Flying Down to Rio

The origins of Brazilian cuisine are in part from Portugal who colonized the country in 1533, explaining why Brazil is the only Portuguese speaking country in South America. After a lengthy Moorish occupation the Portuguese had adapted a number of North African cooking traditions including coffee, dried fruit and pastries. The second influence comes from the African slaves shipped to Brazil working in the sugar plantation bring dende, peppers and coconut milk to the table.

Rio de Janeiro with its fun loving Carioca people, sizzling samba beat and the wild carnival (the festival who's origins were to use up all the meat in the three days leading up to the start of Lent) must make it one of the most exotic destination in the world. It's food as exotic as the destination.

Brazil is a big beef producing country and therefore its not surprising that one its most popular style of dinning is Churrasco with up to thirty different joints of meat grilled on sword like rotating skewers. The whole has a fixed price ranging from US$12-30 and a great value for money, making dinning out with friends in Rio an affordable experience. Having made your selection your Passador or waiter proudly strides across the restaurant with blade vertical. As he reaches the table, lowers the sword and carves the meat freshly onto your plate. Very macho and typically Brazilian but not Thai style or something one would have expected to find in Bangkok.

But much to surprise that is what I found when I recently dined at Asia Hotel's Rio Grill. Not only do they have an authentic Brazilian Chaurascaria but they also serve my favourite Brazilian cocktail Caipiranha. A mixture of Cashasa a sugar cane based alcohol, LimeJuice, sugar and crushed ice and costs just B80 a glass. As I took my first sip memories of walking along the beaches of Ipanema and Copacabana coming flooding back to me.

But why a Brazilian restaurant in Bangkok? Apparently the owner of the Asia Hotel had spent a lot of time in Brazil. When he returned to Thailand he wanted to share the flavours of Rio de Janeiro with his friends here. "We did have to adjust the taste slightly to suit the Thai palate" explained Steve Chong, General Manager of Asia Hotel, "adding salmon, ostrich and salmon to the selection of meats and introducing a salad bar and soup of the day, at the request of our female customers. When we opened Rio Grill on 15th December 1994 we set up the restaurant with a Brazilian Chef who stayed with us for a year to ensure authenticity. Today we are still using his recipes."

The decor is very authentic heavy wood is a slight monastic style. It reminded me of the dinning room at the Tropical Hotel at the famous Iguacu Falls on the boarder of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. The samba beat just completed the ambiance.

There are a total of 12 different meats available including five different sausages. Having had the soup of the day and some of the crispy salad, a plate with a baked potato and a selection of salsas including one of red bean and another of sweet corn was placed in front of me. Then started the parade of meats. The first sword to be brought to the table was salmon stakes, the Lemon Chili sauce was recommended to accompany it. This was followed by Ostrich meat well matched with the Thai chili sauce. Then came the one with chicken wings. They went nicely with the sweet chili sauce. Next it was the turn of whole leg lamb from which the Passador carved a slice onto my plate the full length of the joint. Even I knew this would go with the mint sauce. Followed by pieces of beef that went well with a Brazilian Melho Sauce. When I saw the whole grilled pineapple on a sword being I thought that this was dessert. But I was wrong, my dinning companion lent over and whispered in my ear "Just two more different sausages for you to try to Khun Laurence". They were a Swiss sausage followed by a veal sausage.

The Cariocas of Rio de Janeiro like the Thai's smile a lot or are supposed to. The dessert Eyes of Happiness Doll is dedicated to the Brazilian smile. Bananas flambed in butter, sugar and triple sec curacao formed the mouth, a scope of vanilla ice cream for the nose; sultanas for the eyebrows and flaked almonds for the eyelashes. It was a nice touch for the last course to smile at me. Or had I had one too many glasses of caiprinha - I doubt it.

I finished the meal with a freshly brewed Brazilian Coffee. Brazilians must have very hearty appetites. The portions if any thing are possibly over generous particularly for lunch.

Brazilian cuisine is really only for meat eaters and is very traditional style of cooking that some may feel is old fashioned. If you are feeling hungry at set price Baht 389++ for all you can eat, it is very affordable and you won't leave hungry.

Rio Grill, Asia Hotel,
296 Phayathai Rd, Bangkok
Tel 215-0808, fax 215-4360 BTS Ratchathevi.
Open daily 11.30am-2pm, 6-10.30pm.
All major credit cards accepted.