Casa Brazilia: Authentic new Brazilian restaurant with unlimited BBQ meat, carved off the skewer at your table
What is it about Brazil? There is magic in the name, the people, the atmosphere. Casa Brazilia takes that indescribable vibe and forges it into a mouthwatering wood and charcoal and wood barbecue extravaganza.
As of May 2023, this purveyor of Brazilian barbeque in Outram is hardly 6 weeks old. However, the Muslim-friendly kitchen has already left its (scorch) mark on a long line of satiated diners. The locality is superb, and the restaurant rubs shoulders with names like the Mandala Club and Ms. Maria & Mr. Singh.
When you step into the heritage shophouse, the decor is bright and tight. 4-seater tables are straddled by brown chairs on one side and blue ones on the other. Intriguing art adorns the walls. I find the bar at the corner on the smaller side but it’s not like I’m some big drinker, so *shrugs*.
What I tried at Casa Brazilia
We visited Casa Brazilia for Dinner (S$79 per person), which comes with Starters and Compliments. ‘Dinner’ is an understatement, though— Casa Brazilia’s indulgent version involves a free flow of barbequed meat for a 1.5 hour dining experience.
We’d cross that bridge when we got to it; first, the Starters.
My first bite at Casa Brazilia was of Goat Cheese Crostini, and it was exquisite. I’m not talking about just the marvellous fig-topped presentation, which I loved. The Crostini possessed a pleasant crunch from toasted bread, which paired dreamily with the creamy goat cheese that glided smoothly across my tongue. Garnished with herbs and spices, it was the ideal setup for the night to come.
I’ve always enjoyed Empanadas, the wonderful little Latin American pastries. We were served 3 different types— Coxinha(chicken fillings), Pão de queijo(cheese ball) and Banana Empanadas(Banana Fritters).
The Coxinha(chicken fillings) were, by far, my favourite. The banana empanadas were a bit of a miss with me— too sweet this early in the meal.
A quintuple of Compliments came next, with the first being the healthy but rather unremarkable Grilled Lettuce. It tasted exactly like its name.
A Soup at Brazil was eye-widening— every spoonful packed enough tang to get me out of bed at 6am on a Sunday. It’s prepared from a homemade sauce, which explains the intensity of the flavour. Loved in and around Brazil, the Pao de Quiejo bread of cassava flour, eggs and cheese provided a nice balance.
With a straightforward name belying the goodness it packs, the Garlic Rice that followed was my favourite Compliment. Light and flavourful, it is the embodiment of the simplicity of Brazilian cuisine. It was especially enjoyable with the tomato and mozzarella flavours of the Caprese Salad.
After this captivating intro, we moved to the dinner proper: Brazilian Cuts. Okay, so the word ‘cuts’ takes on a whole new dimension here. Entire skewers, weighed down by hefty chunks of sizzling meat are brought out of the kitchen by the chefs right to your table. They proceed to slice the portions you desire and you use these cute little golden tongs to complete their journey to your plate.
The first cut was Pincanha, which is the prime part of top sirloin. Flavour-wise it’s robust and typically beefy. After looking at the charred exterior on the skewer, I was astounded that the meat ensconced inside was so moist and tender. It was buttery-smooth and went down easy.
On the next parade from the kitchen came the Costela, which is beef rib. Grilled over an extended period to emphasise the fatty tenderness of the meat, this was my favourite cut of the night and everyone at our table enjoyed it.
Cupim beef hump from the Zebu breed of cattle followed and it was my second favourite. I’ve never tasted anything like it and that’s probably because Zebu hump is rarely, if ever, found outside of Brazilian cuisine. Grilled precisely to coax out all the flavours and juices, this marbled meat was a revelation.
The Pernil de Cordiero leg of lamb brought some delightful variety to the cuts. Its slow-roasted meat, pre-seasoned with herbs, spices and olive oil, comes out aromatic with just the rights of savoury touches. Lamb has a natural sweetness and this treatment leaves it very well-balanced.
I am not a particularly big fan of duck but the Pesto de Pato Defumo smoked duck breast did pull me in. Much of its appeal, I attribute to the crispy skin which was infused most enticingly with herbs and spices.
Chicken can be simple… or it can be Coxa de Frango com Osso, which is Casa Brazilia’s rendition of chicken thigh without bone. The chicken is marinated for hours before it meets the grill, which allows the lovely concoction of flavours to imbue the meat with a lovely moist character.
We were also served Alcatra top sirloin, Tenderloin, Linguica de Frango chicken sausage, Beef Anho (beef with bone), and File de Lombo com Ohlo sirloin with garlic. Have a favourite? With the Dinner package, you can ask for whichever you please, as often as you please.
If you have the stomach space available after all this, there are desserts (not included in the free-flow dinner package)— Brigadeiro (S$15), Papaya Crème de Casis (S$15) and Avocado Mango Pana Cotta (S$15).
I had a couple of cocktails to wash the generous servings down. Thyme in Rio is a combination of citrus, premium gin and thyme, and was one of the stiffest drinks I have ever had! I gravitated towards the milder and smoky Peach Perfect, a homemade cocktail of whisky infused with peach for over 2 days.
Final thoughts
Casa Brazilia is a meat lover’s paradise. Its concept of eat all you please works partly because of the high-quality meat but just as much because it is prepared so well. The presentation style of having chefs slice the meat off the huge skewers is wonderfully appetising theatrics— I loved every minute of it!
Expected damage: S$79 – $129 per pax
* This post was brought to you in partnership with Casa Brazilia.
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