That’s “São Paulo Fun for 5 Days”. It’s also, at least so far, about as much solar protection as we might need. It’s been, let’s say, drizzly and cool. Not at all what we expected (nor what was forecast) for this time of year.

On our two previous trips here, we really didn’t go for any “street food” – not even at places that are more stationary. But, having skimped on breakfast as we finished off the last scraps of what was in the refrigerator, and LATAM having only proffered a choice between a medialuna with ham and cheese or a blueberry muffin, we at least needed a snack. So a quick pastel, which is sort of a Brazilian Hot-Pocket the size of a letter envelope, but with, at least based on this one sampling, about as much filling as a single Gino’s Pizza Roll. Mostly crust and air. We grabbed a couple from Pastel Kyoto, Av. Paulista 392, a chain of pastel stands around the city. Henry had one with bacalhau, salt cod, and I had one with palm hearts and shrimp. Good flavors, but just lacking enough filling to be really interesting. I hope they’re not all like that. R$9 , 130 pesos, or $2 each.

 

A return to Academia da Gula, Rua Caravelas 374, which was one of our favorite spots the first trip, and a year ago to the day from this visit. We even repeated almost exactly what we ordered the first time – the amazing chicken giblets stewed in beer, tomato, and onions, with pickled boquinho chilies, and the baked salt cod with potatoes over a bed of onions, peppers, and olives, with rice and broccoli. We just skipped the appetizer of the fried cod sticks and the side dish of beans this time around. Just as “yum” as the first visit. And, a chat with the owner on how to make the sauce for the giblets! With drinks, R$272, $65, 3920 pesos….

And a good night’s sleep!

 

Started our first day off at Japan House, Av. Paulista 52, right near the hotel. A mix of cultural center, library, and restaurant, they offer up a single art exposition at any given time. Currently, this large draped grouping of red robes all interconnected by strings entitled “Internal Lines”, and, according to the info presented, representing, “universal themes such as human relationships, feelings, memories, life and death, topics that stand out throughout the artist’s career”. Okay….

 

Across the street to Casa das Rosas, Av. Paulista 37, a beautiful old house that’s mostly known for its rose garden – unfortunately not a huge number of roses in bloom right now, which is sort of surprising for being mid-summer. A brief wander through the house itself – there’s an exhibit dedicated to a local poet, and some old furnishings to look at, but the draw is obviously the garden.

 

We headed to a local spot touted for its very traditional Brazilian fare, only to find it closed. Nothing else on my map of places to try was close by and open, and Henry wasn’t up for waiting/traveling to another spot, so a quick look around on Google maps showed another place offering Brazilian fare a half block away. Just, it turns out, not traditional fare for the most part. In fact, most of the menu is oriented around healthy fare – lots of vegetarian options for those looking for a spot. Still, the food at Tavares, Rua da Consolação 3212, was good – we shared a small empada de camarão – we were thinking something like an empanada, but it’s more of a little pie filled with shrimp; Henry had the Thursday special of stroganoff, this week made with chicken; and I had grilled mahi-mahi with grilled vegetables. Finished off with a pastel de nata, a little custard tart, and espressos, and I headed out for more museum visits while he headed to the commercial center for shopping. R$156, almost $40, or 2250 pesos.

 

Started at the very small Museu Xingu, Rua José Maria Lisboa 838, which is located at the back of this old house that’s mostly taken up by a couple of shops offering varied artisan wares and a café. The museum consists of two small rooms dedicated to a collection by two brothers of artifacts from the Xingu culture, which was the first indigenous tribe that the Brazilian government ever recognized officially with their own tribal lands… a mere 49 years ago (and now, not even 50 years later, the far right wing president wants to get rid of all “special” recognition for indigenous groups and their lands).

 

And, we’ve passed by the Museu de Arte de São Paulo Assis Chateaubriand, Av. Paulista, 1578 numerous times. This time I wanted to visit. The main collection, on the upper floor, has got to be one of the most unique ways of displaying art I’ve seen in a museum, with each piece “free floating” on a stand, and you just wander amongst them. As you move towards the back, generally, the artworks get older, and more European, and more catholic, and then finally an abrupt switch to indigenous art at the very back. Lower floors have various temporary exhibitions. Cool place, worth a visit! R$40 (I get a senior discount, so only R$20!), or about $10 admission ($5 for us 60+ folk).

 

And, let’s finish off the first day’s activities with dinner at Jiquitaia, Rua Antônio Carlos 268, a place noted for creative uses of traditional indigenous ingredients and dishes. Options are for ordering individual plates, or, a three course menu where you pick one appetizer, one main, and one dessert. Henry wasn’t overly hungry, so just ordered moqueca, a stew of fish and shrimp in a mild coconut broth. I went the latter and started with a trio of housemade sausages (from the waitress’ description, I thought it was three different types of sausage, but no), and probably their most touted dish, duck in a tucupi sauce, which is made from manioc root, with what amounts to a fried rice with confited duck, pancetta, and various vegetables; and, finished off with what turned out to be a pumpkin flan – also not quite what I expected from the description. All very, very good. The fried rice was probably the star on the table. Also an excellent hot sauce, of which Henry consume two bowls of, despite warnings from both me and the waitress, and he’s regretting it today. Overall, quite good, but not quite as creative as I’d been led to believe – ran us R$268 total, $64, or 3860 pesos – seemed pricey at first, even for SP, but then, it was R$4 less than Academia da Gula above, for more creativity, and ostensibly more expensive or difficult to obtain ingredients.

Let’s end there for the moment!