Casa do Porco

Today’s hottest restaurant in São Paulo is Casa do Porco, in the revitalized city center. Literally translating as “House of the Pig,” it offers diners a true journey to the countryside of Brazil’s southeast and its delicious and hearty cuisine which, as the name suggests, involves quite a lot of pork.
Head chef Jefferson Rueda, one of the rising stars on the Brazilian food scene, seeks to bring all of the flavors of the classic home cooking of his birthplace of São José do Rio Pardo, a small town deep into the countryside of São Paulo state and close to the border with Minas Gerais. However, while on the one hand focusing on tradition and authenticity, Rueda has also managed to create some incredibly innovative dishes which would not look out of place on the tables of the swankiest restaurants around the world.The best way to get the full Casa do Porco experience is by ordering the tasting menu (“De Tudo Um Porco”), which includes an incredible ten starters, followed by Rueda’s signature main course, the Porco San Zé – slow-roasted pork with a number of delicious sides. While the main is delicious, it is the selection of starters that really steals the show. With fascinating combinations such as a pork tartar with bone marrow served on a homemade crisp bread, pork jowl sushi with black tucupi (pictured above), and pork belly crackling with guava jam, each as curious and delicious as the last, the tasting menu is an absolute must-order at this absolute must-visit restaurant.