Need information on Brazilian food.

[Mystic Muse]

I'm going to be taking my mom out to a place that's opened nearby called Tucano's, which is apparently a Brazilian grill. However, here is the problem. I've never been to a Brazilian Grill, and have no dang clue what the food is like. As such, I'd like playgrounders to help me determine what some of this stuff is like, so I know whether I'll like it.

http://www.tucanos.com/menu/ft-wayne-menu.html

Here's the menu, just wondering what I'm in for ahead of time, so I don't order something that sounds good, but ends up being terrible.

[Tebryn]

The steaks tell you what they are, nothing there looks out of the ordinary of what you'd see in an American Steakhouse. Same with the Poultry. In fact...the whole menu gives a pretty good detailed list as to what things are. Stick to the beef if you like beef if that's not a good enough answer. You'll be pretty safe.

[Mystic Muse]

The steaks tell you what they are, nothing there looks out of the ordinary of what you'd see in an American Steakhouse. Same with the Poultry. In fact...the whole menu gives a pretty good detailed list as to what things are. Stick to the beef if you like beef if that's not a good enough answer. You'll be pretty safe.

Thanks, just making sure. I hate unpleasant surprises.

[Dallas-Dakota]

As long as you don't take ages about it, you can always ask the waiter politely.

[razorback]

I've only been to one Brazilian BBQ in Las Vegas and what happens, which is pretty common from my friend who has been to these in Brazil, is that you are seated in given these color coded tokens (typically red and green) along with a plate to a salad/cold cut bar. You go to the bar and get your fill of cheese, cold cuts and salad. Don't fill up on these things, it's a trap.
After you sit, and if your token is green, the roving servers will come by with meat on a spit and ask if you want it. You say yes or no, as will everyone the table. Rinse and repeat.

I suggest pacing yourselves and not loading up on salad. Try the different varieties. Enjoy.

[Palanan]

Amazing. This is...Brazilian-American, I guess, or American-commercialized Brazilian. It's done on a Brazilian base, but I haven't seen this degree of Americanization before.

In general this is churrasco, which is a general term meaning grilled meat; you can find churrascarias clear across Brazil, from roadside stands to very swanky restaurants, and done right it's incredible. You want the picanha. If it's a decent restaurant, you'll have servers rotating among the tables with meat on skewers, as mentioned above. Keep your token set to green and they'll keep coming around, carving slices straight onto your plate. You want that picanha. :smalltongue:

Be sure to try the coxinha, which is one of my favorite snacks in Brazil. (That's an absurd price for a single coxinha, unless it's colossal, but if you're out to splurge then it's worth a try.) Nearly every culture has some form of meat wrapped in carbs: the samosa is classic for Indian food, the Dutch have those lovely fish croquettes, the Chinese have pork dumplings, the Midwest has kolaches. The coxinha is really common in Brazil, available from little stands in city parks and in just about every restaurant. I love 'em.

Also, I can't find it on the menu now, but I think they mentioned farofa. This is a classic Brazilian dish, which is ground manioc flour baked on a griddle. I've seen every stage of the process, from the roots soaking in a sunken canoe to the squeezing-out of excess liquid in a tipiti, which is essentially a six-foot-long Chinese finger puzzle. Tapioca is drawn off in one stage of the process, as a byproduct, and the end result is something that, when finely ground, is absolutely marvelous when mixed with ground meat and vegetables. If their buffet is remotely Brazilian, they'll have farofa.

For drinks, you want guaraná, which is the national soft drink of Brazil; it's smooth, light, almost delicate, and packs triple the caffeine of your average Coke. There are at least a dozen major brands in Brazil, each with its own distinctive taste; the standard favorite is Antarctica, but if they don't have that (unlikely) then Garoto is another good brand, or it used to be.

Also, to me it's self-evident, but I would strongly suggest you avoid the "Nachos Brasileiros," since there's nothing remotely Brazilian about nachos. In fact, apart from the coxinha, none of their appetizers are Brazilian; those are all Americanized overlays. (I love calamari, so I might try that, but otherwise I'd stick with the coxinha.)

As for desserts, most of these look pretty Americanized, but Brazilians have a deep love for chocolate (at least judging by their ice-cream stands) and the "Torre Chocolate" will probably be fine.

One other note: if you're feeling a little adventurous, try the coração de frango, which I note they don't translate on the menu. This means "chicken hearts," which is something Brazilians like to grill. I've had these at a backyard churrasco, and when grilled right they're fantastic.

Hope you have a good dinner out, and be sure to tell us how it went. I haven't had Brazilian food in way too long, and I really miss it.

Picanha. You want the picanha.

:smallbiggrin:

[Mystic Muse]

Why do I want the Picanha over, say, the seafood selection?

[Tebryn]

Why do I want the Picanha over, say, the seafood selection?

Because loin meat is the best you're going to get. And it's a grill, getting sea food at a grill is like ordering the chicken teriyaki at a sushi place. It'll be good but you're missing out.

[JustPlayItLoud]

We have a Tucano's downtown in the city I live in. They bring by sticks of meat and ask if you want it. Just say yes. That's all you need to know about Tucano's, the rest is unimportant. My wife said they once served her undercooked chicken, but I've been there multiple times and have never had an incident beyond needing to be taken out of the restaurant in a wheelbarrow. Same with everyone else I know that's been there. If you want to eat yourself stupid on large amounts of tasty meat, this is the place for you.

[Gray Mage]

I might be a little late to the party, but here goes. Churrasco is basically a barbecue, but the meat is cooked in skewers over fire rather then a grill. On the menu itself, it seems pretty standard, although with less variety than normal, but it could be the standard for the US.

Most of it should be familiar to you, with the exception of coração de frango and guaraná. As Palanan translated, it is chicken hearts, so it might seem strange to you, although for Brazilians it's quite natural so it'll probably be the most surprising thing on the menu. As for guaraná, it's a kind of soda, although I'd say it's sweeter than most sodas.

[TheThan]

I've only been to one Brazilian BBQ in Las Vegas and what happens, which is pretty common from my friend who has been to these in Brazil, is that you are seated in given these color coded tokens (typically red and green) along with a plate to a salad/cold cut bar. You go to the bar and get your fill of cheese, cold cuts and salad. Don't fill up on these things, it's a trap.
After you sit, and if your token is green, the roving servers will come by with meat on a spit and ask if you want it. You say yes or no, as will everyone the table. Rinse and repeat.

I suggest pacing yourselves and not loading up on salad. Try the different varieties. Enjoy.

that's pretty much the way it is at the places here.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Mystic Muse
I'm going to be taking my mom out to a place that's opened nearby called Tucano's, which is apparently a Brazilian grill.

So, have you had your dinner there yet? Curious to know what you think of the place, and of Brazilian food in general.

[Mystic Muse]

So, have you had your dinner there yet? Curious to know what you think of the place, and of Brazilian food in general.

Not yet. Planning on sometime this week.

[Ravens_cry]

I tend to like spicy, flavourful things, and pretty much everything on that list sounds absolutely delicious!

[Palanan]

Picanha in particular is wonderfully flavorful if it's done right...and most Brazilian churrasco is done very, very right.

The coxinhas probably won't be spicy; that's not how they roll. Sounds like these are fairly herbed up, though, so I expect they'd be good.

And I really enjoyed the grilled coração de frango the one time I had it. A touch on the chewy side, but still really good.

Now I'm all motivated to find a Brazilian restaurant in my area. And although I don't need more caffeine in my life, I feel like resuming my quest to find a local supplier of guaraná Antarctica. Guaraná is just wonderful.

[tomandtish]

I've been to a few of these. Some are great, some so-so. Usually you won't have a bad experience as far as the food goes.

One thing to be aware of though is the "extras". In almost everyone I've been to, they are going to push everything else very hard. For example, in looking at the menu for your place, I notice that technically the only drink with free refills listed is the Brazilian Lemonade (presumably the soft drinks at the bottom, but that's not listed). Since they sell some alcohol at least, they will push those heavily. As in, I actually had to tell our server at one place "I've told you three times I'm the designated driverand am not drinking. If you ask me again if I want a cocktail you aren't getting a tip".

In short, you can have a good meal and possibly try some meats flavored in ways you haven't tried before. But pay close attention to what else you get and how much.

[Palanan]

So, it's been a week since the OP's last post. Did this ever happen?

[Mystic Muse]

So, it's been a week since the OP's last post. Did this ever happen?

My mom decided she'd rather not go because the place is a bit too expensive, and she'd rather I take her out somewhere else. :smallfrown:

[Palanan]

:smalleek:

:smallannoyed:

:smallmad:

:smallfrown:



Ah well. I know how it can go with the parents.

: /

[Larkas]

As a Brazilian, I must say I giggled a little at that menu :smallsmile: It looks like a fair enough restaurant, I guess! The menu is a little simplistic, there are a few peculiarities here and there, a few plates that are probably "inspired by" but not quite authentic and, ehm, an ortography error (but I'm trying to drown my inner grammar-nazi, so let's skip that). If you ever plan on going there in the future, a few pointers:

- As people said above, you WANT to try the picanha. It's the tastiest meat of the bunch by a long shot, and soft to boot.

- I've no idea of what a "picalho" is. I'm guessing it must be a picanha prepared with garlic. Shouldn't be half bad if that's the case. If you ever try that, let us know what you thought about it. :smallsmile:

- I noticed that there isn't a description of what a Carne Marinada is. It is, quite literally, a marinated meat. Which could be frankly anything. We don't have any traditional dish by that name, it's just a generic name. I'd try it on the basis of aways trying unknown meat dishes. :smallbiggrin:

- As Palanan already said, coração de frango means "chicken hearts". If prepared right, they will taste great. If prepare perfectly, it won't be chewy. Try it!

- Regarding the appetizers, "onion tropical" isn't a traditional dish. I can't understand how that couldn't be good, though. There is no such thing as "nachos brasileiros", unless they're using that name to represent something wildly different (like the tapioca Palanan mentioned). I've no idea of what the calamari's "carnaval sauce" is supposed to be, though. Definitely try the coxinhas and the buffalo wings. Too bad they don't have pastéis...

- About the beverages, I'd try the "Brazilian lemonade", on the grounds that they might use Brazilian limes in it. I can say I much prefer our limes to the lemons used in the U.S., what with they having a much more powerful flavor, but I don't know if they'll use a native (ehm, imported) variety. Definitely try the guaraná, though, specially if it's from Antarctica.

- Definitely, DEFINITELY try the Pudim de Leite.

- In general, Brazilian food isn't too spicy (or spicy at all), though it can be somewhat salty and have heavy usage of garlic and onion for taste. But keep in mind that is a HEAVY generalization. Food from Bahia (a northeastern state) tend to be VERY spicy, specific regional dishes might be somewhat spicy too, and even though the "general" food doesn't have pepper in its making, lots of Brazilians like to add pepper directly to their plates (as in full chili peppers from a preserve, not powdered black pepper), and as such I don't know how it will be served. The restaurant's food could have been adapted to the local tastes too, so it could be spicier than the "original", but considering it's a churrascaria, you should be safe.

As a parting advice (and I should be getting paid for this :smalltongue: ), consider trying a Fogo de Chão (http://www.fogodechao.com/locations/) restaurant if there's one in your area. It's an authentic fine Brazilian churrascaria chain. If the ones in U.S. are half as good as the ones in Brazil, they will be awesome. If they are half as expensive, though, they won't be cheap at all. :smallfrown:

Oh, and a parting gift: 24 Traditional Brazilian Foods You Need To Eat Right Now (http://www.buzzfeed.com/gabrielakruschewsky/traditional-brazilian-foods-you-need-to-eat-right-now). Most of my foreign friends who visited Brazil agree with that list. I then complement it with this other one (http://matadornetwork.com/nights/strange-fruit-a-guide-to-eating-in-brazil/), and then everyone's complaining at how hungry they are. :smallbiggrin: (Both are far from exhaustive, though.)

[razorback]

As a parting advice (and I should be getting paid for this ), consider trying a Fogo de Chão restaurant if there's one in your area. It's an authentic fine Brazilian churrascaria chain. If the ones in U.S. are half as good as the ones in Brazil, they will be awesome. If they are half as expensive, though, they won't be cheap at all. There is one less than an hour from where I live... I know where I'm going this weekend.

[Larkas]

There is one less than an hour from where I live... I know where I'm going this weekend.

I should definitely be getting paid for this. :smallbiggrin: I hope you like it!

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Larkas
The menu is a little simplistic, there are a few peculiarities here and there, a few plates that are probably "inspired by" but not quite authentic and, ehm, an ortography error....

To me, it looks as if they have a number of core Brazilian specialties (picanha, coxinhas, coração de frango, etc.) and then they filled it out with some typical Americanized restaurant fare, such as nachos, calamari, Buffalo wings, etc. etc.

Also, Larkas, is the spelling error "Frutos du Mar"? I'd say it should be "Frutos do Mar." Also, "linguiça" should strictly be lingüiça, and "Guarana" should of course be guaraná.

Anything else? :smalltongue:


Originally Posted by Larkas
Too bad they don't have pastéis...

Or pão de queijo! I miss pão de queijo.

Also, anything maracujá.



And it is a cosmic injustice that there are four, count them, four locations for Fogo de Chão in Texas, but not a single one in my state.

:smallfrown:

[Larkas]

To me, it looks as if they have a number of core Brazilian specialties (picanha, coxinhas, coração de frango, etc.) and then they filled it out with some typical Americanized restaurant fare, such as nachos, calamari, Buffalo wings, etc. etc.

Makes sense. Might be too much of a hassle to fit more specialties in the menu, I guess.


Also, Larkas, is the spelling error "Frutos du Mar"? I'd say it should be "Frutos do Mar." Also, "linguiça" should strictly be lingüiça, and "Guarana" should of course be guaraná.

Anything else? :smalltongue:

I was thinking of "Frutos du Mar", yes. :smallbiggrin: The "ü" was dropped in a recent grammatical change, and I totally missed the lack of a "á" on guaraná :smallredface: I must confess that lack of accentuation doesn't bother me too much since, uh, the start of the PC era :smallbiggrin: Back in the day, either you got things by context or you were talking in English anyways. All hail Unicode!


Or pão de queijo! I miss pão de queijo.

Also, anything maracujá.

The problem with pão-de-queijo is that you need "polvilho doce" for the recipe, which is a fine, white powder... I'm sure you can see how importing that stuff might be awkward! :smalleek: I thought of bringing some to my cousin living in Dallas, what with me living in Minas Gerais and all. That thought lasted exactly 1.2 miliseconds. :smallbiggrin: Anyways, I would be a little biased if I said that pão-de-queijo is awesome. IT'S IN MY BLOOD! :smallbiggrin:

And yeah, maracujá rules! But you do have some passion fruit stuff there, right?


And it is a cosmic injustice that there are four, count them, four locations for Fogo de Chão in Texas, but not a single one in my state.

:smallfrown:

FOUR? How-what-why- It's a big state, alright, but it having four and where you live having none is downright unfair. :smallfrown: Oh, well... If you visit some town that has one, be sure to check it out!

[Mystic Muse]

:smalleek:

:smallannoyed:

:smallmad:

:smallfrown:



Ah well. I know how it can go with the parents.

: /

At the moment she's right, it'd be best if we went somewhere a little cheaper. Maybe once i get some money for my birthday, or if I get a big paycheck though. :smallsmile:

[Janus]

Yeah, the cost of a churrascaria in America can be irritating. The one closest me is $35 for a meal, and I wound up paying at least $50 (didn't realize that the Guaraná was $4 a can). I really enjoyed it, but it was still missing something I can't put my finger on (granted, I also ate churrasco in a Brazilian home with awesome people. Hard to beat that).

I ate chicken hearts in Brazil. I liked them, but I had to force myself to forget what it was I was eating. It's like a blend of meat and mushroom.

Am I the only one that prefers the tatu/lagartixa (eye of round, I think) to the picanha?

EDIT
I was really disappointed when I found out that Brazilians (or at least the people of Santa Catarina) don't usually like sour candy. I once bought a bag that said "EXTREME SOUR!" on it, and the cashier even asked if I was sure I wanted it. Wasn't sour at all. :smallannoyed:
I had my parents send some to me (I was there for two years), then got to enjoy the :smalleek:'s of my Brazilian friends as they tried Sour Skittles and the like for the first time ever.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Janus
The one closest me is $35 for a meal, and I wound up paying at least $50 (didn't realize that the Guaraná was $4 a can).

They can really stack up sometimes...I ended up paying that much on a date at a churrascaria in D.C., and it was sadly disappointing.

Also, $4.00 a can for guaraná is highway robbery. I love it, but not that much.


Originally Posted by Janus
...I was there for two years....

RPCV?

:smalltongue:

[Janus]

Also, $4.00 a can for guaraná is highway robbery.
I hadn't had it in a long time, and I was kinda desperate. "Saudade in a can," I called it.
Plus, I didn't realize it was $4 a can until I got the bill. :smallsigh:



RPCV?

:smalltongue:
LDS Missionary. :smallbiggrin:

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Janus
"Saudade in a can," I called it.

This is so true. It's been years for me...can't find a place in my area that sells them. And I really do miss them.

:smallfrown:

[Larkas]

People in Brazil have a serious problem with sour candies, I think. My favorite is this one (http://konbini.com.br/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/b/a/bala-japonesa-super-lemon-candy-nobel-83g.jpg) (it's Japanese, by the way), and I love the look in my friends' faces when they try some. :smallbiggrin:

About the guaraná can... Well, sad thing is, that's not so different from how much we'd pay for in a restaurant in the biggest cities here... :smallfrown: We can always get them much cheaper in a supermarket, though.

And tatu/lagartixa? Haven't heard of those cuts! Must be a regional Catarinense cut, they have some crazy names for them in the Southern Region! :smallbiggrin: They are the masters of churrasco, though. If by any chance it's the same as Minas Gerais' "lagarto", it is very good.

And guys, I don't know how that goes in America, but I stumbled upon guaraná easily in London, and I wasn't even looking for it. I even found my hometown's specialty soda - and you can't find that in São Paulo! Maybe, dunno, try different markets? :smallfrown:

[Palanan]

I don't recall finding guaraná soda in London, but I did run across a candy bar called Boost, which was supposedly made with guaraná powder. Don't know if that was true, but they were great either way.

As for the unusual cuts, tatu is the word for armadillo, and there are several species in the south of Brazil that are harvested for food. Lagartixa is used for several species of geckos.

Now, armadillos I can see being grilled, but not so sure about the geckos...so as Larkas says, these may be crazy southern regional names. Baaaaaaaabaridade!

:smallbiggrin:

[Janus]

And tatu/lagartixa? Haven't heard of those cuts! Must be a regional Catarinense cut, they have some crazy names for them in the Southern Region! :smallbiggrin: They are the masters of churrasco, though. If by any chance it's the same as Minas Gerais' "lagarto", it is very good.
It might be lagarto. Couldn't remember if it was lagarto or lagartixa.
And don't worry, it's just the name of the cut (of beef). Not sure why they call it that (other than "crazy Southerners").


And guys, I don't know how that goes in America, but I stumbled upon guaraná easily in London, and I wasn't even looking for it. I even found my hometown's specialty soda - and you can't find that in São Paulo! Maybe, dunno, try different markets? :smallfrown:
I've found it at a couple of Mexican stores here in Oklahoma, though the one I normally go to doesn't keep much in stock. They did have a 12 pack of Antarctica for roughly $16 once. :smallbiggrin:


Baaaaaaaabaridade!
Forgot the "tchê." :smalltongue:

EDIT
http://www.cliqueagosto.com.br/dicas/dicas_int.php?tecnicas_dicas_id=124
Yep, it's lagarto. Why the writer claims it's neither tasty nor succulent is beyond me.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Janus
They did have a 12 pack of Antarctica for roughly $16 once.

For an ordinary soft drink, that's absurd.

For Antarctica? In a heartbeat.

:smalltongue:

[Janus]

For an ordinary soft drink, that's absurd.

For Antarctica? In a heartbeat.

:smalltongue:

I'd pay even more for Pureza, a brand found in Florianópolis and nearby cities. It was an acquired taste for me, but boy was I happy when I acquired it. Few things beat an ice cold Pureza with a calabresa (or frango/catupiry) slice of pizza.

[Palanan]

o gawd.

catupiry.



There were few things I loved more when I was in Brazil. Really fantastic.

I've never heard of Pureza, but the furthest south I went was São Paulo. I usually stayed with Antarctica, but a friend of mine in Belém really liked Garoto. That might have been the local favorite in Belém, the way Pureza sounds like in Florianópolis.

I think I need to start hunting through the local Latino stores. I can't take this anymore.

:smalltongue:

[Larkas]

Pureza is AWESOME! Too bad Florianópolis is some 1000 miles away from where I live. D= My hometown's specialty soda is called "Mate Couro". Like I said, I found it when I was in London, so be sure to try it if you stumble upon it! :smallsmile: