New kosher restaurant and Chinese Moon Festival are tips for the weekend in SP

Amid the arrival of spring, the capital of São Paulo has a series of new features on the agenda for those who want to enjoy the heat outside of their homes.

Among the trip tips for this weekend are Capanema, a new Kosher food restaurant in São Paulo and the first edition of the Chinese Moon Festival, with cultural presentations.

Check out highlights from the special section The Best of the Weekend below. Produced by the Guia Folha team and published every Friday, it aims to guide the reader on the best in São Paulo’s programming.

Capanema is a new kosher food restaurant in Jardins

Pork, rabbit, lobster and crab are some of the foods that are not allowed in kosher cuisine. These items are also left off the menu at Capanema, a new restaurant in São Paulo, which follows Jewish eating rules.

This set of laws, created based on the Torah, the holy book of Judaism, aims to reduce the consumption of animals as much as possible and defines what can be eaten, the appropriate forms of consumption and the food mixtures that are permitted.

Capanema appears as one of the few kosher restaurants in the capital of São Paulo, serving a Mediterranean-inspired menu. The house was opened by the couple Daniella and Renato Neves, led by the Italian Luce, to meet this demand.

The space has a refined atmosphere, with low lighting and works by artist David José, which matches the neighboring restaurants on Rua Barão de Capanema, a dead end in Jardins, such as DOM.

The person in charge of the kitchen is Pedro Renófio, a chef with experience at Evvai and Tanit. Following kosher rules, vegetables shine in recipes. Most of them are light, prepared with ingredients from small producers, and with improved presentation.

Zucchini, for example, arrives in the shape of a flower. The vegetable serves as the stem and the petals are stuffed with ricotta and parmesan, finished with grated cured yolk and a sauce with a touch of truffle. Caramelized carrots are presented in the form of a garland, over a yogurt sauce with strands of honey, walnuts and thyme. Both cost R$69.

In the main section, there are suggestions with fish. They are allowed, but only those with fins and scales, such as tuna, salmon, halibut and cod. Beef and poultry, as well as eggs, are permitted, but must come from animals that are slaughtered following certain practices.

The fish of the day cooked in papillote with lemon and lemongrass is served with puree for R$115. There are also pastas, such as the house-made ravioli stuffed with ricotta, parmesan and tomato sauce (R$79).

The suggestion to sweeten the meal is the tiramisu (R$59), assembled at the table, with layers of biscuits washed down with coffee and mascarpone made there. When in doubt about what to order, attendants wearing uniforms consisting of funky striped t-shirts are ready to make friendly suggestions.

The restaurant also has a bar with signature and classic drinks in the lounge, led by bartender Denis Oliveira, as well as a wine cellar.

The new address is open for lunch and dinner and welcomes customers, not just from the Jewish community — the menu may end up pleasing vegetarians and vegans. It is only closed on Fridays, the day of Shabbat, the rest in Judaism, which begins at sunset on Friday and ends on Saturday.

R. Barão de Capanema, 551, Jardim Paulista, western region, WhatsApp (11) 95890-9530, @capanemarestaurante

Chinese Moon Festival

The first edition of the event in Brazil takes place this Saturday (23) and Sunday (24), starting at 10 am, on Rua 25 de Março. Historically, the festival marks the arrival of autumn and the October harvest, celebrated by Chinese families with music, dance and food. At the event, artistic presentations, martial arts demonstrations and folk dances take place. Among the typical culinary options, the highlight is the moon cakes, a tradition of the date. Free workshops are also offered to the event’s audience, such as auriculotherapy sessions

Spring of museums

Institutions in São Paulo promote several special activities with free entry. At the Museum of Indigenous Cultures (r. Dona Germaine Burchard, 451, Água Branca), the screening of the documentary ‘GRIN-Guarda Rural Indígena’ will take place on Saturday (23), at 3pm, with reports of violence during the military dictatorship against the people originating. Pina Contemporânea (av. Tiradentes, 273, Luz) hosts a conversation at 3pm about Tupinamba cloaks (photo), which were looted during colonization. At 7pm, there will be a pocket show by rapper Kaê Guajajara

Shows Bruce Lee 50 years

Five remastered 4K films by the actor and martial arts master will be shown at Espaço Itaú Augusta (r. Augusta, 1.475, Consolação) and Frei Caneca (r. Frei Caneca, 569). Born in the United States in 1940, Bruce Lee died in 1973 in Hong Kong. The exhibition includes action films such as ‘The Dragon’s Fury’, ‘The Chinese Dragon’, ‘The Flight of the Dragon’, ‘The Game of Death 1 and 2’, suitable for those over 14 years of age. Sessions on Friday (22), Saturday (23) and Sunday (23), starting at 7:30 pm. Tickets for R$40 on the website itaucinemas.com.br

Ôctôctô presents the album ‘Saveiro’

The group Ôctôctô, a Brazilian music octet, and singer Juliana Valverde perform at the launch of the album ‘Saveiro’, on Sunday (24), at 7:30 pm, at Teatro Viradalata (r. Apinajés, 1.387, Sumaré, in the western region). The album pays homage to the Bahian singer, composer and cook Julio Valverde, who, at 80 years old, is recognized as a master of popular culture and guardian of the memory of oral tradition. ‘Saveiro’ brings together 13 tracks composed by him and performed by his daughter, Juliana, and his granddaughter, Bianca Valverde. The presentation is free

Barouche

The classic bar in Largo do Arouche, closed in 2019, is restored to a new address in Vila Madalena (r. Medeiros de Albuquerque, 401) which has a café and bookstore. From the original house came drinks and a selection of wines that make up the alcohol menu. To eat, there is a breakfast menu and dishes for lunch and dinner, such as salads and pasta. Books fill the walls of the place. There are approximately 2,000 titles, divided into sections such as classics, art, architecture and children’s. A smaller Barouche unit is located at the Cinesala street cinema, in Pinheiros

Torresmofest

Until Sunday (24) there is a festival dedicated to pork rinds at Shopping Metrô Itaquera (av. José Pinheiro Borges, s/ nº, in the east region). The gastronomic event will have around 20 exhibitors specializing in pork dishes. Among the delicacies, pork knuckle, suckling pig, crackling roll, pork ribs, ham and pancetta. The festival also offers the possibility of pairing with craft beers. Torresmofest is pet friendly and will feature covers by national and international bands, playing styles such as pop rock and country music