PROFILED BY DEGROOTS MEDIARecently relocated from its modest home opposite Manly Wharf, Brazuca has swapped harbour views for prime beach frontage. You can tell the new location by its striking wood panelled exterior, massive green and gold flag flying from the second floor and the heady smells of roasting meats wafting from the kitchen. Having never dined at a Brazilian restaurant before, my party and I were unsure what to expect from Brazuca and were confused to find food served before we had so much as glanced at a menu. Without realising it, we had entered churrasco territory. The word roughly translates from the Portuguese word for barbecue and is Brazuca’s speciality. For $38 a pop (food only), we were about to learn one of life’s great lessons; meat plus stick equals bliss.
After presentation of some interesting side dishes – fries, salad, crumbed plantain – the rest of the meal is spent accepting offerings from home-grown meat waiters who work the room sporting large skewers stacked with a variety of mouth-watering meats. There’s chicken wrapped in bacon, all sorts of sausage, grilled lamb, juicy beef, chicken hearts, barbecued prawns – you name it. A face-off between stomach and tastebuds is the inevitable result, but it’s worth remembering to leave room for the desserts, all of which are delicious.
Shelley Hepworth, November 2008