The São Paulo skyline.
Rio de Janeiro is Brazil’s first city of sun and fun, but São Paulo is its capital of dining and cocktails. Thanks to the melting pot of communities that migrated there from diverse corners of Europe and Asia, Brazil’s largest city will satisfy even the most demanding palates.
‘Sampa’, as it’s widely known, is a love-it-or-hate-it kind of metropolis, busy and fast-paced, whose 12 million paulistanos (residents) dance to their own beat. Getting around can be time consuming (many chief executives commute by helicopter; the city has the world’s largest helicopter fleet), but the intense traffic jams are offset by spontaneous samba gatherings on street corners, precious moments where Brazilians’ joviality hot-steps to life.
Once you have become accustomed to the hustle, the steep, leafy streets and never-ending avenues of skyscrapers daubed with enormous murals will begin to reveal their charms. The metro system and extensive bus network are both relatively straightforward to use; single tickets can be bought for the equivalent of less than £1, though fares for both can be paid using a rechargeable Bilehete Unico card. Car service apps are very economical.
Credit: JP Map Graphics Ltd
Portuguese settlers gave the country its language and industries such as sugar cane, rubber and coffee production, but they aren’t unique in leaving their mark on São Paulo’s culinary scene. As home to about 660,000 people of Japanese descent – the largest such community outside the land of the rising sun – top-notch omakase, sushi counters and ramen bars (the revered noodle bowl is often written and pronounced by Brazilians as ‘lamen’) form a prominent part of the cityscape.
Fans of Japanese and Korean foods should browse the Liberdade and Bom Retiro neighbourhoods, respectively. Italian heritage is so dominant that taking part in paulistanos’ Sunday-night pizza ritual is non-negotiable. Lebanese, Syrian and West African food – the latter a culinary legacy of slavery – have also added threads to Sampa’s vibrant tapestry.
Starry kickstart
The city’s dining scene was recently given a boost by the relaunch of Brazil’s Michelin Guide in May; São Paulo establishments picked up 98 mentions, including three two-stars, 12 one-stars and 30 Bib Gourmands (‘offering exceptionally good food at moderate prices’, according to the Guide).
Thanks to this thriving gastronomic scene and a sophisticated dining public, you can drink as well as you eat. Wine lovers will be pleased to know that Brazilian winemakers are slowly but steadily growing in number, as is interest in sake and local rum-like distillate cachaça.
One of the city’s finest cellars is at Tuju, a newly minted two-star Michelin restaurant in Jardim Paulistano. Having shuttered the restaurant during the pandemic, chef Ivan Ralston returned with an ultra-seasonal menu, using locally sourced, emissions-light seasonal ingredients (guided by rainfall rather than temperature). Standout dishes in his Drought menu include hare with foie gras and cod with trout roe.
Katherina Cordás and Ivan Ralston of Tuju. Credit: Rubens Tatibana
His wife Katherina Cordás developed Tuju’s research centre, which informs the menu; she also heads the front-of-house team. The 1,300 label-strong cellar is curated by rising-star sommelier Juliana Carani. The 12-course tasting menu can be paired with one of her three lists – World Classics, Discoveries and South America – or by the bottle. There are various vintage verticals available, including Château d’Yquem. Make sure to order award-winning bartender Rachel Louise’s take on an Espresso Martini, made with jackfruit.
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Source : https://www.decanter.com.master.public.keystone-prod-eks-euw1.futureplc.engineering/wine-travel/sao-paulo-travel-guide-the-peerless-itinerary-for-wine-lovers-538040/
