Brazilian
Cafe Brasil on Washington
Cafe Brasil has been mentioned here before, but that was the location on Venice. A few nights ago we dropped in to the Washington location for dinner. We were glad we did.
Cafe Brasil is open and airy, and extremely clean. Normally, I wouldn’t mention cleanliness, but this place was spotless. The restrooms were nicely decorated and also insanely clean. That’s a good sign to start. I also liked the tables and chairs. Colorful wood and nice big pillows were scattered about. The menu is presented on a wide chalk board above the cash register.
The service is incredibly friendly and helpful. We ask for a few recommendations and get definitive answers. That also, is a good thing. I truly appreciate it when someone is willing to suggest one dish over another, “all of our dishes are good” does nothing for me.
We tried a few dishes. The Tropical Shrimp Plate was piled with plump crustaceans, bathed in a lovely Brazilian spiced sauce, along with fried plantains, rice and black beans. The rice was velvety, most likely laced with butter or some other magic to make it melt in our mouths.
We also tried the chicken. It is a light grilled breast, also topped with secret Brazilian herbs and spices. My wife and I ended up splitting the chicken and shrimp. Surf and Fowl.
Our dining companions both opted for the fish. It must have been good, because it disappeared before I got a bite.
Now, here is where I learned what “spicy” means in Brazil. When we made our order, I asked about the black bean soup. “It’s Spicy” I was told. “It’s Spicy” I said as I coughed through the first bite. The spice was one of those punch-you-in-the-mouth-but-disappear-quickly types. Next thing I knew, I’m addicted, scarfing down the bowl, alternating spice and delight.
After the meal I was craving some coffee. Where better to get coffee than from a Brazilian? I order the coffee and ask if it’s just Brazilian beans, or if there is something more to it. “It’s Brazilian beans, but it’s strong. Like espresso.”
It was like espresso, but instead of a couple ounces of brew, it was a full cup. A full delicious cup. Yes, that is a rock candy stick in the picture. I put a little cream in it, and tossed in a few marshmallows. Yep, they have marshmallows and I can’t resist marshmallows. I really enjoyed the coffee, but having it after dinner may have been a mistake. I was flying high for the rest of the night and long after I should have been asleep.
Cafe Brasil is a great spot. Dishes run from $11-$16 each and the portion sizes are large, but not overwhelming. It’s a great place to meet friends for a little taste of South America.
Café Brasil
11736 West Washington Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90066
ph: 310.391.1216
fax: 310.636.1980
By Jonah (see more of his posts). Jonah is the founder of la.foodblogging and also created Digesty, a food blog aggregator and Cheww.com, a spam free foodblog search engine.
Discussion
Post a comment
One of my co-workers who lived in Brazil for much of her life likes the place. I’ll have to make the trek there sometime!
wow - cleanliness?! I was there last week and I thought the food was delicious, but pricey considering there was no table service.
But I found it quite dirty: the cushions on those chairs looked like they’d never been washed and the tables were sticky and the bathroom was simply gross.
It was all worth it tho for the apple tarte!
oops - i was talking about the venice blvd location! i’ll have to try the one on washington