Mapu translates Taiwan into a cuisine without edges

Time went by and Frisson from the beginning only thickened. The townhouse of Vila Mariana where the Mapu Baos and food is still full, at lunch and dinner.

The clientele that arrives without reservation makes a line to name and spreads down the sidewalk waiting for a table to wander, an eye on the attendant and another on other people’s dishes, watching the tables in what was once the garage of the house.

Those who are not accommodated on the ground floor climbs a narrow ladder, passing the counter where bar and part of the finishing kitchen work.

Among the public predominate young couples, groups of friends, couples with children -many arrive on foot and already know what they will ask.

The Mapu started as a food truck and climbed the phase in 2019, when its owner, Duilio Lin, opened a point on Golden Street and, shortly thereafter, the “house” – -her brigade calls the map like that.

The culinary hung came from his mother, immigrant Taiwanese Jasmine Chen, who even cooked in Buddhist temples. According to the site, “Mapu”, in Mandarin, means “garden” and “mother’s cultivation”, hence the inspiration and tribute.

In everyday life, the kitchen is played by Caio Yokota and Victor Valadão. Bemined in the mission of translating without edges the Taiwanese street food, the menu is friendly and lean.

Those who visit Mapu leaves happy, and no one comes back there to be surprised -and this is not exactly a defect.

In frames, children’s socks and t -shirts decorate the space with the printed baos fabrics (steam baked breads). The Mapu is exactly that: it wants to sell cute baos and round flavors, kind.

The spices please but do not numb the mouth. If you need to get the flavor a little, ask Chilli Oil (pepper oil), made with sichuan pepper flakes and served on requests.

From drinks to dessert, the dishes are “mattresses” of flavor to the protagonism of ingredients such as peanuts, jasmine, basil, eggplant, seside, coriander.

The menu, mounted on three pillars, is efficient. There are dishes to share, such as the eggplant cut into pieces, breaded and fried, covered with fresh chives and a wire of mission sauce and shoyu.

Already the portion of breaded and fried chicken breast, treated before with a marinade of salt and pepper, arrived at the table with a basil perfume.

The next section is the sandwiches with Bao, and here the Mapu reigns. The traditional, with pork (pancette), is complete with mustard and coriander.

Pulled Pork Bao balances pork well with peanut crumbs and leaves and fermented mustard stalks.

Bowls with rice, egg, preserves and a portion of pancette complete the salty wing of the menu.

It is in the drink letter that Mapu risks the most and dances a tango. Mauricio Barbosa is the breeder, among others, from the almond torsion (R $ 26), made with Falernum-Sweet Caribbean Liquor used in drinks-and the elegant cry that it comes back (R $ 44), with thin jerez, Lillet Blanc, Mandaguari bee honey and fermented shissô salt.

Of the candy, go without fear to Zhima Bao (R $ 16), the steam baked bread and stuffed with toasted black sesame, sweet in measure, in addition to the sago verrine in coconut milk and mango pieces (R $ 27) – -The service makes a salamalek by pouring the jasmine syrup in front of the customer and recommends taking the spoon to the bottom and capture the basil shell that herbalizes the dessert. Follow the suggestion.

Mapu
R. Áurea, 267, Vila Mariana, Southern Region. Tel.: (11) 3384-8535. @mapubaos