I recently learned that when it comes to eating out in Rio, it pays to get off the beaten path. Although everyone knows it’s the Squire’s destination of choice, for as many times as we’ve visited, we never seemed to venture further beyond touristy Copacabana and Ipanema, great standards for visitors to this tropical paradise but not exactly cutting edge. Our destination one sultry evening during the super-animated annual Carnaval celebration was ZUKA, the sexy, daring outpost of Cariocas in the know. Situated in Leblon, Ipanema’s closest neighbor geographically and widely acknowledged as its’ younger, hipper sister, it’s known for its signature beach culture, chic shops and profusion of trendy bars and restaurants. With dreams of passion fruit caipirinhas in my head after a long day touring the Floresta da Tijuca (Rio’s version of Central Park), I was finally going to experience where the locals hang out when they are in town. Aside from strolling its beautiful beach, a stretch between Postos 11 and 12 which lures the beautiful people of Rio, my only experience in this quasi- Beverly Hills was a business meeting with a Brazilian client in his massive aerie in the hills overlooking the sea with Sugarloaf in the distance. This time I’d be grounded with the locals as I’m inclined to do.
It’s true that during Carnaval many Cariocas head for the hills and rent out their high-rise condos to savvy tourists but on this night it seemed that they were in full force as the restaurant was packed and buzzing with energy. At first glance the retractable façade of paneled glass and the washed concrete walls reminded me of Venice Beach or Santa Monica and that cool, California groove made me feel at home right away. The relaxed environment inside revealed an open dining room with the grill in full view facing out to diners and this assured me that the vibe from the kitchen was definitely wafting down to the lucky guests hungry for the action. And they were ready with smiles on their faces.
ZUKA is all about the grill and is the only restaurant in Rio that turns barbecue into haute cuisine. To the delight of guests, one also gets to watch 29 year old self-taught chef Ludmilla Soeiro in command, playing with temperatures, flavors, colors and textures as she creates international dishes with flair and verve. The menu, nestled inside an earthy spiral bound notebook, is divided into 3 parts – the sea, the land and the air. We snuggled into our leather banquette and speculated, finally succumbing to a Tasting Menu (128 BRL, approx $74), an 8 course “tour of the neighborhoods” food-wise and a blank canvas for Ludmilla’s genius. This was a huge leap of faith considering that a meal of this size in Brazil can only be compared to churrasco, that endless wonderful meat fest, but it was near to 100 degrees at the moment and our thoughts were leaning more toward a liquid meal if you know what I mean. Soon enough however, our gamble paid off.
We began with seared tuna semi-cru served with a tagliatelle of palm hearts dressed in a light, milk infusion of horse radish cream, not exactly what you’d expect to eat in Brazil. Ludmilla continued her antics with fish for the appetizers. The tender grilled shrimp coated in garlic breadcrumbs and served with a scoop of Sicilian lemon risotto took me right to a Mediterranean yacht moored off San Remo and the octopus carpaccio that followed cleared the way for the fuller meat courses. Argentinean beef with a truffle-scented potato puree brought me back to South America’s preference for incredible cuts of red meat and the porcini-crusted veal filet served with a sweet potato and pear gratin with a perfumed pepper reduction was swoon-worthy and elegantly subtle. This was the perfect set-up for the dramatic and tantalizing foie gras experience, a trio of flavors – citrus, savory and sweet. Never have I been more intrigued with foie gras. Our dessert course took us all back to childhood, a sweetened warm egg cream with roasted walnuts topped with cinnamon ice cream. Hmmm, maybe we could bottle this and drink it to help us survive Carnaval!
Ludmilla’s wild presentation kept our eyes amused and as we finished with a tea service extraordinaire and stepped outside to Leblon’s streets, the beautiful people were in a crush on the sidewalk waiting for tables. Ah, Carnaval! Even our taxi driver asked what was happening there. Business as usual, in Leblon of course.
Zuka
Rua Dias Ferreira 233B
Leblon, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
55 21 3205 7154