Curitiba’s most awarded chef puts the south of the country on the gastronomy map
You go there, take two flights, travel more than 5 thousand kilometers, arrive on a paradise island, in a soap opera hotel and dinner is… Brazilian food! I doubt the first exclamation will be one of enthusiasm. However, a journalist is a strange creature, he wants to be where there is no other colleague, to prove everything with inhuman speed, and, as a bonus, reveal the most surprising things.
An oddity that makes a journalist rejoice at a Manu Buffara dinner St. Regis Bahia Beachin the Rio Grande. From these life coincidences, Manu Buffara was studying journalism when he began planning his career more than in gastronomy, in hospitality, in a resort in the United States. It wasn’t on the beach in Puerto Rico, but on skis, near Seattle.
Even though she is a great karaoke singer, Manoella Buffara Ramos is reserved. He had landed a couple of days earlier with some black tucupi, cupuaçu and Uarini flour in his suitcase. She also brought a bikini, but she didn’t go to one of the hundred best spas in the world, she went straight to the kitchen.
From there she practically only went out into the garden, that place with the universal language that was so familiar to her. Manu was born in Curitiba, but within a few days he was already in Maringá, where his father was a farmer. So the flowerbeds helped create it. Today, back in the capital of Paraná, they are an essential part of the Manu restaurant and its social work.
To alleviate food insecurity and for the health of the population, the chef carries out a project with more than 80 urban community gardens. In the Río Grande, the rows of herbs, flowers, greens and other greens were respite, inspiration and relief.
Manu menu
Immediately after the amuse-bouche, a grilled oyster, the harvest of sweet peppers emulsified the wagyu fillet tartare, which contrasted with the sweet acidity of the cupuaçu gel and the crunchiness of the quinoa.
The leek with pancetta, clam sauce and very crunchy cassava farofa made the prominent role of the plantations clear, although the next two dishes went out of their way to steal the show with impeccable seafood.
First of all, the red prawn, with its sweet character and almost creamy consistency, was highlighted by the mandarin, fennel and other sweet ajies; then, the “grilled” calamari melted in the island’s coconut cream cheese: “It’s nice that we are renewing ourselves, using our creativity and moving forward. The calamari, for example, is a dish of the Exímia dish, but there it is smaller and is served with ink sauce. Here I added Manu’s coconut buttermilk.” Ah, Exímia is the bar that opened this year in São Paulo with the famous barman Márcio Silva.
The toasted lettuce played a similar role to the other local ingredients: if it were not present in the dish, the goodness of the lamb would be missing. Much more than a salad, this lettuce was one of Manu’s greatest intuitions: “It’s a completely different Caesar, with cotija cheese, which comes from here, anchovies and, instead of croutons, toasted peanuts.”
Then once again the fennel enchanted, now with strawberry vinaigrette and yogurt ice cream. “It was a pleasure to work with Manu, her talent is impressive, the complexity of the flavours, the fact that she is enchanted by the local culture and uses garden produce, including our passion fruit and coconut in the chocolates, as well to the tucupi he brought,” commented Diego Ortega, chef at the St. Regis Bahia Beach.
Brazilianness and bullfighting
Diego’s joy coincided with comments throughout the room. It was Brazil here, Manu there, Tucupi there. It coincided with the sensation of the last candy. It may seem snobbish, but it’s true: it’s rare to arrive at the end of a tasting menu thinking that portions, times and flavors were right.
Behind the scenes, Manu avoided thinking about his youngest daughter’s birthday cake the next day, avoiding last-minute dietary restrictions, using a different language and way of working. With absolute respect for other people’s cuisine, he let the serenity by the fire spread into the food, the service, the diner.
The best female chef in Latin America in 2022 (without getting into sexism), she put southern Brazil on the gastronomic map – in our country and in the world. It is propagated that it is possible to do good by serving people, “that a good dish can really save the day”.
Manu is far from cliché, but this adoration for food could be, or is, a trait of his Taurus personality. It’s almost palpable in your dinner. Not only does it turn another Taurus woman on, but it also makes her feel proud of being Brazilian.
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
