Netflix: Season 4
Phil Rosenthal visits Rio de Janeiro and enjoys local cuisines from the caipirinha cocktails to dining at the streetside botecos. He visits during Carnival, the largest celebration of the year in Brazil. See the locations, restaurants, and attractions he visited on the show for the best of what to do in Rio.
Eats
1. Praca Nossa Senhora da Paz
Praça Nossa Senhora da Paz - Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro
Phil starts off his trip in an open-air market where he enjoys the many exotic fruits that are available in Brazil.
Tasted: Maracuja (passion fruit)
Carlotinha (mango)
Dragonfruit
Papaya
Cassava (yucca) starch pancake - pan-fried with oregano and cheese
Pastel - shrimp (camarao), palmito (heart of palm)
2. Academia da Cachaca
Cachaca is one of the most popular liquors of Brazil made from distilled sugarcane and used in the Caipirinha, which is Brazil's national cocktail. Academia da Cachaca offers one of the most comprehensive selections of Cachaca in the city, with over 50 different types. Come for the drinks, but stay for the food, especially the Feijoada. It's a stew of beef, pork, and vegetables topped with a flour mix called farofa.
Tasted: Cachca
Caipirinha (cocktail)
Feijoada
3. Lasai
Phil stops by Lasai, a 1-Michelin starred restaurant, to have a meal with Chef Rafa and his wife. They have a multi-course meal that focuses on modern Brazilian cuisine.
Tasted:
Lime and Passionfruit Capirinha
Crispy Sweet Potato filled with peanut butter cream
Avocado and shrimp wrapped and fried in a peixinho leaf
Pork Belly with pork head sauce and beetroots
Chocolate
4. Confeitaria Colombo
An amazing place for pastries with a stunning opulent dining room. Marble tables fill the space while surrounded by large mirrors lining the walls.
Tasted:
Pastries, Cakes
5. Aconchego Carioca
A truly local restaurant that offers traditional Brazilian cuisine with strong African roots.
Tasted:
Feijoada fritters
Bolinho - fried stew
Manioc roots ball with shrimp sauce
Grilled cheese strips, cured meat, onions
Pork ribs with guava, cornmeal with cheese
Romeo and Juliet - fried cheese logs and guava jelly dessert
6. Bar Bo David
An award winning boteco, or Brazilian bar, with great drinks and food. The tables spill out onto the street that make it an amazing and fun-filled atmosphere.
Tasted:
Seafood salad with white bean - won 1st place in competition for best food of Brazil
Bacon, beef, corn, and cheese in bun
Pork Ribs with pineapple salsa
7. Restaurante Pérgula at Copacabana Palace
Phil has brunch at the Copacabana Palace hotel, which has a huge buffet spread.
Tasted:
Prosciutto
Palm heart - pupuna
Chilean salmon with banana
Honeycomb
8. Cervantes
A casual diner with Brazilian comfort food that is great for late night dining and is famous for its steak and pineapple sandwich.
Tasted:
Filet mignon with chicken liver pate and pineapple sandwich - topped with chili sauce
9. Assador
Phil finishes his trip with churrascaria, or Brazilian barbeque, with the friends that he had made on the show. It's an all-you-can-eat buffet where you turn the coaster to green if you want the servers to give you more meat, and to red if you want to take a break.
Tasted:
Buffet of salad
Tomahawk steak
Picanha steak
Chicken wings
Pork ribs
Lamb shoulder
Activities
1. Sugar Loaf Mountain
Av. Pasteur, 520 - Urca, Rio de Janeiro
One of the most popular attractions of Rio. You take the cable car to the top of the mountain (with a stop half-way up), which offers breathtaking views of the city. You can also take a break at the top and enjoy a drink at one of the restaurants.
2. Na Minha Casa
Phil visits a culinary program that is intended to help the young people living in the favelas to give them access to education and training in the culinary fields. Chef Joao Diamante runs the program called "Diamond in the Kitchen" to give young adults a chance to find success in their lives.
3. Carnival
The Brazilian national holiday of Carnival needs no introduction. It is the annual festival marking the beginning of Lent and sees hundred of thousands of people take to the streets and beaches of Brazil singing and dancing in celebration. Phil was lucky enough to visit during this time to partake in the festivities.
4. Stand-Up Paddle Boarding
Phil tries out paddle boarding at one of the famed Rio beaches.
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