It would be impossible to leave @oteque_rj out of my mini-series of where to eat in Rio. One of my favorite restaurants in Latin America is well awarded but in my eyes still vastly underrated in the food industry. Contemporary food with precise cooking techniques from an extremely talented chef that combines fresh local Brazilian ingredients with his Japanese and German heritage. What a gem!

Despite a discrete facade, diners are welcomed into a beautiful dining room, with high ceilings, circular wooden tables and an open kitchen. The unpretentious table setting exemplifies how Oteque remains informal and relaxed while serving some of the best quality food out there.

Chef @albertolandgraf serves a tasting menu subject to availability of each ingredient, but usually very much focused on products coming from the sea, with the oyster with green apple juice as one of the unforgettable bites and a staple of the restaurant.

Other dishes that stood out for me were the squid with white shimeji mushrooms and bottarga, smoky grilled shrimps with “pirão”, bluefin tuna with pine nuts topped with ossetra giaveri caviar and a juicy grouper fish with “tucupi” and leeks.

The wine selection is a sideshow in itself, where every combination makes a lot of sense and brings out the best on every plate.The place offers two types of wine pairing and I suggest being hardcore here and going for the ultimate experience. You are at Oteque after all.

#oteque #talesonthetable #riodejaneiro #gastronomiabrasileira

(Versão em Português nos comentários) Less