It seems like all I’ve been doing lately is going to restaurants. That’s not true, there’s also the movies, but you’ll be reading about those soon. Meanwhile, after about a year in Sydney without feeling the taste of home, I’ve been to two Brazilian BBQ places in the past month or so. The first one was somewhat disappointing, therefore I still needed one that would actually make me feel – at least a little bit – as if I were back in Rio Grande do Sul, the state in Brazil where the best barbecues are made. The place of choice this time was Churrasco (which, incidentally, is the Brazilian word for barbecue). We went there last Monday. Just to make sure, we made reservations the day before, but they were not necessary. By the time we got there, at 19:30, there were customers, but the place – which is quite big – was far from full.
The entrance. Not my best picture ever.
There was still another area, so you can see there’s seating space. As per Brazilian tradition, Churrasco works with an all-you-can-eat system, including side dishes and the barbecue itself, which is brought to the table by waiters. As soon as we where seated, we were offered drinks and the food started coming. Side dishes didn’t take long, but before they touched our table there was already meat there.
So, this is how my meal started:
That’s ham glazed with orange and seeded mustard, with rice, black beans and farofa (cassava flour). The glazed ham is not exactly Brazilian standard, but the sides where spot on. I don’t really have a great picture of the sides, by the way, because my friends starved themselves in preparation and dove head first into the food as it touched the table, hehehe. Anyway, this is what I can show you.
The fourth item, which wasn’t in the previous photo, is potato. Well, sides are fun and all, but what matters is the meat. Here it is (click to see the pictures in full size).
Those are obviously just a part of all we had, I just couldn’t bring myself to take pictures of everything. I was busy enjoying, and I tell you: it was good. The meat was tender, well seasoned, and there were options of rare to well done. I’ll go for rare any day, and I was very happy with what I got. Among the options are rump cap, sirloin, eye fillet, chicken hearts, chicken wings, chicken sausage, pork chorizo, some of them with two or more different preparations.
If one thing was not perfect, it was that the chicken hearts only showed up right at the beginning, and there were only three of them for the four of us, and when we were just about done with the meal – I asked for them as a final serving. Hadn’t I asked, I’m not sure we’d have even seen them after that modest early appearance.. By the way, they also have other cuts of chicken, as I mentioned. I just don’t really go for chicken often when in barbecues, that’s why there are no pictures or further comments.
Overall, I can’t even tell you what my favorite cut was. Most of them were just beyond reproach. So much so that I kept eating long after I’d told myself I was satisfied. A new option came around, and I just had to have it.
Other stuff. The place is nice, in a kind of stylish old school decoration, leaning towards dark in terms of lighting, and not too noisy. The service was efficient and very friendly. The price is a bit on the high side, $44 per person, which means it’s not somewhere one can go all the time, but it’s definitely worth it once you realise what you’re getting for it. They also have desserts that look delicious, but I’ll have to go back just for them one day, because there’s no way I’d give up on the room for meat to have dessert that night. Oh, yes, talking about going back, that’s a place I’ll certainly visit again for the meat, as well as the dessert. And, before I forget, they also have this Guaraná Antartica, by far the best guaraná soft drink there is.
And I guess we’re just about done here.
Kidding, there’s one more thing:
Churrasco Brazilian Style BBQ Sydney is at 60-70 William Street, Woolloomooloo, NSW.