One of the most celebrated chefs in the country, Rafael Costa e Silva decided to take the maxim “less is more” to the letter. To the surprise of many, she decided to change the awarded lasai address – the restaurant has a Michelin star and is number 22 in the “Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants” ranking.
The restaurant left the house in Botafogo, where it had been operating since 2014, with 40 seats, and moved to a more intimate space, in the friendly Largo dos Leões, in Humaitá, one block from the old headquarters in Rio de Janeiro.
CNN Travel & Gastronomy was to know the novelty first hand, which opened to the public in early April. In this Lasai in pocket version, the chef and his fine team cook only at dinner for 8 exclusive customers, who are accommodated in an elegant and spacious counter overlooking the kitchen – with high-performance equipment from the German brand Miele.
There, Rafael Costa e Silva and his wife, an American from a Mexican family Malena Cardiel, promise to maintain the contemporary cuisine line that made the house famous. They only offer tasting menus from 12 to 14 times (R$ 725 per person) upon reservation and advance payment.
During the visit, a sample of what the public will find in this new phase of Lasai was served.
Following a worldwide trend adopted by the great chefs, vegetables are protagonists or co-protagonists of most recipes, from snacks to dessert.
Among the delicacies tasted are the Santa Catarina oyster with honey, radish and the peculiar lime-caviar; the small bag of uni (sea urchin roe) and chickpea paste; and the delicate crunchy cassava served with sorrel and okra.
The salted leek and clams flan and the crayfish accompanied by palm heart blades, homemade coconut milk and pea beans were also beautiful.
The carioca chef also excels in home-cured meats, such as the loin cup and ribeye (ribeye fillet) with 35-day dry aged served with mustard leaf sauce, cabbage leaf and caramelized pumpkin.
The desserts tried on the day – light, refreshing and calculated sweetness – surprised the palate. This is the case of the yogurt and mandaçaia honey flan topped with ginger granita and, even better, the persimmon textures in rapturous harmony with cumaru cream and acerola ice cream.
Reservations for April are already sold out, but until the close of this column there were still places available for the first weeks of May.
Largo dos Leões, 35, Humaitá, Rio de Janeiro – RJ / Tel.: (21) 3449-1834/54 / Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday, from 8 pm. www.lasai.com.br
A journalist from São Paulo who travels weekly between São Paulo and Rio, he has written about gastronomy for major vehicles, such as Veja São Paulo, O Estado de S. Paulo and Época São Paulo. In the last ten years, he has visited eighteen countries in search of good places to eat, drink, party and exercise bohemia. He also shares his findings on the website and Instagram Taste and Fly.
Source: CNN Brasil
