cheese
R$ 23,40

Cream of pumpkin, brie and arugula
R$ 22,30

Cream of mushrooms with wasabi and truffle oil
R$ 23,10

Tomato and basil soup
R$ 21,50

Asian broth with vegetables and ginger (pictured at top)
R$ 22,10

Creme de ervilha com fumeiro
R$ 23,10

boa bistrô
Rua Padre João Manuel, 950

Jul 15, 2009

Le Marais, chef Paulo de Barros' new restaurant, in Itaim, São Paulo

Chef Paulo de Barros and partner Ida Maria Frank - who own the perennially full and successful Due Cuochi, just opened the French bistro Le Marais also in the Itaim district of São Paulo.

On the menu, everything you'd expect to find at a traditional bistro: quiches, mille-feuilles, ragouts, steak frittes, etc.

Le Marais - Rua Jerônimo da Veiga, 30, tel. 3071-2873

And more dining in São Paulo on this blog:

Alex Atala:

Coffee Shops, Pastry Shops, snacks:

Nespresso boutique, Jardins

Japanese restaurants:

Jul 11, 2009

Chef Bel Coelho is back, with the opening of Dui restaurant in São Paulo

At last, chef Bel Coelho’s eagerly awaited new restaurant, called Dui, has opened. The official opening date? July 14, Bastille Day. But they’re already running the place at a fast clip and it’s the most sought-after reservation in town.

Chef Coelho made her name when she left Alex Atala’s D.O.M. and launched her solo career at Sabuji restaurant, and almost immediately began winning all sorts of awards. She's only 30 but has been in the business for 13 years, and worked under the formidable Roca brothers at El Celler de Can Roca, the 2-Michelin star in Girona, Spain. Since then, her career had hit a lull, and her comeback has been highly anticipated.

Here's a photo of her potato cream with Serrano ham crisp:

I read in O Estado de São Paulo newspaper that she serves two delicious desserts there. One is the brownie with Brazil nuts and banana ice cream; another are figs roasted in a wood-burning oven and served with vanilla cream and a mixture of orange juice and lemongrass.

According to the paper, it has a main restaurant area with a menu focusing on comfort food, plus a tapas bar serving modern finger food and drinks. In September she’ll unveil a little restaurant-within-a-restaurant called Clandestino, where she’ll serve up tasting menus to a maximum of 15 guests.

DUÍ - Al. Franca, 1590, tel.:2649-7952

And more São Paulo dining on this blog:

Alex Atala:

Coffee Shops, Pastry Shops, snacks:

Nespresso boutique, Jardins

Japanese restaurants:

Jul 8, 2009

Outlet Premium, Brazil's first upscale outlet mall, opens near São Paulo - by Lea Dorf

Outlet Premium São Paulo, a new outlet shopping mall and the first of its kind in Brazil, has just opened near the city of Itu, about 1 hour away from São Paulo. The mall is part of the Outlet Premium chain, which has about 50 locations worldwide.

It will probably be a big hit: Brazilian love outlet centers and are frequent visitors in locations such as New York, Orlando and Las Vegas. It's a cultural thing: when Brazilians see discounted items, they just can't help it and usually buy furiously (yes, I'm included in this category).

The outlet will have more than 90 brands, which range from luxury ones such as Armani and Zegna to others like Diesel, Lacoste, Adidas and Nike. Many cool Brazilian brands will also be there: chic Trousseau (bed & bath), Track & Field (best local sportswear brand) and designer brands such as urban Ellus and Iodice, Carlos Miele's M. Officer, trendy and bohemian Isabela Capeto, Ricardo Almeida's suits and Zeferino's fashionable shoes.

The mall, located on the (excelent) Bandeirantes highway, will have open-air ambiance, inspired in the American centers. Discounts will vary between 40 e 80%.
Apart from Brazilian avid shoppers and "sacoleiras" (who buy tons of clothes to resell in their countryside towns), the mall will also attract families, since it's located next to two of Brazil's major theme parks: Hopi Hari e Wet'n Wild. An hotel from the Quality brand and a regular shopping mall, Shopping Serra Azul, are located in the same complex, and a resort is also planned.

OUTLET PREMIUM - RODOVIA DOS BANDEIRANTES, km 72 - SP

Other Fashion/Shopping posts:

Jul 7, 2009

Whale beaches at São Paulo's Pinacoteca do Estado museum

Weird, I know. But true. There is a full-size beached whale, measuring a whopping 18 meters in length (and 3 meters in diameter) at the Pinacoteca do Estado, one of São Paulo's best art museums. Instead of blubber and skin, the whale is actually made of styrofoam and covered in blue jean fabric and is the work of artist João Loureiro. On show until August 23. The photo (and the news) are brought to you courtesy of Diogo Oliveira, the über personal concierge who runs the tailored tour company SP Bureau.

For those of you who don't know the Pinacoteca, it's actually the city's oldest museum and first opened in December 1905. It started off with a focus on 19th Century Braziian art. In the sixties, the collection continued to grow and incorporated several later works. Today it owns more than 8,000 works, and has expanded into a second building, which was dubbed Estação Pinacoteca. The main building suffered a significant remodelling and expansion in the late 90s, projected by Pritzer prize winner Paulo Mendes da Rocha - considered by many one of the architect's most masterful projects.

Pinacoteca do Estado: Praça da Luz, 2, tel. 11 3324.1000. Tuesdays to Sundays, 10 am to 6 pm

And more sightseeing and attractions in São Paulo:

Before you go