Taste of Brazil Authentic Brazilian Cuisine
★★★★☆ 3.6 (35) • $$
"Based upon the jam packed overflowing crowd I encountered last Sunday, this small Brazilian style storefront eatery may very well prove to be the little restaurant that could. It all began as a food truck that made a successful opening day debut at the International Food Festival in Hampton during the summer of 2016. This led to the owner's dream of finding her own brick and mortar location, which was finally fulfilled when she opened one in Norfolk this past August.Her dream brought her to a location in the Riverview section of Granby Street, partially housed in a former convenience store beside the recently closed Barking Dog, and directly across the street from the French Delicatessen and Bakery. Parking can be scarce. If I don't see a space, I usually pull into the McDonald's several feet away and swing around to the back of the building, where there have always been plenty of spaces available.The owner is from Brazil, where her family also owns a restaurant, and uses some of her grandmother's recipes. It is her mission to introduce the area to the more traditional style of Brazilian cuisine that was reminiscent of the 1950s.The decor has a distinctive 1950s feel as well. There is an antique radio in the corner of the customer counter. An old-fashioned pay phone and coffee maker are visible behind the food counter. Their coffee is brewed from beans fresh daily from Tidewater Coffee.Candy jars rest on the food counter, one of which includes a huge chocolate bar from Lacta, a Brazilian chocolate manufacturer, which I will try during my next visit. During my last visit, I counted seven two-seated metallic chairs inside. Four seats are available at the counter against the wall. Most of their tables and chairs are still outside, which were quite busy over the summer. After four visits, I have tried the following:BEEF AND CHICKEN EMPANADAS: I ordered one of each and was blown away. They were served piping hot with a thin flaky crust, plump and juicy with their shredded beef and chicken fillings. When it comes to empanadas, I've never had better. My Rating: 5 Stars.PRATO DE FRANGO: A large platter consisting of savory chunks of chicken with black beans, fried plantains, and white rice. This dish was very tasty, well seasoned, and very filling. It could have been just a little hotter temperature wise. My Rating: 4 Stars.FEIJOADA: A Brazilian Black Bean Stew with Black Beans, Bacon, Smoked Sausages, Ham Hock, Neck Bone, Collard Greens, Orange Slices, Yucca Flour Crumbles, and White Rice.This is regarded as the national dish of Brazil, and I've enjoyed it twice so far, with the first time in September and the second time last Sunday. It is only available during the weekends at this time. Let it suffice to say that it is incredibly delicious. My Rating: 5 Stars. Some of their current menu offerings seem to stray a bit from their Brazilian reservation. Their Smoked Kielbasa plate is one example. Kielbasa is a type of sausage originating from Poland and the Ukraine. What gives it a Brazilian touch are the black beans that come with it.They also offer Beef and Chicken Strogonoff, which are traditional Russian dishes. Their version which comes with two starches, namely rice and fries. Their daily breakfast offerings currently include eggs, waffles, pancakes, bacon, and sausage, which strike me as more American than Brazilian. They also offer a Philly Cheese Steak.I believe the owner is trying to establish a solid customer base with a few American and international favorites while gradually introducing her customers to more traditional Brazilian fare. Based upon the increasing customer volume I have witnessed during the past few months, it appears to be working.This restaurant also functions as a bakery, with many of their offerings featured almost daily on their Facebook page. Among them are Pao de Queijo, a traditional Brazilian cheese bread, Sonhos, which are popular Brazilian cream filled puff pastries, and Caramel and Nutella flavored Churros. A wide assortment of desserts is also available from their display cases, which has included corn pudding, corn pudding, flan, and a number of others.One minor issue I have with their current service policy is that water is only available by the bottle. Paying two dollars for a bottle of water doesn't quite agree with me, and I hope they reconsider this one.During my next visit, I want to try one of their Coxinhas, a popular street food in Brazil that consists of chicken meat molded inside batter fried dough resembling a chicken leg or tear drop. For yet another future visit, I am hoping that they will eventually introduce Moqueca, a traditional Brazilian fish stew to their menuI regard the Taste of Brazil as a work in progress and one that is still peaking. They have been making great strides so far, and I am looking forward to my future visits, and perhaps an upgrade to a 5-star rating sometime next year."
"Justin and his food truck saved the day! When another food truck company cancelled on our event at the last minute, The Hot Box stepped up and worked it out for us! Even though, he was a 1 man show, he managed to feed over 50 people in less than 1.5 hours and the food was still hot and delicious. We will definitely do business with this food truck again!"
"When will this place be up and running again? Somebody let me know!Got off the interstate at Armistead one day in 2013 or 14 and saw this truck parked outside a car shop. Curiosity made me stop.The food was AWESOME and I was looking for it around town when I stopped seeing the truck parked on Armistead. I saw it again at a festival at Buckroe Beach and made a point to stop there. Then I heard they were located at lunch time at the Net Center in Newmarket. Visited them there as well. Saw the truck on the road just the other day, first time in a long time, so I guess they are still in business somewhere..."
