WHEN it’s cold and overcast, there’s little like some Rio street food to warm things up. From the Sao Paulo salt cod fritters to the chimichurri steak and malagueta chicken, Cabana spices up winter proceedings no end - particularly with its surprise treats for Club Card members every time you visit.
Needless to say, Confidential have become quite the Cabana regular - so, when we noticed some tempting new additions to the menu, we felt obliged to share the news with our readers. That said, we’ve also grown very attached to the house dish - a stew of Portuguese options called feijoda - so we thought we’d give that a mention too. If you’ve not tried any of this lot yet, you’re missing out…
Cabana Feijoda
This national dish is a menu institution; a heart-warming bowl of black bean stew with pulled pork, sausage and rib meat cooked low and slow. It’s a favourite in Rio and, judging from Cabana’s version, we can see why. The meat is beautifully tender, the beans creamy and served with biro biro rice with herbs, spring onions and crispy shallots.
Rio Burritos
Nothing says ‘South American’ quite like a burrito. Cabana’s consist of a toasted wrap filled with rice, shallots and shredded lettuce plus your choice of feijoda or grilled halloumi with Rio beans and spicy, tangy chimichurri. Served with corn chips and black beans for dipping, they encapsulate Brasilian street food to a tee.
Stuffed Pittas
If you’re after a taste of Brasil in a compact lunchtime setting, then the stuffed pittas fit the bill. Served with moreish Cabana tortilla chips, coconut slaw and black bean dip, they make an ideal light bite or lunch. Choose from pulled chicken in the signature spicy malagueta sauce or churrasco steak with Brasilian seasoning.
Bahian chicken coconut curry
If spice or barbeque isn’t your thing, Bahian coconut curry is a handy alternative: a traditional creamy dish from Bahia in the North East. Mild but aromatic, served with crispy strips of passarinho chicken and drool-worthy brio-biro rice, this dish is basically Brasil’s answer to chicken katsu curry with added Latin sass.
