5 must-try meals in São Paulo, from duck hearts to slow-roast pork

This post was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK).

1. Duck hearts, Cora

Skewers of salted, charcoal-grilled chicken hearts are discovered all over in the city, from all-you-can-eat steakhouses to street barbecues and stalls at football matches. Modish small-plates-and-wine place Cora modernises the traditional with a gorgeous meal of unusual duck hearts on a bed of cauliflower cream and grilled leeks, topped with lively salsa verde and accompanied by house-baked sourdough bread and Brazilian natural red wine. The sixth-floor city-centre area uses views over Minhocão (‘the huge worm’), a raised highway that’s car-free on weekends.

2. Slow-roast pork, A Casa do Porco

Ranked 12th on the planet’s 50 Best Restaurants– and 4th on the Latin American list– A Casa do Porco serves a menu focusing on pork. The pigs are raised on the creators’ own farm, with the meat utilized in ingenious meals motivated by conventional Brazilian food, such as ear and trotter ceviche. The stars, nevertheless, are the eight-hour slow-roasted San Zé pork and the pork sushi, a nigiri-like bite of rice and nori, topped with prepared pork jowl in black tucupi– a sticky glaze made from fermented cassava.

3. Cuscuz, Cuscuz Da Irina

This brand-new area in the hip Vila Madalena district champs typically underappreciated local food. Cuscuz Da Irina takes its name from the couscous-like meal popular in northeastern Brazilian states consisting of Rio Grande do Norte, where owner Irina Cordeiro– a previous MasterChef Profissionais participant– is from. There are a number of possible accompaniments to the cuscuz, which is made with cornmeal, however the standout is a stew of sun-dried beef with cream, along with a black-eyed pea salad, coalho cheese and a beetroot-dyed boiled egg. Chilli sauce on the side is a must.

4. Pernil, Pernil do Moises

São Paulo does not do not have yummy sandwiches. Choices vary from the Levantine-inspired beirute (roast beef, lettuce, tomato, melted cheese, spices and za’atar in a flatbread), cost landmark luncheonette Frevo, to the Anthony Bourdain-endorsed mortadella rolls at Bar do Mané. Do not miss out on the possibility to attempt a pernil sandwich at Pernil do Moises in Ceagesp market. These little baguettes come packed with juicy pork leg or shoulder and all way of garnishes (pineapple and raw onion are standouts).

5. Takoyaki, Izakaya Issa

Home to among the biggest Japanese neighborhoods beyond Japan, São Paulo is renowned for its izakaya bars, which serve a few of the city’s finest food. Takoyaki are balls of wheat batter, generally filled with diced octopus and marinaded ginger and topped with a Worcestershire-like sauce, mayo and katsuobushi (dried, smoked, fermented fish shavings). São Paulo’s finest are discovered at Izakaya Issa, an always-busy bar in the mainly Japanese area of Liberdade. Order a couple of takoyaki together with a cold beer.