Opinion – Marcelo Katsuki: Every day is Northeastern Day at Panelão do Norte

The house is large, with different environments and is located around a quiet square. The service is attentive and gains an extra glow with the friendliness of Alex, the manager. It’s the food? One: well-made, full, with that perfume that transports us to the Northeast as soon as it arrives at the table.

Panelão do Norte, home of Mr. Zé, as the owner, Mr. José da Mota, is an embassy of good northeast gastronomy in the east side. Mr. Zé is from Ceará from Itapipoca, and arrived in São Paulo in 1963, at the age of 17, to try his luck. He worked hard and in 1972 managed to buy an old grocery store where he opened his first business, a pub he named Minha Deusa. Panelão do Norte would be born years later, in 2000, in the heart of Penha, and more recently it would gain a second home, in Anália Franco.

And what to eat at Panelão? Start with the colorful, delicious caipirinhas, perfect to liven up the meal. They can be prepared with lemon or pineapple, kiwi, passion fruit or strawberry and cost from R$21 (cachaça) to R$32 (Absolu vodka).

To go with it, Tábua Arretada (R$ 61) is a good choice: it brings crackling, fried cassava, coalho cheese, quail eggs and preserves. For crackling fans, there is also a version of the rolled meat, which comes warm on a board where it is cut and served with lemon.

If you don’t eat meat, there are two great suggestions: the tapioca squares (R$ 32), which come with a spicy jam and the delicious leek dumplings (R$ 25), which are not to be missed. They arrive dry and with plenty of filling.

The special baião de dois is the suggestion of the house and deserves your attention. There are four sun-dried beef steaks topped with grilled coalho cheese, accompanied by baião and boiled manioc served with butter. It costs R$145 and is suitable for two people, but due to its abundance and depending on the number of entrees you taste, it can easily serve up to four.

But Panelão also has fish dishes with shrimp, prepared with string beans, dried meat in moranga, acarajé, escondidinho gratin (there’s a version with corn cream, think!), favada, chicken, mocotó, oxtail, milk pirão, all the dishes that make up this rich cuisine.

For dessert, I ordered a Banana split, something I hadn’t eaten in a long time, and I had fun. There was also Sundae and even papaya cream, another nostalgic item that is still successful in traditional restaurants.

Now you have a good option to celebrate Northeast Day with good food in a family and festive atmosphere. Whether at Panelão Penha or Panelão Anália, the choice will be right.

Other favorite places where the Northeast shines:
• Dona Fátima (Rua Santo Antônio, 1469, Bixiga)
Where I go when I miss homemade Northeastern food.

• Oxente Bar and Snacks (@oxentebarepetiscos)
The no-frills northeastern coziness of hardworking people.

• Acarajé board (@tabuleirodoacaraje)
My favorite acarajé, it drives away any sadness.

• Canto do Picuí (@cantodopicui)
The great northeastern cuisine by a chef I admire.

Service:
Panelão Penha

R. Namaxi, 155 – (11) 2647-7805 / (11) 94023-3856
Panelão Analia

Av. To see. Abel Ferreira, 1106 – (11) 2673-8944 / (11) 94025-5836