Preto Cozinha is one of the good news of the season. It occupies a large house, right in the middle of Rua Fradique Coutinho, whose renovation was inspired by the big houses in Carmo, a neighborhood in Salvador. The remarkable doors on the facade are even demolition pieces of a property owned by Rodrigo Freire, a lawyer and cook from Salvador, who named the house after his childhood nickname.
The menu is short but with good options. Stroll through Bahian cuisine classics that have been renovated by Rodrigo’s contemporary look. For snacking, suggestions like the delicious bread, soft and slightly sweet, it is stuffed with crazy meat (R$ 27) in a simple and ravishing combination. The mussels in coconut milk (R$ 47) arrives bathed in a sauce enriched with a mix of peppers and is born as a version of the lambreta, since the clam, so common in Bahia, has a prohibitive price in São Paulo. It comes with slices of naturally leavened bread to be sucked into the sauce, which should not be wasted. Shrimp encapotado (R$34), a staple at parties in Bahia, features a VG shrimp wrapped in cassava dough, breaded with tapioca crispy and fried. To be enjoyed calmly.
To accompany the starters, solid drinks from bardender Christopher Carijó. I tried the refreshing Pancadinha (R$44) which combines rum, coconut milk and lemon and is finished with cocada scorched. For cold days, the Chocou Whiskey (R$ 47) is good, made with Bourbon, 70% cream chocolate, milk chocolate and house mint. The bar is located on the lower floor, next to a lounge that opens onto the tree-lined backyard with tables and heaters, useful on cold nights.
Among the main dishes, the xinxim rice (R$ 67) stands out for its narrative and originality. Rodrigo was inspired by his grandmother’s recipe, which increased the food using chicken xinxim, when she received surprise visitors. For the chef, “this is the most wronged dish in Bahian cuisine, since it doesn’t have the same place in the sun as moqueca, for example”. The dish comes in the form of broth rice with boneless chicken thighs in a dry shrimp and chestnut sauce, garnished with plantain farofa. For carnivores, the carne de sol (R$ 94) is an eye-catching fillet of rump matured and grilled over a fire. It arrives accompanied by a silky manioc puree and gherkin vinaigrette. Vegetarian rice (R$67) is the option for those who do not eat meat. The rice comes with coconut and chestnuts, accompanied by grilled mini vegetables. These are dishes that Rodrigo recreated based on his affective memories but renewed by technique and his concern for sustainability. In addition to making full use of items such as coconut and coriander, the menu has a warning: “the ingredients on the menu respect the closed season and protected fishing places”.
To finish off the meal, the cocadinha (R$ 34) is the house dessert and brings together typical delicacies from the Bahian table. The coconut cocada arrives with tapioca ice cream on a crispy disk of fried student cake. All this supported by a delicate cream and topped with burnt coconut shavings that stir the palate with every spoonful. Artisanal ice creams also come in coconut, paçoca, cupuaçu and tapioca flavors, but how can you resist the damn cocadinha?
Black Kitchen – little map here
Rua Fradique Coutinho, 276, Pinheiros.
Opening hours: Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, from 12:00 to 23:00. Tuesday: closed. Friday and Saturday, from 12 pm to 1 am. Sunday, from 12 pm to 6 pm.
I am currently a news writer for News Bulletin247 where I mostly cover sports news. I have always been interested in writing and it is something I am very passionate about. In my spare time, I enjoy reading and spending time with my family and friends.
