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.
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?!
They were about the size of a golf ball and yes, they were good, but not worth more than $1 apiece.
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.
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. :)
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.
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.
They also ordered calabreza (Brazilian sausage with onions and fried yucca), $9.36. The sausages tasted like regular smoked sausage to me.
I do like fried yucca though.
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.
WC,
ReplyDeleteI 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/
We had lunch here with friends a few months ago. We loved it!
ReplyDeleteTammy,
ReplyDeleteI 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