Entertainment in context of meal is not a typical reason to satisfy a craving, yet there are a…read morehandful of places around the world that have managed to cross that line. And to be blatantly clear, it is not entertainment in form of dancing, shows or theater, but purely of the dishes themselves. It is a sort of strange enjoyment, to appreciate a meal for something that is beyond taste and being unable to hide that smile when seeing a dish being set on the table.
Evvai, a mind blowing combination of Italian cooking and Brazilian products, is an entertaining adventure like no other. Evvai is most closely translated as an exlamation that implies satisfaction and excitement, used when you reach a goal or something that you wanted to happen occurs. A project by a young chef, Luiz Filipe Souza, highlighting the immigrant's contribution to Brazil's food. Before the Japanese arrived and after the slave trade ended, Italians were the primary group of immigrants coming here to work on coffee plantations in late 1800s. Despite the abuse and difficult labor, due to tricky contracts and debts imposed upon them, many were unable to return home and stayed. More than a century later, we have restaurant projects such as Evvai, by the young generation of Italians, to put Brazil on the map of food and highlight Italian origin of many Brazilians as a source of pride, as opposed to oppression.
Over the recent years, Louiz Filipe earned several key honors, such as the Michelin Star and the Forbes under 30 recognition. There are very, very profound reasons for that. Every dish is truly a piece of art and entertainment, with flavors that match the beauty of presentation. The tasting menu included delicacies such as meat components across the cow, ox tail, farro surrounded by olives, tomato broth infused with unsprouted seeds, fermented eggplant with honey from native bees, crawfish tortelli with lard, cacciatora chicken and many others. Every single dish was inventive, fun and tasty in very profound ways.
The environment at Evvai can best be described as cozy and elegant, with a couple floors and small dining rooms that are inviting, with upstairs being a darker, more intimate space and downstairs as a light filled larger room. The only real downside to Evvai is the lack of English. The only person who spoke English was the sommelier, who was working across many tables. Thus, figuring out what is being brought to the table involved improvisation through taste and sight. Nobody on the wait staff spoke English and even the written storybook menu was not available in English. Although there is some fun in trying to figure out and decompose these immensely complex dishes, eventually it does get a bit tiring and tough due to unusual ingredients and presentation. From Michelin starred establishments in São Paulo, this was the only one where not a single waiter would be able to explain the dish. I realize that this isn't US, but for better or for worse, English in today's world is the only unifying and commonly taught language across nations, thus having one person on shift speaking English would allow almost any traveler from around the world who does not speak Portuguese to understand the menu.
All that aside, Evvai is an extremely unique, fun and taste provoking establishment that shines to bring a spotlight on the contributions of Italians to the kitchens of Brazil. With a young inventive chef, Evvai is likely only the beginning rather than the end.
