If you missed the Lima-Tokyo menu, head into Chef Richard
Sandoval’s Zengo to try Test Kitchen: Shanghai-São Paulo menu offerings. Every few months, the Chefs
at Zengo
research and develop new recipes featuring the cuisine and spirits of one Latin
and one Asian country. The Shanghai-São
Paulo dishes offer creative interpretations of traditional Chinese and
Brazilian recipes.
We started the meal with a mild and refreshing Spiked Acai Tea. The cocktail is a blend of green tea vodka, acai liqueur, acai berry juice and lychee puree.
Next we tasted a series of small plates. Traditional Chinese dumplings are enhanced with Brazilian flavors in
the Xiaolongbao Soup Dumplings,
prepared with pork, crab and linguica sausage.
The complex Brazilian spice, tempero baiano, can be found in Crispy Shanghai Spring Rolls, filled
with chicken and shrimp.
A staple of Brazil, bacalhau, or salt cod, is crusted in coconut and served with
Chinese-influenced sweet and sour sauce.
Pomegranate-Kumquat Cocktail muddles traditional Chinese fruits with Brazilian cachaça.
Picahna Steak and XO Style King Crab is culinary collaboration at its finest: Brazilian dry aged sirloin with Asian-style King Crab, served with Chinese XO sauce. I loved this dish!
Also, check out the Feijoada with black beans and shredded pork.
Guests who enjoy a slightly spicy cocktail will want to try the Peppercorn Cucumber Martini, made with sake, cucumber, gin and Szechuan peppercorns. Beware: this one packs a punch!
For a sweet ending, savor the Coconut-Tapioca
Pudding, served with lychee sorbet
and shaved coquito nuts. I wasn't the biggest fan of the gritty texture.
Cachaça,
a Brazilian spirit made from fermented sugarcane, is featured in the Coconut Batida, prepared with fresh
coconut water and lime. Yes! I love hydrating while sipping cocktails at the same time.
Photos by Emily Clack
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