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Canto do Brasil: A Taste of Carnaval in The City
By Genie Kim
Food Co-Editor I've passed by this place at least a 100 times on the way to the Bay Bridge
and I'm sure you all have too. It's that bright blue restaurant with the yellow
awning on the corner of Oak and Franklin. Only a half block off Market Street,
just on the other side of Van Ness Avenue, near the Opera, Symphony and Ballet,
Canto do Brasil is a convenient location whether you're coming back from a long
day of shopping downtown or returning from more cultured endeavors like the
opera or ballet. Parking was surprisingly easy in this area as there were many
side streets with metered spots that aren't metered after 6 p.m. Lunches cost
from $4.95 to $7.95, dinner appetizers $3.95 to $7.95, and dinner entrees are
in the $10.95-$12.95 range. Specials cost from $14.95 to $17.95.
Not only is the food hearty and authentic, they also have a live dance show
on Friday and Saturday nights starting at 8:15. The restaurant starts getting
crowded at around 8, so my recommendation is that you come early — around
7:15 to 7:30 — to secure yourself a table and just have a long, slow dinner
so you can enjoy the show later. The show was a lot of fun. It was like a little
bit of Carnaval in San Francisco. The women were dressed in headdresses and
not much else, doing the Samba all throughout the restaurant.
Now, let's get down to business and talk about food. Complimentary bread and
a spicy seafood paste were served while we waited for our entrees. The service
was friendly and casual. Our waiter suggested we try the daily fruit drink or
the caipirinha — a mixture of smashed lime, sugar and cachaca. The drinks
were beautifully presented. At only $2.95, it's an inexpensive treat. For a
more authentic drink, try the Brazilian soda, Guarana. Supposedly the fruit
from which this soda is derived gives you virility and strength. For starters,
try the mandioca frita, fried yucca slices, or the camarão ao molho,
which is a tomato stew with spicy prawns.
For the entrée, I ordered the feijoada completa, which is a traditional
Brazilian specialty. It's a stew of black beans, smoked ham, beef, sausage and
garlic, simmered all day with herbs and Brazilian spices. This dish is only
offered on the menu on Friday nights and the weekends. All entrees are served
with rice, beans and farofa (yucca flour). The stew was excellent; it was both
smoky and flavorful, while also hearty and fulfilling. It definitely had that
slow cooked flavor. The beans are infused with the flavor of the sausage and
ham, and the cuts of meat are large. There's definitely something to chew in
this stew. I found the farofa to be interesting; it has no real flavor of its
own and it has the consistency of cornmeal. It must be an acquired taste. But
I was told to squeeze the orange slices over the farofa and eat it with the
stew, which definitely improved the flavor. It was an interesting combination
of flavors and textures. I highly recommend this dish.
My friend Joanna had the bobo de galinha, which is a stew of chicken breast
pieces sautéed in garlic, olive oil, Brazilian spices, coconut milk and
yucca sauce. It was like an Indian curry but sweeter with an almost fruity flavor.
This also came with rice and farofa. This dish was fulfilling but less heavy
than the feijoada, so it's a good choice for lighter eaters.
This restaurant is well-known for its seafood dishes. The red snapper sautéed
in lemon juice and coconut milk topped with onions red and green bell peppers
came highly recommended (muqueca de peixe).
The dessert menu is quite limited; there are only two items. However, they're
cheap, so it might just be worth getting if you need to have your sweet tooth
appeased. The passion fruit mousse and the coconut flan are only $4.25 each.
Canto do Brasil serves authentic Brazilian food at very reasonable prices. It
even comes with a free show!
41 Franklin St.
San Francisco
626-8727
Wheelchair accessible
Lunch: Mon-Sat 11-3
Dinner: Sun-Thurs 5-9 p.m.;
Fri-Sat 5-10 p.m.
Live Dance Show: Friday and
Saturday at 8:15 p.m.
Genie Kim is a second-year medical student.
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