Stars from Paraíba and Alagoas bring their flavors to São Paulo

A territory with the presence of cuisines from all over the world, São Paulo has just received two new representatives of the flavors of the Brazilian northeast, by the hands of renowned chefs in their regions —the Paraíba’s Onildo Rocha, who became famous for the Cozinha Roccia restaurant, by João Pessoa , and Wanderson Medeiros from Alagoas, from Picuí, from Maceió— both also well known for their buffets that cater to local parties.

Rocha, 44, is the pivot of a huge, and ambitious project that actually spills over the boundaries of his state. It’s not about bringing a branch of his restaurant to São Paulo: the chef takes over the kitchens of the complex sponsored by Mastercard called Priceless, opened in October on the top of the Light shopping building, in an emblematic area of ​​the São Paulo capital, opposite the Theatro and to the Chá viaduct.

The area includes the Notiê restaurant, the Abaru bar, a coffee shop and the Botâma terrace, overlooking the theatre, in addition to a space for artistic interventions. The gastronomic part has several curators: in addition to the chef, sommelière Andrea Vilas Boas, mixologist Ale d’Agostino, beer specialist Junior Bottura and barista Boram Um.

They must periodically travel across the country to bring, each season, menus and drinks inspired by different regions. The first one, which runs until March, is based on the chef’s region, but not just on his Paraíba.

The current theme on the Notiê restaurant’s menu is “Sertões”, inspired by the São Francisco River, which the team traveled for 11 days, from the mouth to the source, across five states, to meet the small producers from which they brought the ingredients. (The trip report can be seen on the webserie available on the MastercardBrasil channel on YouTube.)

There are two ways to get into the chef’s interpretation of the products and flavors explored on the expedition. At the Notiê restaurant, they appear closer to that of your restaurant in João Pessoa: they are more authorial dishes, with contemporary solutions, here served in tasting menus (ten times, R$390, or 14 times, R$475).

Beautifully presented, they can be steamed prawns in bisque sauce with cassava mousseline, accompanied by leeks and finished with cassava crunchy (which here further south we also call cassava or cassava). Or, going further into the hinterland, the pig’s foot with yam; and the kid with brown sugar, carrots and country couscous.

Finally, cashew jam from the cerrado with baru nut praline and cashew nut ice cream also follows the tone of using very regional ingredients.

At the Abaru bar, the same inspiration translates into more colloquial recipes, portions and small dishes to accompany the night out with cocktails equally seasoned with Northeastern flavors.

The case of fresh mangrove oysters with passion fruit vinaigrette from the Caatinga and cachaça slushie (R$69); the carne de sol tartar with tapioca suffocated with coriander mayonnaise and gherkin pickles (R$ 52); and pork belly with yellow corn munguzá, kale salad and citrus farofa (R$ 62).

One difficulty the place must face is being in a region that is at the same time a landmark of the city, and at the same time abandoned at night (that’s why the entrance to the complex is through the back street, where cars leave customers inside the garage, which is a shame but gives more security).

Canto do Picuí, on the other hand, is in the happy hubbub of a recent gastronomic destination in São Paulo, nicknamed Baixo Pinheiros.

The succession of lively restaurants now includes the home of chef Wanderson Medeiros, 42, who here features a mixed menu. These are traditional dishes from his Picuí restaurant, in Maceió, where he represents the fourth generation of a family of butchers dedicated, for 132 years, to the production of dried meat; and others — the majority — more elaborate starters and dishes that he serves at the receptions he organizes for weddings in São Miguel dos Milagres, on the north coast of Alagoas.

These also include “foreign” ingredients, but integrated in a universe inspired by local products, such as seafood sururu and massunim, crab and dried meat.

In São Paulo, they are served in crockery (and wrapped in decoration) by artisans from their land. Starters include creamy mini croquettes of Alagoas crab with Sicilian lemon cream (R$49); stewed quail croquettes, a recipe from the chef’s mother (R$39); crunchy tapioca beijus with shredded corned beef with cream (R$ 44); and shrimp bobó with crunchy brioche and chestnut farofa (R$59).

Among the main dishes, there is the indispensable carne de sol (more salty snacks) with cream cheese curd and cassava chips (R$ 86); and the pressed beef rib block with its sauce and touch of brown sugar over root mousseline (cassava, potatoes and cassava, R$ 77.00). But also, away from the hinterland, there are more sea dishes: fish with sururu and chestnut farofa, coconut and raisin banana (R$89); and creamy shrimp rice with a touch of moqueca and cubes of coalho cheese (R$ 87).

São Paulo knows other northeastern cuisines. From the famous Mocotó, with its dishes from the Pernambuco hinterland, to the brejeiro Jesuíno Brilhante, with the sun-dried meat from Rio Grande do Norte, to kitchens in the interior of Bahia such as those at Casa de Ieda (from Chapada Diamantina) and Baianeira (from Vale Jequitinhonha) — just to name a few. They are now joined by Onildo Rocha and Wanderson Medeiros.

Northeasterners, who contributed so much to building São Paulo (despite the racist outbursts of rulers who prefer the smell of militias to that of the people), deserve to have their flavors spread throughout prosaic northern houses, where we find the comfort of mocotó broth with cachaça , as in more ambitious projects. May the city enjoy their flavors and pay them due tribute.

Priceless

Alexandre Mackenzie Building (Shopping Light), r. Formosa, 157, rooftop (exclusive entrance to the building’s parking lot).
priceless.com/saopaulorestaurante

Corner of Picuí

Rua Ferreira de Araújo, 329, Pinheiros, São Paulo, tel. 011 95583-7134
@cantodopicui