One of the pioneers of Brazilian haute cuisine, he helped put national cuisine on the global gastronomic radar, as well as uncovering powerful ingredients from our land previously used only by local people or industry.
Year after year elected one of the best chefs in the world, Alex Atala continues the mission that began at the end of the 1990s: to learn more about our territory and our producers to put Brazil at the table – of the world.
This is the work he has been developing since 1999 at SUN, his starred restaurant on Rua Barão de Capanema, in Jardins, in the capital of São Paulo. In addition to the large chandelier that illuminates the central hall, the open kitchen also attracts attention, especially to the most attentive eyes: in the back, the painting representing a headdress is just one of the artifacts that signal that Brazil guides the environment, both on the walls as in the pans.
The history of DOM is entirely built on Brazilian flavors, but what takes it to a different level is research work, especially simplicity
Alex Atala
It was during his childhood that Alex came into contact with the Amazon, and years later he would help shed light on the biome and ingredients of the rich region. He began his career as a chef in Belgium, then went to France and took on challenges in kitchens in Montpellier and Milan. In 1994, in São Paulo, he headed the restaurants Filomena and 72.
Home ownership came in 1999 with the On the table and, in the same year, his authorial bet on contemporary Brazilian cuisine was born, the SUN . But the projects didn't stop there: in 2009 the chef brought the Dalva and Dito with a more informal concept of affective food and, of course, very Brazilian.
Not to mention sharing knowledge through books published in recent years focusing on Brazilian gastronomy. They are: “Alex Atala – For a Brazilian Gastronomy”; “With Nails, Teeth and Cuca – Culinary Practice and Head Chat within Everyone’s Reach”, with sociologist Carlos Alberto Dória; “Escoffianas Brasileiras”, with journalist Carolina Chagas, and “DOM – Rediscovering Brazilian Ingredients”.
“Cassava is the queen of Brazil”
A staple among the best restaurants in Latin America, DOM aims for simplicity and achieves works of art. Take his cassava soufflé for example: there are just two ingredients, water and cassava flour, but they come out of the chef's hands with unique delicacy. The food is to be broken down and enjoyed alongside the elaborate and tasty dishes.
In addition to the soufflé, Alex welcomed me for an afternoon at the restaurant with some of his inventions for the recording of the second episode of the special season of CNN Viagem & Gastronomia.
He has developed cassava with the same texture and which goes through the same processes as brie cheese. Once cooked, he takes the raw material to a chamber and creates the same mold as brie, resulting in a delicacy with a flavor and texture similar to dairy products.
And it doesn't end there: the cooking water is placed in a siphon, then emulsified and frozen, causing the liquid to turn into “snow”. In the mouth, it leaves a buttery appearance. On a plate he adds cassava “cheese”, “snow” and finishes with jataí honey. Extraordinary and, at the same time, simple.
“Cassava will be the backbone of Brazilian cuisine, the only ingredient that was already in Brazil before Brazil was called that. It is the ingredient that goes through all phases of the country and is present today on every table, in every home. Cassava is the queen of Brazil”, categorizes the chef.
To round off my visit, he even prepared a dessert with cassava flour, but sweet. The sweetness we feel is not from sugar, but from caramelized onion. A scoop of chocolate chip ice cream finishes the dish, ready to be enjoyed and remembered.
It's beautiful to see one of the world's leading chefs value and spread something so essential to life in Brazil. According to the book “Brazilian gastronomy: from tradition to fusion cuisine” , recently launched by Le Cordon Bleu Brasil, the plant native to America has strong signs of Brazilian naturalness, and was the main agricultural product of indigenous nations when the first colonizers arrived; the Jesuit priest José de Anchieta called it “bread of the earth”.
Until today the cassava It is processed into a series of food products that are deeply rooted in the country's culinary tradition, especially in the North and Northeast regions. Cassava is a food heritage of traditional culture!
And at DOM it’s like this: we travel all over Brazil through dishes and knowledge. Atala's work can be summarized in the chef's own words: “Showing people how diverse, how beautiful and how much this cuisine creates value for the ingredient, the culture and our brand, which is Brazil”.
How to try the DOM
Currently running in the restaurant 12-step tasting menu (R$ 690), one of the best ways to experience the authorial and contemporary work that Atala wants to communicate to us.
Açaí, tucupi, jambu, cassava, pirarucu, Amazon saúva ant and different honeys are some of the national ingredients that can be in the dish and which also includes seafood, meat and fish. It is worth noting that, for the same price, there is the Reino Vegetal, a vegetarian version of the menu.
In addition to the ingredients above, the chef is also known for promoting some foods that were previously unappreciated by gastronomy. Baniwa pepper, mini rice from the Paraíba Valley, Yanomami mushrooms, priprioca and vanilla from the cerrado are some examples worked on from research carried out in the ATÁ Institute created in 2013 by the chef together with a multidisciplinary team focused on strengthening the production chain and valuing the country's small producers.
On display from Monday to Friday at the restaurant, the executive menu is also a way to try Atala's food while spending R$ 98. There is a starter, a main course with a choice of fish of the day, chicken or meat and side dishes served at will, from the traditional well-made rice and beans, bananas, farofa and potatoes.
“We recognize each other through rice and beans. The Brazilian is an expert in this combination. I think a Brazilian restaurant was obliged to make rice and beans”, highlights Atala.
SUN
Rua Barão de Capanema, 549 – Jardins, São Paulo – Brazil / Tel.: (11) 3088-0761 and (11) 3081-4599 / Opening hours: Monday to Friday, from 12pm to 3pm and from 7pm to 11pm ; Saturday, from 7pm to 11pm; closed on Sundays.
Source: CNN Brasil
Johanna Foster is an expert opinion writer with over 7 years of experience. She has a reputation for delivering insightful and thought-provoking articles on a variety of subjects. Her work can be found on some of the top online news websites, and she is currently lending her voice to the world stock market.
