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Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Taste of Brazil - Los Angeles

Taste of Brazil - Los Angeles 1

Cousin Q first mentioned Taste of Brazil to me long ago as a non-churrascaria Brazilian restaurant in case I wanted to try it. Last September, I finally went with Tony and Mrs. SinoSoul and their friends.

I did not realize there would be live music that night. And two big tables celebrating a birthday. All Asian people too. In a Brazilian restaurant? What was going on? The combination of live music and raucous eaters meant WE HAD TO TALK LIKE THIS TO BE HEARD. And I did not like that.


Taste of Brazil - Los Angeles 2

Nonetheless, we persevered.


I had wanted to try some Brazilian juices, until I glanced to the side and realized they all came from a box.

We ordered the pao de queijo (Brazilian cheese bread), $8.04. Yes, such an odd price? The cheese bread takes 30 minutes. Only seven little puffs for more than $8?!


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They were about the size of a golf ball and yes, they were good, but not worth more than $1 apiece.


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I ordered the stroganoff de carne, sliced pieces of beef with cream sauce and mushrooms, rice, and fries, $11.40. The fries were crisp potato straws. Good old Wikipedia, said beef stroganoff is a very popular dish in Brazil.


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Tony's friend ordered the stronganoff de frango, or chicken stroganoff, $11.40. I tasted some of hers and liked my beefy version more. She liked hers more. :)


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Tony's high school friend ordered bife acebolado (Brazilian skirt steak with grilled onions, rice, beans, and fries), $9.84. Another odd price? This was the best value to food ratio of the night. Just steak and onions, but it was good and yet slightly different.


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Tony and his wife got peixe a baiana (Brazilian fish fillet with palm oil and coconut milk, rice, and plantains), $12.36. Another odd price? This was OK. I remember the coconut milk was pretty subtle.


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They also ordered calabreza (Brazilian sausage with onions and fried yucca), $9.36. The sausages tasted like regular smoked sausage to me.


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I do like fried yucca though.


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I didn't love or hate Taste of Brazil. It's hard when my only frame of reference for Brazilian food is Fogo de Chao - Beverly Hills. By no means did I expect Taste of Brazil to be on the same scale. It's just a small mom-and-pop restaurant serving homey food. I think if I were nostalgic for the country or the cuisine, then this might be my kind of place, but I am neither so it was nice to try just once.

Other Brazilian restaurants:
Fogo de Chao - Beverly Hills

Taste of Brazil
4840 S. Huntington Dr.
Los Angeles, CA 90032
323-342-9422
Monday and Tuesday 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Closed Wednesday
Thursday to Sunday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Live music every Friday and Saturday.

*****
1 year ago today, Peruvian woodfire rotisserie chicken at Pollo ala Brasa - Los Angeles.
2 years ago today, Mo Hanh (Vietnamese Scallion Oil).
3 years ago today, my peonies were blooming. Along with my Ramblin' Red Climber rose, hollyhocks, more roses, evening primroses (which don't look like roses at all), and strawberries.

3 comments:

  1. WC,

    I think it seems like a rather pricy restaurant, all things considered. Those overpriced cheese 'puffs' are called gougeres in France, and here's a good recipe you can check out:
    http://www.bakingobsession.com/2009/06/04/gougeres/

    ReplyDelete
  2. We had lunch here with friends a few months ago. We loved it!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Tammy,
    I know they're essentially the same but these taste a little different from gougeres to me.

    WeeMo,
    I thought it was OK, but Tony hated it! Absolutely hated it. But he hates everything. :P

    ReplyDelete

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