For a truly authentic Brazilian food experience you can't go past Brazilian barbecue, officially known as churrasco (pronounced shoo-ras-coo). Churrasco is a style of cooking whereby meat is slow roasted on a spit over sizzling hot coals, and basted in a variety of sauces such as chimichurri, red wine and garlic butter.
Brazilian BBQ restaurants generally have you pay a flat price for all you can eat and they will literally keep serving you until you can't eat any more. Your money gets you up to twenty different cuts of meat, generally consisting of beef, lamb, pork, Brazilian sausage, chicken and seafood. The meat is brought out on skewers and sliced for you at the table. Your meal also comes with a host of accompaniments such as rice, beans, salsa, potatoes and grilled pineapple to finish. You definitely won't leave hungry.
Here are three of the best Brazilian BBQ restaurants in Sydney:
Braza – Leichhardt. My personal favourite, they serve twenty different cuts of meat including favourites such as picahana (rump cap), chicken breast wrapped in bacon and lamb leg. They also have lesser known cuts such as chicken hearts and lamb ribs, however it is all delicious. The sides they serve are very generous, and are replenished once they are gone. Braza also has select side dishes by request, including an heirloom tomato & palm heart salad with black olives & white balsamic. Luckily, they are included in the price. Ask for a seat outside and watch the bustle of Darling St. At $42 per person it's not cheap, but for the selection it's worth it. Oh, and definitely try the
garlic prawns.
Brazuca – Manly. While the selection of meat is somewhat smaller than other similar restaurants, the setting is one of the best in Sydney. Located across from the beach
at Manly, Brazuca is the perfect location for dinner during summer. With seating both upstairs and down you are pretty much guaranteed a view of the water no matter where you are in the restaurant. The service is prompt with food arriving at your table
not long after you sit down. You can choose between the full BBQ of ten different cuts of meat ($38) or the half BBQ with seven ($30). For those who don't eat meat they even have a vegetarian BBQ. As with all Brazilian BBQ restaurants the meal is accompanied by sides such as black beans, rice and cheesy potatoes. While their BBQ selection is only small, what they do offer is extremely well cooked and comes basted in a variety of sauces. Make sure you save room for the cinnamon grilled pineapple at the end of the meal.
Churrasco – Kings Cross. Located on William St, just outside the city Churrasco could be considered an up-market Brazilian BBQ experience. The low lit dining room consists largely of communal style tables where groups of up to 40 people can be seated. An extensive wine rack acts as a divide between the main dining room and a second, smaller dining room. If you're after a more intimate dinner there are several smaller settings away from the main room. The menu leans more towards red meat, with offerings of eye fillet, sirloin, rump, lamb and ribs, however they also have several types of sausage, chicken and pork available. Churrasco offer standard sides and as an added bonus have grilled haloumi on the menu. They also offer salads but at $10.50 they're not cheap. The meal will set you back $35. You should definitely try the grilled haloumi.
