Jane Stern visits a beefy Brazilian buffet
Ihave never been to Brazil, never been to Rio and never attended Carnival. As a quiet, introverted writer I always thought my head would explode if confronted with the onslaught of such concentrated noise, color and gaiety. You will not find me at Carnival but it is a good bet you will see me eating peacefully at Banana Brazil in Danbury.
Brazilian food is one of the most underrated cuisines of the world. It is a seductive mix of South American, African and Portuguese foods. Connecticut is fortunate to have a large Brazilian population and many good restaurants. There are three other Banana Brazils around the state, but I like the Danbury one the best. I always feel at home and happy after a trip there.
There are specific ways of eating at a Brazilian style buffet. You can be pretty sure there will be a salad bar on display and dishes (plastic and china) to put the food on in a “help yourself” fashion. The salad bar does indeed have some leafy things and chucks of cut-up fruits, but also cooked foods fried green bananas (plantains), white rice, pasta with red sauce, macaroni salad and a few Brazilian specialties like feijoada: a stew made with black beans, sausage and other parts of the pig like trotters and ears. If you are lucky, you will find Coxinhas, breaded and fried little triangles of shredded chicken and cream cheese, and the utterly addicting, light-asa-feather cheese rolls called pao de quito.
The heart of Brazilian dining is their love and expertise with meat. The various meats at Banana Brazil are cooked on long metal skewers over special charcoal imported from Brazil. These skewers of steak, sausages, chicken, and pork are tended by a specialist who is what I would call “meat whisperer.” Looking at someone cook meat over charcoal may seem like an easy affair, think of Dad on the back porch making hot dogs, But I can assure you it is a highly skilled talent and one that takes years to get right.
The grilled meat section of the restaurant is called the churrasco. At sit-down restaurants, the skewered meat is brought to the table and sliced before your eyes, but at buffets like Banana Brazil you choose what you want from the grill behind the counter and it is sliced on demand.
The buffet line moves swiftly, so if you choke under pressure you might have to step away from the line and compose yourself.
In my many visits I have realized that
Banana Brazil is not a bilingual place so if (like me) you do not speak or read Portuguese, you might find it confusing. There are often no signs identifying what is in the buffet, no clear way of knowing what meat is on the skewer.
I do not speak Portuguese, so at Banana Brazil I am relegated to the ranks of the “point at it” school of ordering. Fortunately, a steak does not look like a chicken, which does not look like a pork chop or a sausage so that at least makes things a bit easier.
What can be trickier is that there are different cuts of steak on the menu, some luxurious and more costly, and others tasty but less expensive. When you point at something, the meat whisperer takes the skewer off the flames and cuts you exactly what you requested (or you hope he does since you do not speak the same language). The man is a genius at knowing which parts of the meat is rare, which is well done, and he intuitively knows exactly how much to give you. When your plate is weighed at the cash register you will see what I mean.
I have been forced to come up with a sneakier way of ordering. I stand back from the line and wait until I see another customer come away with a plate that looks exactly like what I want, then I sneak back into the line and pull the old “I’ll have what he is having” routine. It always works.
If you still have any appetite let after the skewers and salad bar, please order the flan. Flan is a caramelized custard and at Banana Brazil the slices are well chilled and rather immense. The other great dessert is the tres leches cake (three milks), tooth-achingly sweet and delicious. If you really want the total Brazilian experience you can try one of the exotic sodas or fruit juices with your meal. Cashew, almond or passion fruit are available.
I have one other thought to add. I love Banana Brazil and I love the food, but non-Brazilians may be shocked at how salty the meats are and how sweet the desserts. That is the traditional way they are made, everything amped up to the max. If you are on a low-salt, no-sugar diet, this may not be the place for you.
It reminds me of the first time I ate Japanese desserts. Where was the sugar? Now I like Asian pastries.
I know what I am ordering and, if I want a sugar high I will not get it at a Japanese restaurant.
The lesson to be learned is If you want to dabble in a national cuisine, be prepared that you might find it very different from what you are used to.