Food writer and resident House of Coco chef visits Bossa, London’s hottest new restaurant and takes a Brazilian flavoured trip down memory lane.
My one and only experience of Brazil is that of a second gap year – one taken after university because I really didn’t want to get a proper job (still don’t). It was a magical place, partying in the streets of Lapa, recovering on the beaches of Isla Grande, wandering the shoreline of Rio and discovering the depths of the Pantanal. My memories are plentiful and those that revolve around food, some of my favourite. A staple of rice & beans doused in Farofa and lashings of chilli sauce being my most beloved. The infamous churrasco kick starting my obsession with fire cooking and the out of this world sushi as plentiful as the Cachaca to cater for the huge Japanese community – the largest outside of Japan. I went there with no expectations and left obsessed with rich flavours and dishes that were packed with history as well as deliciousness.
Fast forward a few years and though I am still to make it back, I enjoy voyeuring from a far at the bustling food scene, pawing over the works of Alex Atala and circling each restaurant that appears on the top 50 list – I lust from afar.
When the invite landed in my inbox to visit Bossa, a refined modern reimagination of Brazilian food, I jumped at the chance. Since being on UK soil and lusting after the flavours of Brazil, I had dabbled with some restaurants that claimed to transport me back to that place. Sure, the novelty of seeing a sword of Picanha steaks in the UK was fun but it never quite hit the spot. Was this my chance to sample plates of real Brazilian flavours, fruits plucked from the Amazon, wines still to be discovered by the masses hailing from the southern part of the country, interpretations of pulses and grains not often seen in our dark and dismal land?
Setting the scene – elegant, serene, chic.
Heaving open the heavy wooden door, embossed with brass lettering proudly stating the name Bossa, a Brazilian flag fluttering from flagpole high above. I was greeted by an elegant, chic space, all clean lines and polished finishes where the staff are as perfectly placed as the interiors.
An open kitchen allows diners to watch the brigade work, each chef dedicated to their station, prepping garnish, stirring sauces, seasoning protein with precision and flair. Cleverly positioned tables and countertop dining allowing the spectacle of the kitchen to be enjoyed by restaurant goers as if watching a perfectly executed dance.
Let’s talk drinks – Mojitos, Mezscladinha and a very nice Brazilian Chardonnay.
Our meal started with cocktails – a Bossa Mojito (because you can always tell the skill of a mixologist via their Mojito) and a Mezscladinha, a smokey, more grown up version of the Brazilian classic that had left me recovering on those aforementioned beaches many moons ago – the bar (no pun intended) was high, if the kitchen was doing things as spectacularly as the bar, we were in for a treat. Delivered with a flourish from the mixologist himself, an explanation of the flavour profiles within the drinks and a brief chat on his favourite tipple. Personal touches like this removed any potential stuffiness and formality that can so often be found in restaurants of this area.
In a seamless handover, the mixologist paved the way for our maitre’d. As informative as she is warm, her passion and enthusiasm for the Brazilian wines on offer was palpable. Seeing that both my dining partner and I were fond of a grape juice or two and especially keen on varieties we hadn’t tried before, a trio of bottles were placed on the table to sample including a Brazilian Chardonnay – you heard. Apprehensive at first, I have had far too many buttery, oaky Chard’s thrust upon me in my time. However, this iteration was crisp and full of zest – I assume skipping it’s second fermentation or keeping it to the absolute minimum to ensure low levels of lactic acid and in turn keeping things light as opposed to the thicker Californian chardonnay’s we know and apparently for some, love.
Starting strong – Brazilian inspired starters to set the pace of the meal.
On to the food portion of the piece. We began with a starter of a tapioca, raw cashew nut cream and wild mushrooms. Having seen it described this way on the menu, I was expecting the tapioca served in ‘grain’ format, most likely with the mushrooms running through and a drizzle of the aforementioned cream. However, I was presented with a savoury ‘pancake’ made from the tapioca pearls, swiped with lashings of the cashew nut cream and showered with sauteed wild mushrooms. I am still unsure if you are meant to pick it up like a taco or use the elegant cutlery placed next to you (probably the latter) but taco method I went for and it was sensational. The pancake giving the perfect texture and bite to the topping. This is how to cater for your vegan diners in exciting and innovative ways – anyone who reads my work regularly knows I’m a meat protein led kind of girl but this dish left me perfectly satisfied and allowed my inner carnivore to remain dormant. We also shared sweet potatoes, Coppa, Brazil nut cream, turnip greens – a dish that doesn’t hide behind ‘cheffy’ techniques but rather showcases good ingredients and proven flavour combinations. There is something bold about a chef that chooses to do this, when the plate landed on the table it looked simple, perhaps too simple but on eating, it quickly became apparent that Chef Nilson Chaves knows exactly what he is doing and his confidence exudes on the plate.
The main event – sensational seabass and a steak I can’t stop thinking about.
For mains – Sea Bass, Delica Pumpkin cream, Okra Vinaigrette and finally allowing that carnivore to come out to play, Grilled Bavette, Beans, Fried Rice, dry banana farofa. As soon as my eyes landed on farofa I was happy.
The sea bass was excellent – the flesh delicately flaking with each touch, the skin crispy and burnished as it should be. The okra prepped to perfection – not a slimy globule in sight – come on, we’re all terrified of it – but instead, holding a firm bite to contrast to the soft flesh of the fish. Both adorning the most heavenly pumpkin cream, thick, unctuous, warming – a marriage of Brazilian flavour with a much-needed dose of autumnal comfort – a very clever dish.
And on to the steak – I can wax lyrical about tapioca and pumpkins but we all know the real reason I’m here. Pink bavette sliced thin, doused with a heady, punchy chimichurri (accompanied by an Opinel steak knife – lovely touch), served with three side dishes of fried rice, beans and and THAT farofa. I was instantly transported back to those restaurants in Brazil where I would take my plate of beans and shovel the dried farofa on top of them, albeit this was a much classier affair. I am yet to try and recreate the banana farofa at home but it is on the list – the sweetness of the fruit sitting along side the salty, toasted cassava flour, hits of chilli popping with every bite. Sprinkling it on the soft red meat like you would a pangrattato on soft pasta – it is sheer heaven and I could have eaten it by the bucket.
Delightful desserts showcasing Brazilian ingredients.
For dessert, egg and coconut custard. For me, there wasn’t enough coconut flavour in this dish – I wanted to be slapped around the face with it, feel like I was drowning in a Pina Colada vibe to end my tropical luncheon, however, the flavours were subtle and the texture interesting. We also sampled a Cupuacu cheesecake – a lovely opportunity to try a native ingredient to Brazil (the national fruit of Brazil if we are getting into it) and a fruit I saw so often when I was there but never really learnt much about it. It’s a chocolatey fruit if you were wondering, that can be made into butter or powder similar to its cacao relative but minus the alkaloids. Both dishes offered a light finish to the meal and I loved that they both championed the produce of Brazil in spades.
As the towel (napkin) was thrown in and we began to brace ourselves for the stark reality of the outside world and leave this heavenly, calm, serene oasis, a shot of house made jalapeno infused tequila was placed in front of us to warm us on our way out. Now I have dabbled in the dark arts of chill infused tequila, but this was something else. A sippable tipple, that builds heat as it trickles down your throat until you get to the point of ‘no way, I absolutely cannot drink that’ but then in a mere moment, you are reaching for more. It is that delicious. We were told the secret is in vacuum packing and fermenting – I would give it a go, but I love my liver too much. And so, 45ml later, I was back where it all began – tipsy, a fire in my throat, sated from fantastic food and in love with the produce of Brazil. Now I just need to find a beach to recover on.
