Poor Gourmet brings home fancy food, but at a bargain price

Going out to eat at restaurants seems to be an increasingly expensive experience. According to the Brazilian Association of Employee Benefits Companies (ABBT), the average price of an à la carte meal in São Paulo is R$98.48 per person, while a set meal costs R$40.52.

Even though the budget of São Paulo residents may be increasingly distant from the idea of ​​haute cuisine, a chef and influencer offers high-quality meals at lower prices—of course, without the restaurant experience. Pablo Ruiz, known as Pobre Gourmet, sells frozen dishes that look like they would be eaten in a fancy restaurant, ready to be heated up at home.

The list of options is extensive, including dishes with filet mignon, octopus, cod, stroganoff, duck and shrimp, all at prices of pe-efe per person.

Orders are placed online and delivery can be scheduled on the same day. The food, vacuum-packed and frozen, can be prepared in five minutes in the microwave or in a bain-marie.

The website also allows customers to replicate a classic restaurant experience at home, where each person chooses their own dish, without having to share the same option among everyone at the table.

It’s true that the ambiance, service, presentation by a chef, and the joy of receiving food that’s already prepared, hot and ready to be devoured are missing. In addition, you have to order a side dish or prepare rice or some other similar dish at home.

Although the idea of ​​reheating frozen food may raise suspicions, nowadays there are professional ultra-fast freezing methods that allow the food to maintain its characteristics. This is what Pobre Gourmet is betting on, and the food is actually very tasty, even surpassing some dishes that can be received via delivery.

The filet au poivre (R$40) is tender, has a pink spot in the middle and is accompanied by a very rich and tasty sauce. The confit duck leg doesn’t fall apart on the fork, but it is interesting and has a delicate flavor, even with a sweet seasoning.

The stroganoff (R$30) and the picadinho (R$25) have large pieces of meat in ideal portions for one person. In addition, the professional preparation avoids the somewhat industrialized flavor of recipes in restaurants that don’t take as much care.