Entirely dyed blue, the figure of Iemanjá that sits on a shelf at the top of the open kitchen on the first floor welcomes guests to the Scale. But not by chance: the fish and seafood restaurant, which excels in the origin of the ingredients, was inaugurated on February 2 of this year, the day of the Feast of Yemanja.
At the time, the chef Ricardo Lapeyre celebrated the date in the waters of the coast of Rio de Janeiro, where the fresh fish come from, served on the tables of the two-story mansion in the Jardim Botânico neighborhood.
Located in Visconde de Carandaí, a narrow street in a pleasant neighborhood, the old house received a new look to accommodate the restaurant, where the completely white walls with exposed bricks predominate in the ambiance, mixed with wooden furniture, robust and creative dishes and airy rooms .
Couple this with the tablecloth-free tables and placemats and you have the concept that Lapeyre, who was previously at the head of Laguiole, wants to convey: a casual informality and refined visual identity where everything is talked about – from the cutlery to the details of the handles. pirarucu skin from waiters’ aprons.
And do you want to know when the chef is around the house? Just notice if a cream-colored scooter is parked on the sidewalk right in front of the restaurant’s low wall – intentional or not, the chef’s vehicle furthers the friendly setting.
bits of the sea
Starting with the name, Esccama not only works with fresh fish and seafood, but also brings to the table the culture of artisanal fishing and small producers – according to the chef himself, around 90% of the merchandise comes from harpoon fishermen and colleagues that have their own boats.
Cavaca, octopus, squid, shrimp, sea bass, snapper, piraúna, scallop and oysters are some of the stars on the menu, in which the meal steps receive suggestive titles that evoke the sea. This is the case of the “First wave” (R$ 48, for two people), couvert with hot and crunchy house bread, olive oil, crustacean butter, seaweed nori and fleur de sel, sole rillete, roasted organic tomato salad with quinoa, anchovy marinade and mussel preserves – the latter three presented in bowls that imitate sardine cans.
For the “Partida”, which actually starts the starters, the scallop carpaccio with quinoa popcorn (R$ 85) is a highlight. Here, the chef sautés the salicornia over it, a small plant typical of coastal regions known as “green salt”, which imparts a salty and crunchy touch as a counterpoint to the smoothness of the carpaccio – the Escama salicorn comes from the Guaratiba neighborhood, in the West Zone of Rio , from where the plants also go to other restaurants in Rio.
Also for starters, tiradito brings freshness and lightness with the fish crudo of the day cut diagonally, stracciatella and orange zest (R$ 45). Depending on the day, the fish used is tuna, which is caught in the same morning in Niterói, served fresh hours later during lunch.
Cold and predominantly raw preparations arrive at the table from the open kitchen on the ground floor, which has a counter with an aquarium of oysters (R$ 9 each) placed on ice. The grilled and grilled creations come from the kitchen on the second floor, a place that gains movement with the coming and going of the cooks and that includes a large table for events and private meals.
Among the hot dishes, Esccama recently updated its menu with an exquisite selection of finger foods. Among the “Bocados de Mar”, the octopus croquette with tonkatsu mayonnaise (R$ 30 – two units) and the crab gyoza (to be picked up by the paw) with a succulent moqueca sauce (R$ 49) are beautiful.
In addition to the fixed options, bet on the fish of the day, which can be grilled, roasted or poached. If you’re lucky, one of them is the piraúna (R$94), fished off the coast of Rio de Janeiro near the islands opposite the city. At Esccama, the marine species gains succulence and texture that are beyond appetizing, even more so when the delicate champagne sauce from a small jar is spread over it.
Both piraúna and octopus (R$ 120) are well paired with banana puree from Fazenda Três Marias da Serra de Macaé with curry (R$ 22), peppered to the right measure, and pepperoni potato salad with curd from Fazenda 50 da Serra da Mantiqueira and roasted red onion (R$ 30) – side dishes that are marked by memorable flavors.
Importantly, the menu also includes vegan options with organic ingredients from small producers, such as quinoa risotto (BRL 68) and grilled vegetables with miso vinaigrette (BRL 62).
Son of French chef Claude Lapeyre and having passed through Europe, Ricardo’s French base is more visible in desserts, such as Choux, filled with chocolate, coffee and caramel whipped cream on top (BRL 36) and Flan Parisien (BRL 34), vanilla flan with praline that demonstrates competence in texture and soft firmness – both “not-so-sweet sweets”.
refreshing dip
The signature drinks are signed by the mixologist Laura Pavarato, head bartender at Esccama who, as requested by Rio, injected refreshing and light creations with national fruits into the menu. The cocktails play with places in the city, such as the Cagarra (R$36), in honor of the island in front of the city, which offers gin, lillet, coconut water with green grapes and Sicilian lemon.
Filhote da Cagarra (R$34) is made with tequila, ginger ale, tangerine and Angostura, and Praça Onze (R$34), which refers to the old street in the center, has gin, passion fruit coullis, lemoncello in its composition. and orange.
Speaking of freshness, some news are on the radar: just a few steps from Esccama, in the mansion number 165 on Rua Lopes Quintas, Lapeyre is preparing a new project.
Still undergoing renovations, the place will be a dynamic establishment, with a bakery, grocer, sausages, café, space for classes and wine bar on the second floor of authorial and organic wines. All under one brand. Still under renovation, one of the place’s visible highlights is a chandelier made entirely from jam glass.
Scale
Rua Visconde de Carandaí, 5 – Jardim Botânico, Rio de Janeiro – RJ
Telephone and WhatsApp: (21)3042-3097
Site: https://www.escamarestaurante.rio/
Reference: CNN Brasil
