The new and fun menu at the Cascais eco-lounge brings different versions of cassava, açaí, cashew and cupuaçu and dishes named after expressions from Northern Brazil.
What would be gossip? Emperiquidated? Whip? Mare’s father? In the happiest season of the year, Palaphita plays with expressions from the North of Brazil in its new menu, which goes well with the sunny days to come and the most stunning view of Cascais. As it is already an eco-lounge brand, the spring new products highlight Amazonian origins while still fusing with excellent Portuguese ingredients.
“The highlight of our spring menu is cassava, which is a root food, super important in the diet of the people of the Amazon and little known in Europe. We are bringing cassava in different ways on this menu. It’s from the land, but it’s not potato. It’s a Brazilian root, an Amazonian product”, says chef Natacha Fink.
Emperiquitada, which means something overly decorated, on the menu prepared by chef Natacha Fink, is the name of a Mediterranean-style salad with cucumber, cubes of goat cheese, tomatoes, olives, pickled red onion with açaí, leafy greens from the garden and homemade hummus with olive oil. Pai d’égua, which means phenomenal, gives its name to the curd-type cheese grilled in cubes and served with cashew jelly. And Mani, which comes from the original Tupi language and refers to cassava, appears on the Palaphita menu as a cassava cupcake with coalho cheese served with açaí jelly. Among the new starters, there is also the Carpaccio da Floresta: thin slices of black Angus meat and a mix of garden leaves with a sauce of olive oil, wild honey, mustard, feta cheese, capers and bread.
In the main dishes, an expression of surprise and enthusiasm presents one of the house specialities in a new version. Eita Polvo features grilled seafood, with basil pesto served over creamy green rice with garlic broccoli. Chibata, which serves to describe what is very well done, gives its name to the dish with beef loin on a cassava puff stuffed with cheese, accompanied by mushrooms in its own sauce and truffle oil. The gentle agitation of the waters of the rivers and the sea, which in northern Brazil is called Banzeiro, inspired the bum-style rice pasta with sautéed shrimp and seasonal vegetables, cupuaçu teriyaki, oyster sauce and Brazilian pepper jelly. If pavulagem is the attitude of those who want to appear something they are not, at Palaphita, Pavulagem Veggie (bifum-style rice pasta with vegetables and plant-based squid, cupuaçu teriyaki, soy sauce and Brazilian pepper jelly) aims to surprise positively.
In desserts, the novelty is the super-frozen dairy cream filled with peanut jam and its paçoca, which was named Vixe Maria. The expression, derived from “Virgin Mary”, goes well with the feeling of trying something really tasty.
Spring drinks highlight cachaça
For spring, refreshing drinks are on the rise, such as passion fruit caipirinhas and caipiroskas and the watermelon margarita. The exuberant Fink Expresso Martini (premium Vodka with selected roasted coffee) comes with high doses of caffeine and the Pinga Colada is a reinterpretation with premium cachaça, coconut milk and pineapple. For those who want a non-alcoholic drink, Palaphita pays homage to the Olympic and world surfing champion surfer, Ítalo Ferreira, who every time he goes to the eco-lounge orders different Ice Tea. #GoItalo includes orange, lemon and red fruits.
“On the drinks menu, we are highlighting cachaça. We now have three categories, a standard cachaça, a premium cachaça and an extra premium cachaça. We intend to invest a lot in this, to bring more and more the culture and knowledge of cachaça to Portugal”, explains the Palaphita chef.
PALAPHITA
- Bosque da Casa da Guia, Avenida Nossa Senhora do Cabo 101. Cascais, Portugal
- Every day, from 12 pm to 10 pm.
- Closed on Tuesdays.
ABOUT PALAPHITA
The name Palaphita originates from one of the construction systems used in the Amazon, a house built on logs or pillars. This type of construction is common in flooded areas, as it places the house at a height where water cannot reach it, making it volatile to the elements. Versatile, adaptable and differentiated, just like the Palaphita restaurant.
Born from the unmistakable Brazilian green, the restaurant is a gastronomic eco-lounge, currently located in Cascais. Palaphita also cultivates its Amazonian roots in its menu and environment. A unique essence ready to be shared and grow in other lands. Praising its roots anywhere in the world.
Since its creation in Rio de Janeiro, in 2004, Palaphita Kitch, in Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, has sought to offer experiences of high gastronomic value, supported by the fusion between food culture, Amazonian products and local habits, in addition to providing great dishes and drinks.
After the creation of the first unit, the Palaphita Gávea was built at the Brazilian Jockey Club, in 2013, and three years later, the Palaphita Galeão, to host the 2016 Olympic Games. All are located in the Marvelous City.
In 2020, the partners crossed borders, crossed the Atlantic Ocean and docked in Cascais, Portugal. Today they have two operations open: in the restricted international boarding area at Galeão Airport, in Rio de Janeiro, and Palaphita Cascais, in Portugal.
In both spaces, Palaphita provides a primitive and exclusive atmosphere, organically integrated into the chosen location. In addition to the excellent gastronomic and visual experience for its customers, the restaurant stands out for its use of renewable fibres, biodegradable and compostable disposable materials, biodegradable cleaning materials and with a lower environmental impact. Always aiming for regeneration.
Architecture and Regeneration
Palaphita’s decoration concept is based on ephemeral architecture and is based on transitional constructions that can change according to the environment and the natural surroundings, which move according to the availability of materials and the weather in each place. Where nature dictates the rules of layout and spatiality generated for the needs of this eco-lounge. The environment at Palaphita is usually structured in an open space, with bioarchitecture and reforestation ecodesign, furniture and decorations based on natural materials, reforested or reused, abundant in its region.
“20 years ago, we were concerned with sustainability, today our main guide is the regeneration of our space”, explains Mário de Andrade, who created the furniture and settings at Palaphita, always seeking harmony with the environment.
Partners and Creators:
Mário de Andrade Netto lived in the Amazon until 1982, when he finished high school and moved to Rio de Janeiro, entering the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro at just 16 years old. With an entrepreneurial spirit, he dropped out of university to take a chance in the business world. At the age of 18, he opened in 1983, with his sister Mônica, the first delicatessen in Rio de Janeiro, Casa dos Sabores.
In the 1990s, he saw that he could have a promising career by putting together complete banquets, opening a buffet and closing down Casa dos Sabores. He moved away from the traditional buffets that dominated receptions in the 80s and invested in more sophisticated recipes, such as antipasti, carpaccios and terrines – and it worked.
Andrade became the main reference in the market and, in the following two decades, hosted more than 40 thousand banquets, receptions, cocktails, dinners, brunches, breakfasts, parties, etc. for up to 12,000 people simultaneously, in addition to being the caterer official event for international events such as Formula Indy, the MotoGP World Championship, fairs, congresses, mega shows and national events ranging from the Parintins Folklore Festival (for 15 consecutive years) to the most intimate dinners for socialites, personalities and businesspeople.
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