I'm sure I could become a vegetarian, if only I didn't like meat so much.And so we find ourselves at
Flavour of Brazil, a temple for carnivores in inner-west Leichhardt. The all-you-can-eat Brazilian Churrasco Banquet is gluttonous protein consumption at its finest. Normally priced at $35 per person, we take advantage of the $26 off-peak discount, available all-day Sunday and Monday and Tuesday nights.
Lime caipirinhaWe start our evening with
caipirinha, the national Brazilian cocktail with cachaca, a fermented and distilled sugarcane liquor that is muddled with sugar and lime. One should never drink on an empty stomach of course, but we're ready for the meat-fest that includes:
Garlic bread (Pao de Alho)
Brazilian Sausage (Linguiga)
Chicken Thigh Fillet (Sobre Coxa de Frango)
Chicken Wings (Asas de Frango)
Lamb (Cordeiro)
Rump Cup (Picanha)
Beef Sirloin (Contra Filet)
Scotch Fillet (Faixa Escocesa)
Pork Ribs (Costela de Porco)
Rump Steak (Alcatra)
Brazilian rice (Carreteiro)
Tomato Salsa (Vinagrete)
Garden Salad (Salada Mista)
Grilled Pineapple (Abacaxi Grelhado)
Garden saladThe sides arrive first. Garlic bread, garden salad, rice and salsa tempt even the strongest-willed among us, our appetites succumbing to the lure of instant gratification, even though we know the "good stuff" is yet to come.
Tomato and onion salsa
Brazilian rice with tomato and parmesan cheese
And finally the meat! And yes, I'm talking about the chicken wings (!!). Brandishing a giant stainless steel skewer propped over a wooden "juice-catcher", our server moves from person to person down our 12-strong table, dispensing portions as instructed.
Chicken wingsWhen the real hunks of meat arrive, it's crowd participation time. First you make your selection of preferred doneness (rare, medium or well), the server finds an area of meat that best suits your preference and begins the delicate task of slicing the meat. Your job is to use to small set of tongs provided to grab hold of the meat as it comes away, transferring it to your plate if all goes well, or watching it fall to the floor as you fail Tongs 101 (our table had about three casualties).
Lamb (Carneiro)
Rump cup (Picanha)
Rare, medium or wellIt's about this point that we start to regret eating all those sides at the start. The best of them all comes last of course. The rump cup, or picanha, is so tender, soft and delicious, I'm opening all emergency stomachs to no avail. Once we complete the entire range of meats, the servers start to repeat the ones from before. The restaurant is also happy to take special requests, a few of the blokes make a request for more picanha which is quickly accommodated.
Grilled pineapple (Abacaxi Grelhado)Dessert is a large slab of caramelised fresh pineapple. It's not super-sweet but the clean acidity provides a counter-balance to the abundance of meats.
We have worshipped, we are satiated, and I doubt that any of us are turning vegetarian anytime soon.
Flavour of BrazilItalian ForumGround floor (walkway entrance)Shop 20-23 Norton Street, Leichhardt, SydneyTel: +61 (02) 9572 9479
Open 7 days for lunch and dinner
Brazilian Churrasco Banquet $35 per person all-you-can-eat$26 special available everyday for lunch and dinner except Friday and Saturday nightsA la carte also availableBrazilian samba show in carnival costumes on Friday and Saturday nightsRelated GrabYourFork posts:
Leichhardt--El Porron
Leichhardt--La Giara
Peruvian--La Parrillada, Petersham
Original source: http://grabyourfork.blogspot.com/2008/08/flavour-of-brazil-leichhardt.html
